Over the past year, I’ve been asked numerous times for my bookstagram tips. In this post, I’ll be divulging all my secrets.
Blogging has been my full-time job since 2015 and in the last few years, I took on the job as a social media manager for several local businesses. Between the two, I’ve learned my fair share about Instagram and what it takes to succeed. Now, I don’t claim to be any kind of expert, but I’ve gone through a lot of trial and error and done ridiculous amounts of research, so hopefully, my word will count for something.
Over the last few years, I’ve had an engagement rate of anywhere between 15-40% on my bookstagram page, which has grown to just over 9000 followers in 2 years. I’m stating these numbers to say that it doesn’t take a crazy large following for an Instagram account to perform well. Keep reading to find out what I’ve learned and what you can do to master bookstagram as well!
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Before we get into the bookstagram tips, I want to talk a little more about engagement rates.
What does “engagement rate” actually mean? Your Instagram engagement rate is determined by your average number of likes + average number of comments ÷ your follower count x 100. Example: if you have an average of 1700 likes and add it to an average of 60 comments then divide it by a follower count of 5675 and multiply it by 100, you’ll see that you have an engagement rate of ≈31%. This can get a bit tricky, so one of my favorite tools to use in order to keep updated with my engagement rate is the Phlanx engagement calculator.
Why is an engagement rate important, you might ask? Not only does this help you determine how engaged your followers are, but if you’re interested in working on brand partnerships, most companies will be curious if you will actually hold any sway over your audience and they’ll request these numbers. An engagement rate is more important than a follower count. Say it with me. An engagement rate is more important than a follower count. It won’t matter one iota if you have a million followers when your engagement is at .02%. It just won’t.
Instagram is a tricky beast. Finding a balance between catering to their algorithm and creating content that you’re passionate about is key.
Want to know a secret? Instagram loves new accounts. It is much easier to grow your platform if you are brand new to the app than it is to try and maintain growth after 6 years, 4 username changes, and a massive collection of ghost (inactive) followers. I am speaking from personal experience here! Listen up! The previous blogging account that I ran had originally been my personal account, which I set up shortly after Instagram first launched (I changed my handle twice). Then, I changed the username when I began posting OOTDs and launched my blog. A year after that, I changed my blog name, so therefore my IG handle changed yet again. It took two years for me to reach 10k followers with the old algorithm. Want to know what happened next? I plateaued. Oh, sure, I’d jump up to 15k, then down to 12k, then up to 13.5k, etc. but around 2 years ago, I got to 13k and it just stopped growing. I was old news. My hashtags had no reach and my engagement rate was at 2%. It was infuriating. I stopped enjoying Instagram – until I created my bookstagram account, which I vowed to treat differently. Here’s where my tips come into play.
Never stop engaging. Don’t just post and ghost. Take 15-30 minutes before and after posting a photo to comment, respond to comments, and share to your stories. Don’t rely on your homepage. Go through your following list and interact with the people who aren’t showing up on your usual scroll. Click on the hashtags you’ve used and interact with other recent posts under those tags. Switching up hashtags is a great way to find new feeds and be seen by new eyes as well. Stay on-topic, do some research (find photos you love that are similar to what you’re posting and see which hashtags they use), and include between 15-30 large and small-reach hashtags in your caption.
Only follow pages you really love – and please, for the love of authenticity, do NOT follow to unfollow. This should be a no-brainer, but it’s something I see far too often. Follow new accounts, yes, but if you’re only looking for a follow back, you’re missing the point of the app to begin with. Use it to connect. Genuine relationships will be formed if you remain genuine yourself.
Regularly clean out your followers. Every morning, I go through my follower list and remove accounts that look spammy. Not sure how to recognize these ghost accounts? They’ll often have no profile picture, a ridiculous amount of numbers in their username (ex: instahandle12398563723), or they’re following a TON of people without having any followers back, etc. If you’re regularly cleaning out these accounts from your follower list, it’ll make it easier to have organic growth and engagement!
Read captions and write good ones too. Read captions before you comment. If you see a book you love in the photo, but the caption is about a family member in the hospital, you will come off as insensitive if you comment something about the book without acknowledging the emotions in the caption. On the other side of things, create captions that are engaging and unique! Ask your questions at the very beginning of the caption – and if possible, add another one at the end. Stay relevant to what your photo is about (I get so confused when the photo is of one book and the caption is about another). Try not to be repetitive. Sometimes I find myself getting worn out typing what book I’m reading into the comment section again and again when that’s the only question everyone is asking.
Looking for caption ideas that aren’t “what are you currently reading?” I’ve got you. Download my list of over 75 creative captions here!
Be present. Post to your stories daily, if you can. Most people don’t really care what you post, as long as you post something. Start the day by showing your face or using a poll to get them interested. Use templates (make sure to tag the creators), share your friends’ posts, show the behind-the-scenes of taking photos, give them sneak peeks into your life. Have fun with them! Maintain a regular feed-posting schedule (I post Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday) and let people know if you’re going to be inactive for an extended period of time! If I see someone hasn’t posted in 2 months, they have no story highlight or bio info saying they’re on hiatus, and no in-feed alert, I usually unfollow, assuming that they’ve decided to step away from Instagram. Keep your followers as informed as possible!
Pick a theme, any theme. This is one that eluded me for years when it came to my previous blogging page. I didn’t know what I wanted my theme to be, so my colors constantly changed, I was always switching my presets, and things got really messy. With my bookstagram, I knew before I even started that I wanted to batch shoot my photos once or twice a month, I had a preset ready to go, and I picked my props so I could remain consistent. My feed has varied slightly from when I started, but if you scroll through, you’ll see that it’s pretty much remained the same. It helps to create a brand for your name. When people see one of my photos, they can usually tell it’s mine even if my name isn’t on it.
In the long run, it’s your page, so do with it what you’d like. This sounds like I’m countering everything I just said, but hear me out. It’s great to poll your audience and find out if they want a lighter or darker feed, reels or photos, long captions or short – and yes, you should listen to what they have to say. You can even try what they prefer. But if you’re not happy with the content you’re producing, at the end of the day, this is not going to be an account you’ll want to keep up with and your followers will notice your lack of enthusiasm as well. When you’re passionate about what you’re posting, passion will be returned to you! I like my warm feed and I like a mix of long and short captions… so this is what I’ll be sticking with, thanks very much!
What have you learned from being on Instagram?
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Amie says
Instagram is such a tough platform, but I’m learning to just enjoy it and go with the flow!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
Stephanie Whitman says
It can be hard to enjoy sometimes with the constant changes and the battle for engagement, but I’m glad you have found a good flow with it!
Mary Monique says
Fantastic read, very informative. I find Instagram so hard to get engagement and build a community. Aside from constant changes in algorithm, people there just don’t engage much in my opinion. But I love your points here! As you said, I make sure to write long, good captions and I also switch my hashtags. I also unfollow those who don’t engage much. By the way, I love your blog! Thank you for sharing!
http://www.lifebeginsattwenty.com
Stephanie Whitman says
It can definitely be hard to receive engagement, but that’s where I’m hoping that my tips will come in handy. It’s important to be engaging with others as much as you want them to engage with you. And having questions in your caption is KEY. One at the top and one at the bottom, if possible since that’s where the reader’s eyes go! 🙂
Michelle | Taste As You Go says
I’m always looking for ways to increase my Instagram engagement. Thanks for sharing these tips!
Meredith Dent says
I honestly haven’t been on Instagram in so long now — I keep meaning to get back into it, but it’s kind of overwhelming keeping up with it all. There’s some great tips here though, I’ll be putting them to good use when I finally get back around to being active! Love your pics too, so cozy!
Stephanie Whitman says
If it weren’t for bookstagram, I think I would’ve given up on Instagram entirely, but this community has been so welcoming and engaged. I love it so much. I wish I could find that in every genre!
I'm All Booked Up says
These a re really great tips. We’re hoping to grow our Instagram even more this year.
Stephanie Whitman says
I’m sure you will! I hope that these tips can help in some way 🙂
Cristina Rosano says
This was so helpful! I mean Instagram can be the best and most daunting place to be at times. I didn’t know what went behind the scenes about engagement. As you said having a brand image that recurs and engaging are the best tools you can have! Thank you for sharing and hope these tips will help usx
Stephanie Whitman says
I was surprised at how many people were unaware of engagement rates and why they’re important. I think it’s interesting how depending on what genre you’re in, it seems like you learn different things about social media and blogging. I’m trying to combine my knowledge from my previous account, what I’ve learned as a social media manager, and what I’ve picked up on bookstagram. It’s been a lot to learn, but I’m hopeful that sharing what I do know will be helpful in the long run!
Eleanor Jones says
Ooh I love this post, and I didn’t know a few of these Instagram engagement tips! Thank you for sharing, I love the idea of having a follower clear to keep out the spam x
Stephanie Whitman says
I’m really glad that I was able to provide a little bit of additional insight 🙂 It’s so satisfying to clear out those ghost/spam followers each morning. It’s tough to see my numbers go down, but worth it to see the engagement go up!
Lauren says
These are some really helpful tips for growing your book Instagram and even for a general Instagram account. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren / http://www.bournemouthgirl.com
Stephanie Whitman says
I know that the tips are primarily for booksta, but I’m glad that you noticed how they can benefit other genres on Instagram. There’s a lot I’ve learned over the years with social media, so I’m just trying to share the knowledge I do have!
Mariah says
Oh my gosh I relate so much to that paragraph about your blog account plateauing. I am hardcore struggling and its so frustrating! I am definitely going to take these tips. Heading to clear out my followers now.
XO
https://moosmusing.com
Stephanie Whitman says
It can be really challenging when that happens. When I stopped using my old account, I was at 13k and it was a struggle to get over 80 likes on a photo. It was ridiculous to me! But at a certain point, Instagram just no longer pushed my content. Starting fresh with this new genre was the best decision I ever made! And keeping my follower count clear of those ghost/spam accounts has been SO beneficial!
Lisa says
To be honest I don’t focus too much on Instagram because I find the struggle between the algorithm and what I want to post is often a time suck I don’t need. But I have huge admiration for your feed, it looks simply beautiful, you can clearly see how passionate you are!
Stephanie Whitman says
That makes sense. If it wasn’t such a large part of my business, I probably wouldn’t mess with it as much either. Thanks for the encouragement!
Karalee Shotola says
That’s amazing you have such a high engagement rate on Instagram!
These are great tips! I have a love-hate relationship with Instagram, but so many brands want bloggers to have an Instagram as well. I don’t have a theme, but maybe I should look into presets! I also try to engage with others & switch up my hashtags.
Stephanie Whitman says
It honestly had so much to do with starting fresh, having an established brand/theme ready to go, and knowing how to engage right off the bat! It made a massive difference and it has continued to remain strong over the last year and a half. I’m really grateful for that! Also, I linked my free presets in this post if you’re interested! 🙂
Zoe Grace (Littlebookfae) says
These are such great tips. Definitely going to use some of them for my Instagram x
Stephanie Whitman says
I hope that they help you as much as they’ve helped me 🙂
Bethany Jones says
These are some really helpful tips, I’m currently working on my poetry instagram account so I’ll definitely be taking some of these on board.
Stephanie Whitman says
Oooh a poetry Instagram sounds really cool! I hope that you’re able to utilize these tips and see growth in your engagement rate!
Lucy says
I’ve learnt so much from Instagram and I’m still learning how to use Instagram to my advantage today! These are great tips lovely x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Stephanie Whitman says
I think that for the longest time, I had a “strictly business” mindset with my Instagram, but moving to the booksta genre and just following these tips has helped me so much. Now it’s so much FUN to engage on the app!
Gemma Jayne says
These are some really useful tips! I actually really enjoyed and was inspired by Instagram last year, and then by the end of the year I just became a bit lost with it and even up until this point. I posted for the first time since February yesterday and I have began posting on my stories regularly again, but I still need a bit of time before I fully come back. Although to be fair I don’t really use my Instagram for anything other than to connect with others and share content I love. x
Stephanie Whitman says
I think it’s good that you already know what you intend to use the space for. As a full-time blogger, Instagram is really important for me and I do use it as a business tool, but I want to have fun with it as well. I think I’ve found a good middle ground 🙂
Julia Hess says
These are wonderful tips for Instagram. Engagement is key to growing for sure. Plus love all your bookstagram inspo!
Stephanie Whitman says
Engagement is the number one tip here, for sure! I think a lot of people assume that just leaving generic comments and liking will benefit them, but long-term it’s only creating more issues. Hopefully this was helpful 🙂
moraa says
Oh I appreciate all these tips. I am one of those who keeps getting lost and then finding my way back. And I was even thinking on starting my bookstagram afresh because when I stared it, I didn’t know bookstagram existed
Stephanie Whitman says
I highly recommend starting fresh! If you begin with a theme/brand in mind and plan out your captions, ready to engage fully with your audience, you’ll see success for sure!
Merry Sari says
Thank you soooo much for writing such helpful tips, Steph! After launching my blog back in 2020 I start using Instagram again and try to have fun with it. Yes, the algorithm can be so intimidating and I still need time to find my comfortable way to post stories or feed regularly. I use it not only for my blog but to connect with others and share content that I love 🙂 I defo need these tips to improve my game x
Stephanie Whitman says
Finding a balance between business and fun is really important and I think that’s something that takes time, but it’s so satisfying when it happens! It’s important to utilize social media for connection because that’s what it was originally intended for – socializing! I love your mindset!
Adaleta Avdic says
Love all of these tips, and TBH I read every single word. I used to clear out followers but I can only remove so many before IG starts to flag me 🙁 and it’s impossible to remove enough at this point. If I had 5,000 or something more manageable, I would 150% do that since it would be a whole lot easier. Wish I could go back and have less, but great post and appreciate you sharing your insight! You’ve always been tactical and analytical! xx
Stephanie Whitman says
It really is a pain once the following has already accumulated. I tried to do the same with my old page, but I cleared out about 400 ghost/spam followers before I couldn’t even keep track anymore and realized I should have been doing it from the start. It had already negatively affected my engagement so much that I couldn’t really do anything except start fresh. Now that I’ve begun anew, I’m able to take that time each day to remove spam and it’s been really beneficial. If only Instagram would actually do something about those accounts in the first place, then it wouldn’t be so difficult to manage, huh? 😉 Thank you for the encouragement! I’ve definitely learned a lot over the years and I hope it can help others!
Karla says
You are a lifesaver!! I created my account a while ago but only took it seriously two years ago so I lost my momentum; my likes have also dropped drastically and it has been discouraging so your tips are very precious! Thank you for taking the time to do this! 🥰
Lee says
Great tips! I’ve been trying to clean out followers – it’s so time consuming but worth it. I hate that 56k followers but so many of them aren’t active since I’ve had my account for 7 years. I’d be happy to have a lower number and higher engagement rate!
Laura Leigh says
these are really great tips gal! I definitely need to get better about engaging and going through my follow list to engage with those that are no longer showing up on my feed. thank you for that tip!
xo Laura Leigh
https://louellareese.com
Carrington | Chaos and Coffee says
This is super helpful to know! Yes, Instagram really can be super tricky, but these tips are all super helpful and great information! Xx.
Katerina Dennison says
Oh man, I am totally at the plateau point. I’ve been stuck for maybe 6 months. Then my engagement started going down this year. I’m super frustrated and just decided to play with my theme but it’s giving me major anxiety 😂 Anyway it was my personal account too, so your post has me thinking maybe it’s time for a new account and a new plan. I’m also trying to fit it into my author brand so that’s another layer to consider. Thanks for this. You’ve given me a lot to think about.
A Cup of Wonderland says
Such a really great and informative post and it’s gave me a lot to think about . I definitely need to go through my followers each day to focus on my engagement rate etc – i think it’s around 14% and I just hit 1k. Thank you so much for writing this
Sumedha says
This is such an informative post! I admit, I’m not an Instagram lover because of it’s algorithm and visual media focus. Now that I’ve switched to posting illustrations instead of photos, I’m enjoying Instagram more. But I still haven’t fully gotten back to it.
Especially with engagement! Thanks for reminding me that I need to post more stories and comment on other posts more. I also have never cleaned out my followers so that’s going a challenge 😅
Lizzie says
These are amazing tips! Instagram definitely favors new accounts lol!! It’s been such a source of frustration for me, as it has been for many others, but now I’m at the point where I just post whatever I like rather than having the algorithm determine that. It’s so much less stressful lol!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
Tanvi Rastogi says
I will be honest I have stopped posting on Instagram much any more. That platform doesn’t excite me for my own use any more. I consume content for entertainment but it is not where I want to put my energy. Having said that I 100% find your tips on point and useful, as a Digital Marketer myself. Engagement Rate > Follower Count always!
❥ tanvii.com
Greta says
So many good tips! I hate accounts that follow/unfollow. It drives me crazy!
Jess says
Thanks for these tips! I love your bookstagram and blog! They are beautiful!
I just started a new bookstagram this month as I used to have one over 5 years ago and since deleted. I had over 3k followers (which was a lot back then) and over time just got overwhelmed with feeling like I had to post the perfect book picture so I stepped back from it. And then I moved across the country and with that got rid of my book collection. But I’ve missed the community, missed my book collection, and have been wanting to start a book blog of my own – so I started all of that in late February. (not ready to launch my blog yet)
But boy have things changed!! The bookstagram community has grown so much and now the addition of stories, hashtag usage, sponsorships, templates, and reels etc… have really taken it up a notch! I feel a little lost and out of my league! When I started my first account, I had no idea where it would lead, I just wanted to share books with others! I had so much love, support, and engagement back then and now I feel defeated because I feel like no one cares or likes my pictures and what I have to say. I get so deflated when I’m excited to share a picture and take time to write a caption but barely get any likes or comments.
I guess that’s what happens, things change and grow and I can’t expect it to be like it was. I feel nostalgic of my old book account and wish I could get it back! Not that everything is bad, there is so much creativity and I have been having fun, I just wish I had more engagement. I felt a part of the community before and now that it’s gotten bigger it just doesn’t feel the same. It’s like when a nice mom and pop shop becomes a franchise – it’s just doesn’t have that same family like feel. And I feel the pressure to up my game big time and just don’t feel good enough.
But I definitely feel like I engage a lot with people, read and write good captions, use some hashtags, clear out my followers (omigoodness so many fake ‘bot’ accounts), follow books lovers with similar taste in books, and I post everyday. I don’t have a theme per-say though but it’s because I want to be able to take any kind of picture I want depending on what I’m doing or what strikes me. But now I’m second guessing that because so many people do have themes. I don’t know, I don’t what I’m doing lol. I just hope to keep growing and get better!
I have put a lot of pressure on myself, but I like your last tip. If I don’t want to get burnt out (like last time) and want to keep my passion for it – I got to post what I love and just keep being me.
Okay, I can ramble on – sorry this is so long. I appreciate you making this post, I just had a lot of thoughts and feeling down about this since I’ve started my new account!
Take care,
Jess
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
These are excellent tips Stephanie! I definitely struggle really hard with Instagram. My feed has been all over the place. I hit a good stride awhile back, but totally fell off the wagon for awhile. I need to get back to the photos that I love and feeling inspired.
Sarah Mark says
I don’t blog about books but I found these tips super helpful! There are even suggestions I never thought to do before like clear out my followers and go through my follower list and interact if I don’t see there content on my feed for a while.
Jessica says
Thank you for creating such an infomative post about Instagram! I really struggle with it, and need to spend more time working on my scheduling and theme. It can be hard to put yourself out there on social media. I need to figure out how to be more confident with that aspect!
Kelly Bolen says
Love this topic and the suggestions! I will be incorporating some in the near future!!!
Linda says
I’m not in the market to start a bookstagram, but I feel about food the way you feel about reading and books, so I absolutely loved this post and all your tips! I don’t have a huge following and am totally ok with that, but I would love more engagement! It tickles me when someone leaves a comment I can respond to and make a connection with. I’m going to try your tip about playing in IG for 15-20 min before + after I post to comment and connect with similar accounts / posts. Once step at a time!
Genesis says
These are great tips! I’ve personally struggled so much with finding a theme that I like- I always end up changing the colours or presets to photos because I just haven’t found the one that speaks to me, yet. Some day I’ll find it!
Lindsey says
I’ve definitely read this before but I couldn’t find a comment so apologies if I hadn’t commented before. I love this. My instagram has crashed and burned and it is because I don’t put any effort in but this is making me want to up my game for sure. I’m feeling really inspired right now – thanks!
Nayomi Kirton says
Great tips. I only have a small following on instagram but I’ve really enjoyed creating a lil community there. I’m going try to be more active in stories, sometimes it feels like you are just posting just because you know you should though
itskoo says
I’m a bit intimidated by Bookstagram because I’m not the most image/graphically-inclined person. Captions and engagement are things I’ve definitely thought about though. I appreciate the tips you provide on this post especially as I try to figure out if it’s a platform I might utilize–I have an account but I haven’t done anything yet…or maybe won’t. The post really helps take out some of the guess work.
Andrea's Book Corner says
This was so helpful especially for me since I’m pretty new to bookstagram so thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing these great tips!
Yolanda says
So many fantastic tips here. It’s crazy to think that people still play the follow unfollow game. I personally struggle with time to focus on Instagram, but I 100% see the value for people who love the platform and can build their brand and interaction with readers. Great tip on clearing out followers too!
Sarah Althouse says
Ooh i had no idea new accounts did so much better! gives me something to think about.
simplyjolayne says
Thanks for the great ideas. I realize that I need to engage more with people who follow me.
Kait says
You do such an amazing job with your Insta! It’s one of the few I check in on regularly since I stopped using the app as much. I would love to get back into posting there, and these are really great tips, even though I’m not a book blogger. I just know I’ll probably get bored of it again and go back to Twitter like I always do!
Maya says
Started my bookstagram in December of last year and have happily found a community that I enjoy connecting with. It’s a little discouraging sometimes to see that I’m gaining so many followers but I’m not getting any more engagement.
Definitely going to try out your tips and tricks, thanks for the help!
I'm All Booked Up says
These are really great tips. We’ve been stuck for for a while and want to continue to grow our following.
Lovely says
Growing your following in Instagram takes serious time and energy. These are all super helpful tips!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Cristina Rosano says
Definitely, tips that we can use! Instagram has been so much of a hit and miss recently, but glad to see useful tips from someone that has been on it for long! I love the colours and look of your feed and a huge fan of the polls! Will have to try and spice up ours too x
jessica says
i’ve seen a lot of people say, especially on tik tok that creating a new instagram account was the best thing they did in terms of growth and the algorithm working in their benefit so i think that’s a great tip! i love using presets, they create a more consistent theme and colour palette for your page!!
jessica | http://www.overdressedblogger.com