Instagram has become a powerful tool for small, rural, and local businesses to connect with their audience. Done right, Instagram can help you grow your brand, increase revenue, and establish a loyal customer base. But common Instagram mistakes can undermine your efforts, reducing reach, engagement, and ultimately, sales.
Here’s a guide to ten Instagram mistakes and practical fixes to help rural businesses get the most out of this platform.
Top 10 Most Common Instagram Mistakes
1. Failing to Define Your Niche
Without a clear niche, your content can feel scattered. Rural and local businesses can excel by sharing posts that resonate with specific interests, such as showcasing local craftsmanship, sustainable farming practices, or countryside charm. For example, if you’re a local cheese producer, stick to sharing behind-the-scenes moments on the farm, recipes, and cheese-pairing tips. This way, followers know what to expect and will keep coming back for more.
Fix: Identify your niche by focusing on what your business does best and the values that set you apart. Commit to a handful of topics that reflect your brand.
2. Inconsistent Colors and Branding
A cohesive color palette creates a sense of unity and helps followers recognize your brand. Rural and small businesses can use natural, earthy tones to reflect a rustic vibe, for instance. Even if you don’t have a strict palette, a touch of brand color in each post ties everything together.
Fix: Choose one or two colors for your posts and stick with them. Consistency here doesn’t mean strict rigidity; small touches like a repeated font or filter can be enough.
3. Irregular Posting
One of the most common mistakes is posting inconsistently. Posting too infrequently can make you seem inactive or forgotten, while posting too often can overwhelm followers. Finding a middle ground is key, especially for businesses that want to maintain steady engagement.
Fix: Establish a posting schedule. Start with just 1-3 posts a week and gradually increase based on engagement. Posting at times when followers are active, such as after work hours or on weekends, can also boost visibility.
4. Buying Followers
Buying followers may seem like a shortcut to credibility, but it rarely results in meaningful engagement. These followers aren’t interested in your products and won’t interact with your posts, which can damage your engagement rate.
Fix: Build genuine connections with your audience by creating engaging content. Focus on quality followers who are interested in what you offer. Use features like stories, questions, and polls to interact with your real audience and invite user-generated content to get followers involved.
5. Using Low-Quality Images and Videos
Instagram is a visual platform, so quality matters. Posting blurry images, stretched videos, or poorly composed shots can make your business look unprofessional. For rural businesses, quality visuals can beautifully showcase your natural surroundings, artisan products, or friendly service.
Fix: Invest time in learning basic photography skills or consider using ready-made templates. Clear, well-lit images will make a big difference. Stick to Instagram’s preferred aspect ratios for posts (e.g., 1080×1080 pixels for square images) for the best visual impact.
6. Neglecting Instagram Stories
Stories are a fantastic tool for connecting with your audience in real time. They’re an easy way to provide updates, share “day in the life” moments, or highlight new products without cluttering up your main feed.
Fix: Post stories regularly, but keep them engaging. Share behind-the-scenes glimpses, customer testimonials, or upcoming events. Use templates to ensure they look professional, and don’t be afraid to get creative with stickers, polls, and questions to keep your audience interacting.
7. Not Using Hashtags
Hashtags increase your post’s visibility, especially when used strategically. A mix of local, niche, and trending hashtags can help rural businesses reach both local and broader audiences interested in your niche.
Fix: Use hashtags that are specific to your business and location. For instance, a small farm might use #WiltshireFarms or #OrganicUK in addition to more general tags like #SmallBusiness. Avoid overloading your posts with too many hashtags; a well-curated set of 5-10 relevant ones can often be more effective.
8. Skipping the Call-to-Action (CTA)
Each post is an opportunity to guide your audience toward taking action. Whether it’s visiting your website, booking a service, or sharing a post with friends, a clear CTA helps maximize engagement.
Fix: Add CTAs to your captions to encourage specific actions. A farm shop, for example, might ask, “Comment with your favorite way to use fresh honey,” or “Tap the link in our bio to learn more about this weekend’s market!”
9. Keeping Your Account Private
A private account severely limits your reach, as only approved followers can see your content. For businesses aiming to grow their audience, a public account allows more potential customers to discover your brand.
Fix: Make your account public in your settings. A public profile means your posts can appear on the Explore page, in hashtags, and in location searches—making it easier for new followers to find you.
10. Ignoring New Instagram Features
Instagram is constantly evolving, and using new features can help boost your reach. When you adopt these features, like Reels or Shopping, Instagram often rewards early adopters with increased visibility.
Fix: Explore new tools on Instagram and test which ones resonate with your audience. Reels, for example, are great for quick, engaging content—ideal for sharing tips, showcasing products, or capturing events. With Shopping, rural or small retailers can tag products directly, making it easier for customers to browse and buy.
Avoiding Instagram Mistakes & Achieve Instagram Success
Instagram can be an incredible tool for rural and small businesses to build brand recognition and engage customers. By avoiding these common instagram mistakes or pitfalls and making a few adjustments, you can turn Instagram into a valuable part of your marketing toolkit. Remember, consistency and quality are key. Telling your story authentically, highlighting your unique offerings, and engaging your audience will go a long way in helping your business thrive on this platform.
If you have questions about how we can potentially support you and your business reach out today and speak to us about our marketing audits, strategic action plans and marketing management services. plus of course how we can help you plan ahead for your future!