34 With over a billion active monthly users, Instagram is no joke. Second only to Facebook when it comes to engagement, the platform has grown ridiculously quickly. It also delivered a big blow to rival platform Snapchat when, in 2016, it introduced Stories - a feature that encourages users not just to post the most exciting parts of their lives, but their everyday experiences too. What’s great about Instagram is that despite its growth, it hasn’t changed all that much.
The principle of sharing beautiful photos of positive things is still at the heart of Instagram, and that’s something its largely millennial user base really appreciates. Of course, a visually led app like this is a dream come true for event organisers, DJs, entertainers and venues, especially those operating in the wedding industry. While planning their big day, brides and grooms love to see and bookmark pictures of venues, decor, dresses, flowers, and much more.
This makes platforms like Instagram fertile ground for picking up potential new clients for your DJ, MC and hosting services. 70% of Instagram users are under 35, so it really is tailor-made for reaching engaged couples. Some of those couples have even started creating bespoke hashtags specifically for their wedding, encouraging friends and family to use the hashtag right from the announcement of their engagement through to the hen/stag dos and wedding, and on into the honeymoon.
A article also claims that some couples hired a social media coordinator just for their wedding. Whether or not you think this is social media gone mad (it may well be), it’s pretty clear that in Instagram is the place to be for brides-to-be. But doing Instagram wrong can be a big turn-off. This platform is different to the rest, favouring genuine content over adverts, rewarding style and simplicity, and - for the time being, at least - avoiding spam and hard sales.
Plenty of companies out there fail to realise this. But those that do, those that get it right, will find boundless opportunity and a direct route to their target audience. Whether you’re already on Instagram or you’re yet to take the plunge, I’ve put together a list of common mistakes that businesses make on Instagram and how you can avoid doing the same with your own DJ business. 1.
YOU’RE USING TOO MANY (OR NOT ENOUGH) HASHTAGS Hashtags are encouraged on Instagram, much as they are on Twitter. They’re important because they add context and relevance to your posts, connecting you with other users. However, there is an optimal number. If you don’t use any hashtags your post has less chance of being seen by the people you want to see it.
Too many, and your post risks being seen by people who aren’t interested and may flag it as being irrelevant. Aim for around 9-12 as a rule, and make them relevant (see below). You can see which hashtags are most popular by typing them out in the search bar on Instagram - go for a mix of popular and less popular (but more niche) tags. 2.
YOUR HASHTAGS AREN’T RELEVANT Hashtags are used to categorise content and make it ‘discoverable’ , so you need to make them relevant. You want your content to be discovered by the right people, not as many people as possible. One way of thinking about this is if you went into a record store, purchased something from the house music section, got home, played it, and quickly realised the song is actually a heavy metal track. You wouldn’t be too pleased.
You want your content to be discovered by the right people, not as many people as possible. A bride looking for a DJ may well follow #weddingDJ in search of inspiration and to see what’s out there, but if you use that hashtag and your photo doesn’t somehow relate to it, then people will just scroll right past. 3. YOU DON’T PRIORITISE THE QUALITY OF YOUR IMAGES Great images are the most important thing about Instagram.
Users come to the platform to see ‘nice’ photos and hear the positive stories behind them, so if you want to stand out and catch people’s attention, high-quality images are your friends. You don’t need to go out and spend £1000s on a new SLR camera - a smartphone is all you need - but you should definitely read up on photography best practice to ensure you get your framing and lighting as good as possible. Square (1:1 ratio) images work best on your Instagram feed, while narrower portrait images are ideal for Stories, so bear this in mind when you’re taking your photos.
4. YOU OVERUSE FIL TERS Those who are new to Instagram tend to abuse the pre-set filters on offer. Concentrate on taking good quality photos, then consider whether or not a filter ‘adds’ anything to the image. If you do go down the filter route, be sure to stick to a similar style to give your feed consistency, or use the custom settings to edit the photo yourself.
Just remember, a filter won’t compensate for a weak image. TOP TIP: The Adobe Lightroom App is free to download and can improve your photos in seconds, especially where lighting is poor. 5. YOU'RE TOO RELIANT ON GRAPHICS The temptation for many businesses is to use the same graphics or illustrations on Instagram as they would for Facebook and Twitter.
Maybe it’s the flyer for a wedding fayre you’re exhibiting at, or perhaps a cover image you had designed for your Facebook profile. Avoid posting these to Instagram. People come here to be inspired by natural photography and you’ll find that engagement rates plummet when you use graphics. Instead of posting that wedding fayre flyer, why not use a photo of a couple's first dance on a hazefilled, up-lit dancefloor, with the caption “Do you dream of a first dance like this?
Don’t forget to drop by our stand at next week’s wedding fayre in XXXX” . It’s the same end result, but you’re playing Instagram to its strengths, rather than putting off potential followers. 6. YOU AREN’T USING THE STORIES FEATURE 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day and a third of those Stories come from businesses, so this is definitely a feature of Instagram that you want to capitalise on.
Millennial users expect authenticity from the businesses they follow and the rough-and-tumble nature of Stories is the perfect way to show the everyday adventures of being a DJ, without clogging up your main feed. Stories are also a great way to engage with your followers (you can post polls and ask questions) and to show off your fun side. A back-stage approach to Stories works as a really impactful contrast to a nicely curated main feed. 7.
YOU DON'T FOLLOW ENOUGH PEOPLE You’re never too big to follow people back. OK, maybe if you’re Cristiano Ronaldo, or Beyonce. But otherwise, get following people! This is social media, after all - follows and likes go a long way.
Follow other DJs, even if they’re your rivals. Follow your clients, past and present. Follow the venues, photographers and other suppliers you work with. Follow the trade mags [@promobilemag – Ed] and the manufacturers of the gear you use.
Follow the blogs and magazines that your clients read. Follow the relevant hashtags to your industry and like the photos of the people using those hashtags. If somebody follows you, and they’re relevant to what you do, make sure you return the courtesy and follow them back. It’s all part of growing your channel, increasing your visibility and improving your chances of picking up new clients.
8. YOU AREN'T INTERACTING WITH ANYBODY Don’t leave it at following people, get interacting with them too! Interactions get you remembered and recognised, so make sure you like and comment on other people’s posts. You can also interact with Stories by reacting, messaging, and taking part in polls.
For extra Brownie points, you can even share your followers’ Stories in your own Story. Always keep things positive, and make sure you reply to comments and direct messages. You’ll soon build up a community of followers, which can include venues, suppliers, other DJs, past clients, and of course potential clients too. The clue is in the name: this is social media, so if you want to be successful, be social.
Do you love Instagram? Do you hate it? Are you using it to grow your DJ business? I’m always happy to talk social media, so fire any thoughts or questions over to
