Marketing has changed its course from being TV commercials and Newspaper Ads to now being everything digital. Many platforms are available for businesses for gaining more traction for their business. One of the many focused digital marketing strategies is on social media.
Social media marketing has seen heights in recent types with so many options available to do so much. From having an account to reaching thousands of people, social media has seen major developments. There are many social media platforms available, but one most used is Instagram.
Read: Proven Digital Marketing Strategy for Startups & Small Businesses
Instagram, since it was launched in 2010, has been so much in news and action that even if we want, we can’t ignore it.
Everyone has an Instagram account, from youngsters to old people to even new-born babies and also not so surprisingly even pet animals like dogs and cats. Models, businessmen, celebrities, you name it and you’ll find most of them on Instagram.
Not just people but so many businesses from about all the industries are present on Instagram because why not when there’s so much of audience base available in a place, someone would be unwise to ignore it.
There are great ways to target people on Instagram to help your business grow and succeed. Instagram marketing is used by so many businesses now to get leads and conversions.
Here are tips on how to use Instagram for marketing:
Table of Contents
Create a Business Account
Firstly create a business account on Instagram. It is a very simple process, you have to create an account like you create a personal one and change it to a business account. A business account comes with a lot of advantages and options that a private account lacks.
The next important steps are to update the Instagram profile picture to your brand logo or anything else that is relevant to your brand. This will help in recognizing the brand when someone opens your page. And then add a Bio, Instagram allows only 150 characters to write in bio, so write a crisp informative and attractive bio that gives accurate information on what the page is about.
Add your website in the website URL section so if someone finds your page attractive, they can also be directed to your website. It is very important to add the website because it becomes crucial when looking to gain website traffic.
Use additional features that come with business account like adding a category, you can select from the list of categories as to what is relevant to your business and choose the same. For example, if yours is a gym business, you can select fitness from the category section. Next, add a call to action button like E-mail, contact, etc. This will give your audience the chance to get in touch with you.
These basics are very important when setting up an Instagram account for business as it is the first thing a user looks at when they open your account, and according to the information provided they decide if they want to follow you or not. So, put accurate and attractive information, and gain more followers.
Follow Pages That are of the Same Industry
After setting up a beautiful business page, the next step would be to follow similar pages that are of the same industry. Find pages and people related to your industry and follow them. This would help in knowing and being updated on what goes on in the industry and also be inspired by them.
Also, when people follow pages relevant to your business there’s a chance that Instagram suggests your page also to them when you establish yourself to being related to the industry.
Look for hashtags relevant to your brand and popular as well, and use them whenever necessary. Hashtags are a great way to reach a larger audience, as most people use hashtags to find new accounts and relevant content.
Also, make your friends and family or anyone else give your business page shoutouts. Shoutouts are initially an easier way to get the first sets of followers.
The Main Part – Instagram Posts
All of the above efforts are for the start but the main game-changer is your Instagram posts. Your posts on Instagram should be very crisp and attractive, they need to gain the attention of the viewer.
Firstly, make sure you know your target audience well. Are they youngsters or Middle-age people, are they working professionals or students, are they male or female, etc. Answer these kinds of questions for your brand and have a clear idea about your target audience. Once you know your target audience, you can make your posts accordingly.
Secondly, be clear about your goals. Your goals determine your actions, so make sure you know what exactly you’re looking for. Is it website traffic, brand awareness, or new sign-ups, etc. Once you know your goals, you can customize your posts so they resonate with the goals.
When you know your target audience and the goals you want to reach, it becomes easier for you to plan your posts. Instagram allows a user to post pictures or videos, so make content that sells. Create amazing photos and videos of your brand, and post them on Instagram. Make posts that your followers can relate to while your brand’s value also stays intact, this will make them share it with others.
Your posts on Instagram would be attractive if you follow a theme. When someone opens your page, and there’s a consistent theme in all the posts they’re immediately attracted to your brand, and it also makes your page look beautiful.
Also, the caption on these pictures and videos matters a lot. Make Sure you write a compelling caption that is an enjoyable read. Use hashtags in your caption, using relevant and accurate hashtags wisely. This helps in getting more people who don’t yet follow you to see your posts. You can hence get more followers and increase brand awareness.
Instagram story is also a feature you shouldn’t ignore. It is the best way to build a personal relationship with your followers. Show your followers the insides of your brand, and put up interactive stories. Instagram has a lot of tools like filters, boomerangs, polls, etc. explore them all and use them in making attractive stories. You can then put up these stories on your page highlights.
Analyse, Please
You can do a hundred things but it does no good if you don’t even know what is working out for you. Business accounts on Instagram come with a feature called Insights. This is a very helpful feature as it helps you analyze which post works better and which doesn’t. What is the best time to post on Instagram, when are your followers most active, what is the reach, and so on.
These insights are very helpful as they help in making the decisions of future posts.
Instagram Ads are also a part of Instagram marketing that helps reach a larger audience. These Ads can be customized to demographics, locations, interests, etc to reach the right audience. The insights on these Ads show how well they work out.
Additional Useful Steps
There’s so much more to Instagram than that meets the eye. You can join in with influencers on Instagram and have them promote your brand on their pages. This helps in gaining more followers and brand awareness.
Instagram contests are also a great way of getting more people to interact with your brand. These are easy to set up and run. Use hashtags to run Instagram challenges effectively.
Also, replying to comments on your feeds and stories is a great gesture to gain more trust and credibility for your brand. Be interactive, and have conversations. Involve your followers in your brand, and they’ll be so much more interested in you.
It is also important to comment on other accounts, this helps in building a network on Instagram with relevant people and pages. Interaction is the best way to gain more attention to your page and drive those sales.
Promote your page not only on Instagram but on other channels as well. A potential customer could be anywhere, so don’t leave any stone unturned. Promotion helps in getting more people to view your page and follow. Increasing followers on Instagram is important for awareness, traffic, and sales.
Also, Instagram has a feature of shopping where you can post your product pictures with price, and interested people can buy directly.
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And so,
Instagram is a great place for marketing any business. With amazing features that are mostly free, Instagram has up the game of marketing a product. Be it brand awareness, website traffic or to increase sales, Instagram can help with it all. It is important to create a page that is both attractive and interactive in order to get a genuine following.
Above everything, all the efforts are for sale at the end of the day. So, analyzing your efforts, and taking actions accordingly is very important and crucial.
So, go on and Instagram your way to success.
