Episode 11 - Mastering Instagram for Government Agencies

Instagram is a highly engaging social network and it’s not surprising that it is now the world’s 5th most popular social network. Owned by Facebook it really is evolving its social remit from simply visual storytelling to now becoming a short-form, long-form and live video platform where users are spending an average of 28 minutes per day. But of course this could be way more for some of us if we are honest. Check your smartphone activity! 

But is Instagram an important social network for Government and public sector agencies and if so, how do you build a tribe and become an influential voice when you’re not promoting popular brands and offering 20% discounts when you swipe up!

In this episode of the Public Sector Marketing Show:

• > I’m going to share my strategic approach to Instagram for my government and public sector clients
• > A tour of Instagram’s core features 
• > I’ll share best practice examples 
• > Instagram as a source of news and information. We hear from Jack Quann, Digital News Journalist with Newstalk
• > Your IGTV strategy 

If you want to master Instagram for your department or agency, then stay tuned!

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Joanne’s Column

Why 2021 should be the year you go all-in on Instagram

In today’s column, I’m recommending that you go all in on Instagram this year! Why, because it has so many great features that will really engage citizens and build your organisation’s brand and campaigns. 

Firstly, who’s on Instagram and how are users engaging in the app?

• > 1.2 billion users globally
• > More than half of Instagram users are aged 34 or under
• > Sits in the top 5 most popular social networks 
• > One third of the most viewed Stories come from brands  
• > Stories, Carousels and short-form video are getting most engagement 
• > 68% of people come to Instagram to interact with creators.

The burning question I get almost every week is: But is there a space for a government agency?

The answer is, definitely yes! Why?

1. Your citizens are there
2. They want to be informed, inspired and engaged with Stories and relevant content 
3. You can position yourself 
4. Instagram is a source of news 
5. It’s got brilliant feature to engage and inform 

Be sure to follow me on Instagram @jsgramsdigital and @publicsectormarketingpros 

Consulting

Your EduTainment Strategy on IGTV 

What is EduTainment?

It is when education marketing and entertainment collide!

It’s a great strategy for government and public sector marketing pros to unleash on Instagram. 

So how does it work in practice?

Well, you have to lean into your specialist topic and create informative content that combines entertainment. The entertainment factor comes from the unique Instagram features such as Reels and Guides. 

But I want to focus on IGTV and how planning your video series will fill up your Instagram content pipeline and increase reach, engagement and conversions. 

I recently spoke to Jack Quann, Digital News Journalist with Newstalk. I wanted to know how important Instagram is for Ireland’s award-winning talk radio station and what government and public sector can learn from their approach. 

Case Studies

In this episode I review three public sector Instagram accounts in education, health and government. 

National Health Service in the UK Instagram Review

Trinity College Dublin Instagram Review

The White House Instagram Review

Resources

Here are my favourite Instagram tools:

1. Canva - I love Canva to brand our podcast and show graphics, it's really easy every week to update the hero photo and text overlay. Canva's team and template features are worth paying for the Pro account.
2. Later - an original tool that focused on Instagram, it has really developed over the years and is super useful for Instagram templates, scheduling, and analytics.
3. InShot - a brilliant mobile app for creating animation, video and full screen graphics for Instagram which will also allow you to change your format for Reels, Grid or Stories.
4. Linktr.ee - a must have for every Instagram bio, this is a mobile-responsive landing page for your most important web links. It also allows you to brand your Linktr.ee and gives you view and click analytics.

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Thank You for Listening!

Thank you for tuning into episode #11. If you are a regular listener, please rate and review our show.

Don’t forget to get in touch with your questions. I love hearing from my listeners, don’t be a social media stranger. Tweet me at @JSTweetsDigital

If you would like to be a guest on the show, please get in touch. Email Joanne at info@publicsectormarketingpros.com.

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