Instagram is one of the fastest growing mobile applications, yet it’s also one of the most underutilized marketing tools available to marketers. The company’s recent change, Instagram Stories has marketers scrambling to figure out how to add this new feature to their marketing strategy.

If you haven’t quite figured out how to use Instagram to help you increase sales and engage your social media followers, you can’t possibly know what to do with Instagram Stories. These eight tips will help you get started with the basics.index

1. Post Consistently

In 2015, social media analytics tool Quintly analyzed more than 5,000 profiles and learned that the average Instagram account posts once per day. Additional data suggests that Instagram accounts with the highest number of fans often post up an average of two or three photos per day.

The general rule of thumb for creating an online presence is consistency. People are more likely to follow a brand when they know quality images will be provided daily. The biggest part of gaining followers and increasing revenue is gaining trust with your followers. When they know what to expect, they are likely to stick around and engage.

2. Avoid Direct Advertisements

Instagram users love the platform because it encourages, and almost dictates, creativity and the use of powerful images. Users are more likely to ignore or unfollow an account that constantly pushes forced graphic advertisements at them instead of creative on-brand imagery. Try using contests and giveaways to boost sales and increase engagement.

3. Keep Descriptions Short

Because Instagram is a visually driven app, you’ll want to keep lengthy post descriptions to a minimum or absent altogether. If your photo is unable to convey the majority of your message to customers, you may be using the wrong image. Again, too many words can feel like old-school advertisements that might turn your followers off.

4. Use Hashtags Well

Since you’re keeping descriptions relatively short, hashtags become a major part of your Instagram marketing. Using popular hashtags like #latergram or the ever-popular #tbt helps promote your images to a broader audience. Not using hashtags means your brand will never show up in a search because that’s what Instagram uses to categorize images. This means the only people who will find your post are those who already follow you, which can be a problem for brands just getting started. Basically, if your hashtag game isn’t strong, you’re wasting your time on Instagram marketing.

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