With over one billion users, Instagram deserves a real place in any business’s social media strategy. But like any platform, using it well matters just as much as using it at all. Here are ten common mistakes businesses make on Instagram, and how to avoid them.
1. Buying likes and followers
Buying likes and followers can feel like an easy shortcut to popularity, but more followers doesn’t automatically mean more business.
Social media marketing exists to promote your business and reach your actual target audience. Unless that audience happens to be bots, purchased followers won’t move the needle on sales. People can usually spot fake followers too, and once potential customers notice, your brand starts looking untrustworthy.
Buying likes and follows can also backfire directly. It goes against Instagram’s terms of service, and if it’s discovered, your account risks getting shadowbanned. That means your posts get hidden, and you lose the ability to like, comment, or share other people’s posts.
2. Ignoring analytics
Checking your Instagram analytics regularly reveals a lot, your best and worst times to post, the age and location of your followers, and shifts in engagement over time. That data is exactly what sharpens your strategy and maximises your reach.
3. Posting too much or too little
Finding the right posting frequency is tricky, since the ideal number varies from business to business. Avoid flooding followers with multiple posts a day, it gets annoying fast and can make your business look desperate.
Posting too little causes its own problems though, costing you followers and engagement. People forget your business exists, and the algorithm pushes you further down, making it harder for even loyal followers to see your content.
Regularly checking your analytics helps you land on the right posting frequency for your business specifically.
4. Posting inconsistently
Post three times a day for a week, then vanish for a month, and potential customers will take their attention elsewhere. People want regular updates about your business, products, and services. A long-term posting plan, mapped out in advance, is what keeps you consistent.
5. Inconsistent visuals
Instagram is a visual platform, and people are often drawn to accounts by their aesthetic first. Settle on a general colour scheme, filter, or pattern, and stick to it loosely across your feed.
6. Not interacting with other posts and accounts
Instagram is fundamentally social. Sharing your own content isn’t enough, you also need to genuinely connect with others. Interact with the accounts you follow, and make sure to like and respond to posts featuring your products.
7. Not responding to comments
This ties directly into the point above. Respond to comments on your posts, both good and bad. It makes you seem more approachable, and users become more likely to consider your products or services down the line.
8. Not having a social media strategy
Getting real value from your Instagram account is hard without an actual strategy behind it. Without one, it can feel like stumbling through social media, trying to figure things out as you go.
If you want to maximise engagement, drive traffic to your site, and encourage sales, you need a clear plan for what you’re doing and how you’ll get there.
9. Using too many hashtags
Instagram technically lets you use up to 30 hashtags per post, but that doesn’t mean you should. Hashtags are a great way to reach people who don’t already follow you, but overdo it, and your account starts looking spammy and desperate for engagement.
Stick to somewhere between three and eleven hashtags per post. Skip overused ones like #picoftheday too, they cycle through too fast for anyone to actually find your posts.
10. Promoting yourself too much
Yes, you’re using social media to promote your products and services. But focus solely on selling, and your followers will start feeling like you’re constantly pitching them something.
Show other sides of your business instead. Introduce your team, share a look behind the scenes at your office, or talk about your industry more broadly. That helps followers feel like they’re engaging with real people, not just a faceless brand trying to make a sale.
Need help with advertising your business on Instagram? We can help with your social media marketing strategy.
Creating compelling Instagram Ads can be an incredibly time-consuming, draining process. With OMDIGI Group’s Social Media Marketing Services, you can launch high-performance ad campaigns that boost conversions and maximise ROI. We work closely with your business to build tailored social strategies that reflect your brand identity and genuinely resonate with your target audience.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get social, contact us now.
