Instagram Marketing
Social media as a tool for business marketing has taken the world by storm. One of the top platforms used for business marketing is Instagram. Since its debut in 2010, Instagram has reached over 700 million users. Of those 700 million users, it’s estimated that a little over 8 million of those are registered businesses. About 1 million users are using Instagram’s advertising services on a consistent monthly basis. Instagram can be an incredible resource for easy and cost-efficient data-driven marketing for a start-up or an established business. It is the best way to visually present your business, your brand, and what you offer as a company. Below I will list a few tips to help you get started on marketing on Instagram.
Create a Business Account
A business profile has a lot of advantages over using a traditional Instagram account. Some of the top advantages include:
- Control how your followers and potential customers contact you from Instagram.
- The ability to advertise and create sponsored posts.
- Gain access to analytics for your posts. These analytics include reach and engagement for each post, times when your followers are most active, and basic follower demographics. This information will help you know the kind of posts to create and when to schedule them for maximum engagement.
Are you ready to switch to a business account? Making the switch is simple. Go to your settings and select “Switch to Business Profile.” It’s really that easy!
Make Your Bio Count
The Instagram bio is the first thing people see when they visit your profile! You have 150 characters to describe what your business is and why the viewer should be interested. If your bio isn’t appealing, viewers will leave your profile before even looking at your feed. Keep your bio short and sweet, but interesting.
Don’t Over-Use Sales Posts
If every post in your feed is screaming, “You should buy our product/service” followers become uninterested quickly. Of course, you should run advertisements and let followers know about any specials or sales, but it’s important to mix up sales posts with other engaging posts. Some ideas for engaging posts include:
- Inspiring quotes related to your industry
- Tips or how-to’s pertaining to your product or service
- Behind the scenes moments, such as company culture or production processes
Adding variety to your posts shows that there are real people running your business. It makes your brand more personable, and fans are likely to feel more loyalty.
Create a Consistent-Looking Feed
Instagram is a highly visual platform. Work to create a consistent and aesthetically pleasing feed for your brand. Find a theme (color scheme, image tone, patterns, etc.) for your feed that is consistent with your brand and will attract your ideal customer. When people are drawn in visually, they are likely to scroll through your content and respond to your calls to action.
Utilize Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to reach multiple audiences. Search for popular hashtags that are relevant to your brand and use them to your advantage! At ANS, we aim to use hashtags used in 500 – 500,000 posts. We find this range to be most effective. Instagram allows a maximum of 30 hashtags per post, so maximize that opportunity.
Engage with Your Community
Truly engage with other users and businesses to maximize your active following and engagement. The common “follow and unfollow” method isn’t always effective when it comes to growing an active community. The followers gained from mass following and unfollowing aren’t as likely to engage. It’s better to have 200 followers that are consistently engaging on your content than 2000 silent followers. Find relevant accounts that interest you, and leave genuine comments! This will get you noticed, and in turn, can result in more active followers coming to your profile.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Getting outside help from social media experts for Instagram or other platforms can be a great move towards building your social media presence. It can be overwhelming to run a business and maintain social media accounts at the same time. At ANS, we offer various social media packages to help you reach your goals. If you are interested in a consultation, contact us at sales@a-names.com.
By Brenna Hoffman, Digital Media Specialist at ANS