Today, businesses can reach more people than ever before. Social media gives businesses unprecedented opportunities to connect with potential customers — and to capture their attention in a crowded digital world. It’s no surprise that businesses of all kinds are using social media to attract new customers. In fact, marketers estimate that by 2021, the top social media platforms will have grown by 80%. With so many options, it can be difficult for a business owner to know where to start when developing a social media marketing strategy. Here is everything you need to know about Instagram for your business.
What is Instagram?
Instagram is a social media app that lets users create and share visual content. The app first gained popularity as a mobile photo-sharing app, but has since expanded to include video and stories as well. Now, Instagram is used for a number of purposes, including business marketing strategies. Instagram’s user base is massive — and highly engaged. With over 1 billion users, Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. What’s more, those 1 billion users are highly engaged with the platform. The average user spends about 30 minutes per day on Instagram — and creates about 40 pieces of content. That’s a huge opportunity for businesses to reach potential customers.
Who Uses Instagram?
Instagram is used widely by people and businesses of all types. As a visual-focused platform, Instagram has become a go-to social media site for fashion brands and other industries that rely on photos and images. That said, Instagram is widely used by all kinds of businesses: If your business has a visual element, Instagram is probably a good fit. For example, Instagram is often used by travel companies, food and beverage brands, and health and fitness businesses. Instagram is also a great way to connect with your customers if your business is in the arts or creative industries.
Why Does Your Business Need Instagram?
Instagram is a large, engaged, and highly visual platform — which makes it a great place for businesses to connect with customers. But that’s not all: Instagram is also a highly-targeted channel. As told by Andrew Drow from WellPCB “That means businesses can use Instagram to find the customers they want to connect with — and increase engagement with their existing audiences. As a visual channel, Instagram is a great place for businesses of all kinds to showcase what they do. You can use Instagram to show off your company culture, behind-the-scenes details, and products and services. In fact, 75% of businesses now use Instagram for marketing, and many see incredible results. Instagram is also a great place for your customers to ask questions and connect with you.”
How to Get Started on Instagram
There are two steps to starting a successful Instagram marketing strategy: First, you need to create a profile for your business. And second, you need to create engaging visual content. Creating an Instagram profile for your business is easy. To get started, go to the Instagram website or open the app on your phone. Then, tap the “+” sign in the top right corner, and select “New Account.” You’ll be prompted to enter your business name, a username, and select a profile picture. Once you’ve filled out the basic information, tap “Create Account” to finish creating your account. Once you’ve created your Instagram profile, you can start creating engaging visual content. The first step is to plan out your feed. Remember: Instagram is a visual platform — so you want your feed to be visually engaging. Once you’ve planned out your feed, you should create a content strategy.
Tips for Building Your Brand on Instagram
Farhan Advani from Buy Here Pay Here – Define your brand: If you’re new to Instagram marketing, it’s important to define your brand first — before you start creating content. That way, you can make sure your feed is consistent with your brand. – Stay true to yourself: When you’re creating content for Instagram, remember to stay true to yourself and your brand. Don’t try to be something you’re not just to gain followers — stay true to your brand and your company culture. – Use Instagram stories: Instagram stories are another great way to connect with your customers on the platform. You have the chance to tell your brand story through your stories. – Use the right hashtags: When you’re creating content on Instagram, select the right hashtags to help your posts reach a wider audience. – Pay attention to your feed: Remember to pay attention to your feed as you’re creating content. You want your feed to flow well, and not be jarring to the eye. – Stay consistent: Your feed should be consistent with your brand. That means you shouldn’t post random photos without any connection to your company. – Create a theme: If you have multiple employees posting to your feed, consider creating a theme for your posts. That way, your posts all have a consistent tone and feel. – Stay focused: Instagram is a great platform — but it can be easy to get sidetracked. Remember to stay focused on your brand and your target audience.
How Do You Raise Your Business’s Profile on Instagram?
Growing your sales
Brands use Instagram to drive sales in a variety of ways. The most effective strategy is to use your feed to offer promotions and product announcements. That way, you can easily offer coupons and deals to your followers. You can also use your feed to showcase your products and services — and link to your online store. Instagram is also a great place to drive foot traffic to your brick-and-mortar store. To do this, you can use geo-filters and location tags. These Instagram features let you link to your nearby store and drive foot traffic to your business. You can also use Instagram to boost your brand awareness. To do this, you’ll want to create great content that people want to share. That way, your followers can drive awareness for your brand with their followers.
Giving your customers a peek into your life
By sharing content that is personal and authentic, you can help customers feel closer to your brand. This is especially helpful if your business has a more corporate feel to it. By giving your customers a look at your company culture and highlighting the people behind the brand, you can help customers feel more connected to your business.
In addition to helping customers feel closer to your brand, giving your company a face also helps with employee retention. When employees feel like they are a part of something, they are more likely to stay with the company.
Building your network
Entrepreneurs can benefit significantly from using Instagram to connect with other businesspeople. Business cards used to be the only way entrepreneurs could network with important people, but now you can access them all via Instagram and similar platforms. All you need to do is navigate to their profile and ask them out for coffee or lunch. It is common for successful businesspeople to take part in a free meal in order to mentor a fellow entrepreneur. You never know where a simple message may lead.
Summary
As the most visual social media platform, Instagram is a great place to connect with customers. It’s also a great place to build your brand and boost sales — if you know how to use it properly. The first step is to create a profile for your company. Once you’ve done that, you can start creating engaging visual content. Remember to keep your feed consistent with your brand — and to stay focused on your target audience. When you’ve mastered the basics of Instagram for your business, you can start growing your sales.
