It’s a new year, which means you’ve got a fresh start for making the best first impression possible with your social media platforms!

Whether you’re new to Instagram or you’re a seasoned Insta-vet, it’s always worth checking up on your platform to make sure you’re getting the most out of your profile. Even if your content is top-of-the-line, if you haven’t checked off the boxes below, it’s possible that your audience won’t scroll past your bio to see what you’ve got to offer!

Account handle

In a perfect world, your handle will include the full name of your business/brand, and should be consistent across all social media platforms.

Profile image

Your profile picture on Instagram might be small, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. Make sure your profile image is clear and directly correlates to your business/brand. For example, for a small business, you could use a high-quality image of your logo. If you are a personal brand, such as a photographer or an influencer, try using a high-quality image of yourself, with not too much going on in the background. Did we mention making these images high-quality?

Bio

This one’s important. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by sharing who you are, or who your business is, in just 150 characters. But stress not! Treat your bio as a great exercise in figuring out what simple, eye-catching words or characters best represent you. This isn’t a space for your brand’s full-blown story, it’s a space for a broad understanding of why someone should follow you to learn more.

Profile link

Do you have a website? A course signup page? A product page? A Linktree that includes more than one URL? Here’s where you include that link! You only have one “link in bio,” so be sure to include the most important one (website and/or product), or look into the Linktree option.

Story highlights

This one’s especially important if you have a lot of posts already, as users will often click through story highlights as a way of getting to know you or your brand before throwing you a follow or clicking through your actual content. It is, quite literally, your highlight reel! Give ‘em the best of the best, so that they’ll come back for more!

Plain and simple: first impressions matter. The trick is to find that sweet spot of palatable information at the top of your page, so that you can boost your following, increase engagement and get the most out of your Instagram!

Sources:

• https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/how-to-give-your-instagram-the-best-first-impression-infographic/616581/ 
• https://www.giraffesocialmedia.co.uk/how-to-give-your-instagram-the-best-impression-infographic/

Written by Mallory Burns, Social Media Content Manager

Mallory lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and has her Master’s in Contemporary Literature and Media. She enjoys writing engaging copy for clients across the country through Social Media at Madwire, and is grateful for how much she’s learned from her team members here. Outside of work, Mallory loves books, walking, her cat and baking as many cookies as possible.