One of the most popular social media platforms by far is Instagram. The mobile photo sharing app boasts 150 million active daily users. Since being acquired by Facebook and making useful updates, the social media giant shows no signs of slowing down. To leverage this  platform and make sure your brand attracts engagement and followers, I’ve created a quick list to improve your profile. Check it out and do it for gram!

1.Track Links with Bit.ly

In the bio section, there is an option to include a link. Be strategic with this link and send users to your landing page, latest news article or other relevant information you want users to find. Google Analytics doesn’t track traffic from Instagram so an easy workaround is to use a bit.ly link to track the traffic. You can customize the link and analyze the data from this URL shortener.

2.Optimize Hashtags

We’ve all see hashtags on multiple platforms, but do you know how to best use them for Instagram? Using hashtags properly can expand your reach, amplify your brand and more. When you first start using Instagram, it can seem to take a while to grow a following. A quick hack is to utilize hashtags to make sure your page is more discoverable. Your page must be set to public first for the hashtags to be found.

When implementing hashtags, look for trending topics, hashtags on similar accounts, and create branded hashtags. Make sure the customized hashtags aren’t too long and are easy to remember.

3.Mix Videos and Photos

Make sure to mix up the type of content you are sharing. Share photos, videos, stories and galleries. Instagram is always introducing a new feature so make sure you are utilizing these to stay engaged with your audience. The galleries allow you to share multiple photos in one post and acts a mini album. Varying the type of content you post provides more value and helps drive traffic. Video content has been proven to perform better than still images so don’t be afraid to include these clips in your visual storytelling.

4.Sponsored Ads

There are already accounts with large followings that you can capitalize on. You can leverage their following and pay them to sponsor a post  about your brand. The prices can vary, but it’s usually a cost effective way to promote your brand to an active audience.

Another option is to create and pay for ads on Instagram’s ad platform. The same way you create ads for Facebook is how you’ll create them for Instagram since they’re owned by Facebook. The ads will show up in Instagram feeds the same way as other posts, but there will be a sponsored tag letting users know it is a paid ad. To create ads, just make sure you have a Facebook so you have access to the creation tools..

5.Post at the Best Times

There is no universal time that works for everyone to post content on Instagram. It depends on your followers. Posting at the best times allows for more followers, likes, and comments. There are great tools such as Iconosquare that help you find out the best time to post. The tool does have free options, but to get the analytics, you have to pay. If you truly want to optimize your page, it’s worth it to invest in your brand.