Instagram is a great social media platform that, when done correctly, can help your watersport business grow organically. Previously, we covered three topics: 1) how to set up a watersports Instagram account, 2) why watersport operators should have an Instagram profile, and 3) what different strategies tour operators can use to promote their business. In this blog, we want to continue discussing Instagram as a platform for boat tour and watersport operators, but from a different perspective - things operators should avoid doing on Instagram. This will help make sure the interaction with your users is meaningful, while also ensuring that your actions don’t get you blocked or entirely banned from Instagram. Let’s get right into 5 things watersports operators should refrain from doing while using Instagram.
#1: Liking too Many Posts in a Short Time
Sometimes you might get the itch to support other watersports businesses or customers that have just taken one of your trips by liking a bunch of posts in their grid at one time. It turns out that the Instagram algorithm does not favor such actions and limits users to around 350 likes per hour. Be selective and find other ways to support your community on Instagram.
#2: Follow/Unfollow strategy
While this might be an excellent strategy to use when you just start to promote your watersport business on Instagram, you can also get a penalty if you overdo it. As a general rule, limit yourself to following 100 new accounts per day and raise this number gradually. Keep in mind that 7,500 per day is the maximum allowed by Instagram. Researching area hashtags can help figure out which accounts would be meaningful for you to follow.
#3: Using Online Tools that Promise to Grow Your Account
Although WaveRez’s CEO, Greg Fisher, recommends delegating your marketing to increase output at your watersport business, it doesn’t mean that we’d encourage using tools like SimplyGram. These Instagram growth tools promise to grow your reach and engagement on the platform in no time. However, Sascha Venus found that these companies may not be fully transparent with their customers regarding the methods they use to grow Instagram accounts. Take a look at the video below where he explains why you should avoid using these tools:
#4: Posting Multiple Posts at Once
Many Instagram users scroll all the way down their feed until they see the image below. This image lets them know they’ve seen all the new updates added by accounts they follow:
Posting multiple posts in one day can overwhelm your followers and can even be a reason why they unfollow your Instagram account. To scratch that itch for bragging about your new boat or jet ski, Instagram introduced Instagram Stories. You can post up to 100 Instagram Stories per day, and they will not show up in your followers’ feed unless they visit your Instagram profile and choose to watch.
#5: Irrelevant & Banned Hashtag Stuffing
It’s known that using a combination of correctly chosen Instagram hashtags can help your Instagram profile grow organically. However, there’s a limit of 30 hashtags per post set by Instagram. We do not recommend using irrelevant hashtags simply because you haven’t reached that limit. Your hashtags should match the info you’re trying to share with your Instagram audience. The Instagram algorithm will not help you push your content if you use irrelevant hashtags and, it can also lead to action blocks in posting captions for your posts. Watch out for hashtags recommended by Instagram hashtag tools like RiteTag. Although these tools can give you an idea of hashtags banned by Instagram, they also have their limitations. Sometimes, it’s better to figure out for yourself what hashtags are unhelpful and refrain from using them. Some of the hashtags banned by Instagram in 2021, which are relevant to the watersports industry, include #Parties, #SaltWater, #Sunbathing.
Conclusion
As you can see, Instagram sets limits on all aspects of its platform. Instagram is one of the few remaining platforms within the social media space that still lets you grow organically without spending money to promote your posts. However, many Instagram users, including watersports and boat tour operators, unknowingly take actions that are against the Instagram policy, so be sure to become familiar and comply with rules set by the platform. For more helpful tips, follow WaveRez on Instagram and check our guide, How to Grow your Watersport Business via Instagram.
About the Author
Greg Fisher
