As we told you recently, Facebook is no longer the hangout for the younger crowd, Instagram is.

“This year, for the first time, less than half of U.S. Internet users ages 12 to 17 will use Facebook via any device at least one per month,” the New York-based research firm eMarketer announced in February. Seen more and more as a place where their parents congregate, teens and young adults are increasingly turning away from Facebook to other social media platforms, including Instagram.

Therefore — the marketing experts at 101 Management, Inc., want to offer you some tips on how to instantly increase Instagram engagement with your business.

Instagram is a mobile photo-sharing app that offers “filters” to help you improve your pictures or add special effects. By some estimates, Instagram has more than 800 million users, with 500 million saying they use it every day. But it’s also interesting to note that there are more business accounts on Instagram than personal accounts because Instagram allows users to shop from the platform.

So that’s why it’s important that you take advantage of this popular marketing tool in helping to boost sales. Here are five tips to get you noticed on Instagram.

  1. Tell Stories

One of the hottest new features on the platform is Instagram’s Stories Highlights. Stories, which are also available on other social media platforms, allow you to create unique content, which then disappears after 24 hours. Stories Highlights, offered exclusively by Instagram, can extend your stories beyond this 24-hour window by grouping stories you’ve shared into highlights and featuring them on your profile. (Instagram offers instructions on how to use the feature here.

  1. Provide Valuable Content

One way to turn off users on any site is to offer nothing but advertising. If you want people to follow you, you need to provide interesting or useful content. You can post favorite recipes,  thoughtful quotes, funny videos, news relating to the product or service you sell or solutions to problems your customers might have. Stop and think about what draws you to someone’s Instagram account, and what makes you return there.

  1. Advertise

That is, go to other social media platforms you already use and let people know you’re on Instagram, as well. Also, use hashtags to seek out conversations that relate to your own, then comment or like on other Instagram accounts. When they’re notified that you made this action, chances are they might end up following you.

  1. Have A “Call To Action”

You know from your website that you have to have a “call to action” prominently displayed; that is, something you want your readers to do, whether it’s “buy now” or “register” or whatever. So give your followers specific instructions on what you want from them, whether it’s to “like” a photo or tag three friends who might like what they’ve just seen.

  1. Help Users Find You With Hashtags

Hashtags help users organize their searches, and are also an excellent way to help them find you. Spend some time thinking about which hashtags might be: a) relevant to your business; and, b) briefly descriptive. If you add hashtags to a post that’s set to public, your post will be visible on the corresponding hashtag page. You can use up to 30 tags on a post.

These are just a few of the ways you can improve your Instagram engagement. For more on this or other ways to enhance your visibility and sales, contact your marketing specialists at 101 Management, Inc. Because Instagram is constantly updating and introducing new features, we can help keep you up-to-date on this vital marketing tool.