MBXam: Polly Barks and Instagram for Startups

MBXam is MatchBOX Coworking Studio's monthly free and open meetup for freelancers and creative entrepreneurs. Polly Barks of www.pollybarks.com joined us to talk about Instagram for startups and how to effectively use the platform. 

Polly's Insta boasts a 25k following, with content that focuses on sustainability. We're sharing four of her top tips from her talk. 

1. BE CONSISTENT

Posting regularly, giving your audience the kind of content that they're responding to, and having consistency in the styles and types of content you post are important components for growing a following that engages and responds to your content. 

2. KNOW THE ALGORITHM

Polly asked, "What are the Insta-Overlords delivering?" We know that algorithms drive what your followers see. Instagram's latest information indicates that users first see posts and accounts that they engage with, posts that are timely, and from accounts that are consistent with large followings. 

3. KNOW WHAT INSTA CAN AND CANNOT DO

Instagram can drive traffic to your site. It can help you encourage followers to sign up for a call or consult. It can leverage efforts to increase event attendance. But it cannot "grow sales." Know your goal and frame it around the feasible outcomes from the platform. Use a single sentence to explain your "WHY" to ensure you use the platform in a way that makes sense and feeds that goal.

4. KNOW YOUR POST TYPES AND SCHEDULE

Determine the types of posts that you'll share on your account and keep that rotation consistent when you're scheduling your content. Types of content include education within categories, behind the scenes glimpses in Instagram stories, and live posts for events or in-depth information shares. 

You can follow Polly and MatchBOX on Instagram, and let us know some of your secrets for maximizing social media efforts for your startup.