According to Instagram, their social media platform is the number one platform for building relationships with brands and 70% of people they surveyed like or don’t mind ads when watching videos. So it’s no wonder why so many businesses incorporate the platform as part of their digital marketing strategy.
But knowing how to effectively use the platform is vital for success. That’s why we’ve put together this guide on using Instagram for your business.
Getting started with Instagram business
There is a massive potential outreach, full of users that interact regularly and consistently on Instagram. The platform enables millions of businesses to engage and sell their products or services directly to their audiences as well as track performance to see what’s working well, allowing you to tailor your digital marketing strategy accordingly.
Setting up an Instagram business account is the first step to getting started and you can follow these very simple steps to do just that. Once you’re all set up, it’s time to get to the fun and creative part.
Using Instagram for your business
Using Instagram for your business is certainly an exciting time. You can be as creative as you want with your content and truly show off what your brand has to offer. But before you dive in head first, here are some considerations to be mindful of when managing your Instagram business account.
Be mobile ready
Instagram is an app designed to work on mobile devices and tablets, so it’s important your website is also optimised for mobile. It’s a great way to build a loyal following on Instagram, but unless they can visit your website from the same device, they are not very likely to convert.
Be fun and creative
Whilst the main aim of a digital marketing campaign is to advertise your product or service, you don’t want to alienate your audience by constantly posting about what you have to offer, so mix it up with some fun posts to keep them engaged.
Be mysterious
If you have a new product ready for launch, or a new video promoting your services, consider posting a snippet to your followers, and forward the user towards the full image or video on your website. Instagrammers are known to be inquisitive, so pique their interest where you can.
Be visual
Whilst images of your work can be interesting, they can quickly get boring. If you go to meet a client and find a beautiful view, take a quick picture or consider posting reels or carousels. Mixing up your post content can be a great way to help grow your community.
Be consistent
It’s important to ensure you create a schedule and stick to it. It doesn’t have to be an exact time and day you plan to post, but it’s good to have an idea of the minimum number of posts you want to be posting weekly or monthly.
Be people
Posting content of your employees (with consent of course) is a great way to show the ‘behind the scenes’ of your workforce whilst celebrating their achievements and showing them how much you value them. Users are more likely to trust your company if they get to know who you are and your brand.
Be #accessible
Use hashtags to allow people that have an interest in your field (but don’t necessarily interact with your brand) to find you. Create your own hashtags too, and encourage your followers to use them to share content of your company, services, and products.
Be engaging
In addition to all of the above, which should help your Instagram business account be engaging enough, you should also interact with your audience. Follow them back, like and comment on their posts, hold competitions, and you’ll be well on your way to having an Instagram account that people love.
Find out more about Instagram can help your business
If you’re ready to get started with Instagram for your business, speak to our social media marketing experts today. We can help you form your social media marketing strategy, advise you on which platforms to utilise and even do all the hard work for you including creating social content calendar, creative design and posting. Get in touch today!