Business, Brilliantly Episode 8 – Tips in 10ish on Instagram Traffic

I have a confession: I sort of gave up on Instagram for awhile recently.

As someone who loves social media & the power of storytelling and authentic social marketing as much as I do? This may sound like a strange thing to admit out loud.

I kept posting and posting there, and never once did I see anyone visiting my site from my link in my profile. When that happens, you eventually feel defeated.

There are only so many hours in the day, and only so much that I can do, and in the end? When I thought Instagram wasn’t bringing me any results? I stopped focusing on it. I figured I would let it go back to simply being a spot where I document my road trips, and not bother sharing posts there anymore.

Then thanks to Jeff over at Manly Pinterest Tips and his presentation at Podcast Movement in August, I learned that Google Analytics does not track traffic coming from Instagram. You will never see Instagram.com in your stats.

Ugh. SERIOUSLY?!? No wonder it was never listed!

He also shared this super easy trick for figuring out if Instagram is sending traffic on over to your site.

Oops. Turns out it has been, and while I am still building my new social media calendar for using Instagram, I can see the results already.

I wanted to share it with you in today’s Tips in 10ish episode, along with chatting a bit about my favorite iPhone apps for making Instagram graphics.

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Resources

• Set up your account over at Bit.ly and create a short link to point to your site.
• I love to use WordSwag for the iPhone to create graphics with text on them. (Sorry, Android & Windows users – it looks like it is iPhone only.)
• Another app that I really like is Phonto. So many options for text!
• Prefer to create graphics on the computer, or you’re on a Windows phone? Be sure to visit Canva for graphic creating options!

Hope you enjoy today’s Tips in 10ish episode! Leave a comment below if there is something that you would like to see covered in an upcoming episode, or if you have an Instagram tip you would like to share!

The photo above is one that I took in July, 2014 as I visited Red Rock Canyon in Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. I had originally planned to only camp on the Waterton side in Alberta, Canada for one night, and then head to Glacier National Park in Montana for the rest of my time. When I learned that the lodge in Glacier had no internet access or cellular coverage, that changed all of my plans. I had client calls in the morning, and Waterton has free wifi coverage – which made me extend my stay by a few more nights. I’m so glad that I did, because I would have missed this majestic canyon otherwise! I was a beautiful day, and like nothing I had ever seen. I hiked to the north at first, and then further down to the south before returning to my car a bit before sunset. I miss the mountains – I can’t wait to head west soon!