If it was Facebook ruling the social media world 5 years back, Instagram is definitely the networking thing of today. Though Facebook has more users, Instagram has more numbers when it comes to engagement.

According to a study, the engagement rate of Instagram is more than 10 times that of Facebook, 54 times more than Pinterest and 84 times more than LinkedIn.

That’s exactly why you should be upping your game on Instagram. Here’s how to do it.

Timing is key

Posting when your target audience is in slumber mode? Are you trying to post many times during the day to be cool? According to experts, 1-2 posts during the day are just perfect for Instagram. The key is to check when your audience is engaging with your posts by looking at your Insights.

Invest in the right tools

These days camera phones offer high-quality images and are ultra-light as compared to DSLR cameras of yesteryear. So, you can literally click on the go and create a great portfolio of pictures. Plus, drones and action cameras are the new game changers.

Don’t post pictures, tell a story

Instagram is not about posting pictures in terms of quantity but rather quality. It’s about powerful storytelling which will be relatable, shareable and incite engagement. That’s one way of standing out from the crowd.

Don’t hash the hashtags

Just because Instagram has a limit of 30 hashtags, it does not mean you have to make a train of hashtags under your pictures.It gives a very unprofessional vibe about your page. Just how much is just right? Picture this, the top brands on Instagram have 7 or fewer hashtags. Getting the picture?

Stick to your niche

With a billion users out there, the easiest thing to do is to get influenced by what others are doing on their social media pages. Learn from others but stick to your core strengths and content. Create a niche for yourself and then play the game well. No point in scrambling up your content just to please others. Have a plan and vision for your page.