Month: March 2023

How to Increase Your Reach on Instagram

by Sara Wildman

Instagram Collab posts have become increasingly popular since their unveiling back in 2021, and they’re probably one of the simplest ways to increase your reach on Instagram. Collab posts give users the opportunity to multiply their reach and engagement by adding a co-author to the post. If you’re not incorporating this trending feature into your current social media strategy, you’re missing out on potential customers. 

How do Instagram Collabs benefit your brand?

While originally intended to be a way for creators to maximize branded content, Collabs have proven to double as a sure fire way for brands to increase their reach and appear in the feeds of potential customers too. Collabs have also become a great way to beat the ever changing Instagram algorithm by showing up in two different feeds – your own and the feed of the account you’re collabing with. Brands now have the opportunity to insert themselves directly into the feeds of their target audience – be it through influencers, partnerships, or other relevant accounts. 

Additionally, Collabs have the ability to increase Instagram engagement. When utitlizing the feature, the post will not only appear in the brand’s feed but also the feed of the account they are collabing with. Likely, the collab account will have a different variety of followers, giving brands the opportunity to further build their communities.   

How to use Instagram Collabs 

Creating an Instagram Collab post is incredibly simple to do, however, it can be hard to find the feature if you’ve never used it before. Here’s a step-by-step process on how to invite a collaborator to your post. 

  1. Begin by starting a new post. You’ll need to do this directly within the Instagram app, rather than on a third party scheduling platform. 
  2. Once you’ve added your media, caption, and hashtags, click on ‘Tag people’ beneath the post. 
  3. Click on ‘Invite collaborator’ and begin typing in the handle of the account you would like to invite as a collaborator. 
  4. Publish your post.
  5. The collaborator will then receive a notification to accept your invitation to the collab post. 
  6. Once the collaborator has accepted, their handle will appear on the post within your feed and show in their feed as well. 
A graphic showing how to increase your reach on Instagram by using the Instagram Collab feature.

Use all platform features to your advantage  

While the Instagram collabs feature is a surefire way to increase your reach on Instagram, it’s essential to make sure you’re utilizing all of Instagram’s features in order to round out your efforts. Are you using Reels and Stories? Do you create polls and use the Question Box within your Stories? Are you incorporating Carousel posts into your content plan? Using all of Instagram’s features will not only maximize your chances of getting in front of potential customers but also increase your engagement as a whole. In today’s digital media landscape, you can no longer get away with posting a single image on social media. 

Need help maximizing your Instagram strategy? When we work together, your brand does more than show up. It shows up with a story, a purpose, a unique reason for being – and it makes an impact. At Segal Communications, we become an extension of your team – we work fast to become brand experts and make sure we’re keeping your company relevant on social media. 
Connect with us – [email protected]

Should you do your own PR?

by Sarah Segal

Last year, I came across an interesting article written by a lifestyle entrepreneur detailing how they saved “thousands” in not hiring a qualified PR agency. In her Business Insider article, she outlines her four strategies for success.

She writes, “I quickly realized that any time my business was mentioned in media coverage, my website traffic increased dramatically (I tracked this using Google Analytics). I decided to spend two hours a week trying to get more press mentions and tapped into the bit of PR knowledge I had from working in the industry for one year.”

So, should you do your own PR?

Here are my professional thoughts on the suggestions she outlined

Spending an hour a day on PR

1. She recommends setting up “Google alerts on topics, themes, competitors, and key phrases that are relevant to your business or industry” and drafting a pitch based on the trends and themes surfacing that week. She recommends allocating 1 hour to this undertaking. In theory, this is not a bad strategy – it’s something we do for our clients but it’s not how I would recommend a founder allocating their time. The role of a founder is to be the visionary for the company. Delegation is the key to success, not working in the weeds. While a PR agency is an investment, yes, if you believe in what you are doing, it will be an investment that will certainly pay off over time.

Delegation is the key to success, not working in the weeds. 

Not all press opportunities are worth your time 

2. Next up, she says to post yourself as a source on reporter sourcing platforms – reporters will post call-outs for the expertise they are seeking. The couple she mentions are certainly used, but one of the two is also filled with a ton of junk that would not be worth the time. An agency has institutional knowledge that can help weed out the “opportunities” that are a waste of your time. Agencies also have many other resources that are not mentioned that are far better in finding quality placements. 

DIY PR

3. Take a class in PR. Sure, you can do this, but it’s the equivalent of being a DIY home improvement person. You will never get the results that someone with 10 thousand hours of experience will. You may have a new tile floor, but really won’t you have to redo it in a few years when the grout starts to crack? 

Understanding the dos and don’ts when pitching reporters

4. Her final recommendation is to identify ten reporters who cover your industry and warm them up to receiving your pitches by being social with them on their feeds – liking and sharing, etc. Great advice if you have the bandwidth but don’t expect reporters to respond to your pitches. Reporters’ inboxes are overwhelming by most accounts and not always receptive to individuals pitching themselves because their lack of understanding about the journalistic process makes them more of a headache than a help. PR professionals have a well-oiled understanding of reporters’ needs and will bend over backward for their clients. If you don’t know the drill, you may burn a bridge before you even make headlines.

So, should you do your own PR?

In short, when you are thinking about tackling PR yourself,  just remember Beyonce probably never did her own. Instead, she focused on creating her awe-inspiring performances because she believed in her brand and hired a publicist.

Let us take your brand’s visibility to the next level. We’re here, ready to help your company showcase your “why” and share it with millions of people.

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