Back in April Instagram was testing a new feature for users to pin their posts to the top of their feeds. Twitter has had this since I can remember, and I’ve used a lot. It’s nice to have the choice to highlight an upcoming event and keep it front in center, so followers know what’s up.
Instagram has now made this Pin-to-Profile update available to all. And it’s about time.
Marketing 101 (The Rule of 7) tells us that you can’t just post something one, two, or even three times, to get results. The gurus say it takes up to seven touches to get your point across and convince someone to buy a product or service.
So, if you’re planning to do a special Live Event two weeks from now and want a good turnout, one little Instagram post isn’t going to cut it. You’ll need to shout it out several times coming up to the launch. This requires creativity. Twitter is much more forgiving, but with Instagram you’re going to lose followers fast if you keep inundating your feed with the same promotional content. You’ve gotta be sneaky, peppering it with other updates and advertising it in unique ways. Now that the platform has made it possible to keep that important post pinned to the top of your profile it’s a lot easier to engage the Rule of 7 without being annoying.
With the new update, a fan that checks out your content for 7 days leading up to the event will see that pinned post 7 times without you even lifting a finger. I would recommend you still promote it in your actual feed in creative ways, but you’ve got it out there as prime real estate just like a billboard on Sunset Blvd. New visitors to your page will also see it right away and not miss it in the slew of updates you post. The pin-to-profile feature is a great marketing hack.
Currently you can only pin up to three favorites at the top of your grid as explained by Business Insider.
I don’t think that’s a problem. I feel sticking to one important announcement at the top of your profile and not muddying the waters with other pinned posts is best, but then again, maybe you’ve got a lot of events coming up or you want to highlight a few of your hottest pics.
To take advantage of the new feature head to the post you want to highlight, click the three dots on the top, and select “pin to your profile.” There’s also a special pin icon that Instagram uses to highlight that post from others, so people know it’s important. By the way, you can also pin videos.
The important thing to remember is, once the event is over to remove the pin and let it gently slide back into your feed. You don’t want to look like you’ve got old information floating at the top like a stale piece of bread. Even if the pinned post isn’t time sensitive, I still wouldn’t keep it slumming there for eons. Changing up content makes your profile look fresh. So, there IS a balance. Go try out the new feature, see if it helps you to rustle up more views for your promotions and let us know how it goes.
—
Alyssa Collins hails from Minnesota, where snowy days were the perfect excuse to stay warm inside and write. Over the years, she turned that joy into a career and has authored numerous articles for various publications (under pen names). Email Alyssa via alyssa@ynot.com.
Illustration credit: iStock.com/dakovujic
