Winning in this new landscape means treating Instagram as both a social platform and an SEO asset. Your content needs to engage followers and rank in search. Achieving these two goals calls for a focused, strategic approach.
Crafting Keyword-Friendly Captions
Your Instagram captions are now working like webpage copy in the eyes of search engines. That means every caption is a chance to get found by the right people, if you use it correctly.
Try to work in keywords naturally, without losing the human, engaging tone your audience expects.
Here’s an example of a throwaway caption compared to a new and improved one:
The newer one contains the kind of detail that gets you discovered and keeps you credible.
The key is balancing search optimization (notable mentions, relevant keywords and high-quality content) with social media best practices (strong visuals, catchy hooks and captions and relevant hashtags).
Keep your captions conversational and engaging while incorporating product-specific technical terms and location-related keywords.
Using Hashtags and Alt-Text for Product Discovery
Hashtags on Instagram have a new purpose — they’re now potential search signals. We recommend that building materials manufacturers develop hashtag strategies that include:
Alt-text, which is often overlooked on Instagram, becomes crucial for search indexing. Descriptive alt-text helps both accessibility and search engines understand your visual content. Here’s an example of good alt text copy versus bad alt text copy:
- Bad Alt Text Copy: “A roofing project is shown.”
- Good Alt Text Copy: "Professionals install a TPO membrane on a commercial flat roof in Minneapolis.”
Posting High-Quality Visuals of Products and Projects
If you’ve ever logged into Instagram, you know visuals are everything. The image-driven approach of architectural and construction companies makes them ideal for Instagram's highly visual format.
Clear, quality pictures or videos that provide a real-world demonstration of your product will serve both marketing and educational purposes. Ensure your social media marketing, design, photography or videography team prioritizes sharp, non-pixelated images, like:
- Before/after project photos showing clear product applications
- Close-up shots highlighting materials and unique specs
- Time-lapse videos of installation processes
- Finished project photos with clear branding and context
Additionally, Instagram now favors content edited within its own editing tools over third-party apps like CapCut. To maximize reach and engagement, it's best to shoot high-quality visuals and enhance them using Instagram’s built-in editing features. This small shift can help your posts perform better and get more eyes on your brand.
Geotagging Posts for Local Search Visibility
Local search is a massive opportunity for building materials companies because most firms operate in regional markets. Geotagging Instagram posts will ensure that your content is recommended in location-specific searches.
For example, a thermoplastic polyolefin manufacturer posting a commercial project in Denver should geotag the specific location so they can capture searches like "Denver TPO for commercial buildings."