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If you’re doing the hard work of gathering great images and sharing relevant content on Instagram, well done. You’ve put in the effort and taken your gallery’s digital marketing one step above the rest! However…if you’re posting your content and logging off for the day, you’re missing out on a crucial opportunity to engage with your audience: the comments.
Don’t forget that Instagram is a social networking app, so be social and use it to network! Start conversations, ask questions, genuinely engage with others and you will be rewarded.
Not only will Instagram’s algorithm take that engagement and translate it into more eyes on your posts, but your followers will feel more connected with your gallery, which can lead to more inquiries and sales over time.
We can’t tell you what exactly to say or not say in comments, but here are a few general do’s and don’ts when it comes to engaging through comments.
Don’t: Post and Ghost
We know you just put all that work into your post, but don’t close the app just yet. If followers are commenting on your gallery’s post, try to respond quickly.
We’ve generally seen success as long as we respond to comments within the first hour of posting; even if that isn’t possible, better late than never! When someone takes a moment to comment on your post, be sure to take a moment to comment back.
Do: Engage with Other Accounts
Don’t forget to spend some time commenting on other accounts as well. Whether you’re commenting on the posts of your artists, other galleries, or clients, showing that the conversation isn’t one-sided is key.
Pro Tip: Set a timer for about 10-15 minutes and give yourself that much time to scroll through your feed, comment on, and like other posts. Setting a timer prevents you from getting sucked into the scrolling vortex, but makes sure you spend the time required to engage with other accounts.Don’t: Spam Comment
Many accounts try to go the easy route by either comment spamming themselves or paying for bots to comment on other Instagram accounts.
It may be an easy way to get people to notice your account, but it will be for all the wrong reasons and will reflect poorly on your gallery’s brand. We recommend staying away from these tactics and focusing on genuine engagement.
Do: Say Something Original
You could be the 39th person to comment “Love this” on someone’s post or you could be the 1st person to post a comment with a little more substance.
While engaging with other accounts is great, if you put a little more thought into your comments or questions, you’re more likely to actually start a conversation, make people take notice and build real relationships.
Don’t: Post Irrelevant Comments
Don’t comment about something completely irrelevant to the topic of the post. It’s often bots/spammers posting off-topic comments, but here’s just a gentle reminder to stay relevant to the topic at hand in your comments - even when you’re trying to say something original.
Do: Engage Organically
This one takes a little time, but doesn’t have to be difficult. We know that forcing yourself to go on Instagram and comment is no fun, so just scroll through organically and actually engage with the posts and accounts that interest you.
You may not have much to say about certain posts and that’s okay: you don’t have to engage with everything. Scroll past some and like or comment on others.
Pro Tip: Expand your network! Search a hashtag that is relevant to art or galleries and scroll through that feed to engage with accounts outside of those you’re already following.
Are you thinking you don't have enough time to do all this work on Instagram? If so, learn how ArtCloud has helped hundreds of galleries streamline their operations so they can spend more time on other things!
