Instagram has 1.3 billion users worldwide. And about 70 percent of these monthly users are under the age of 35. But what exactly do these young millennials do on this exciting social media platform? Yup, apart from scrolling down to see picture-perfect posts and videos, a lot of them follow brands that sell products that appeal to their tastes. That is why Instagram for business is an important social media marketing tool. We have put together a few tips to use Instagram to grow your business.
There is no surprise in this that a lot of small businesses have found their footing on Instagram as part of their social media marketing strategy and are making surprising sales each month. In this blog, we’ll help you get answers to all your questions related to successfully venturing into the world of Instagram and getting those sensational sales.
- Know your purpose
Like any marketing tool, you first need to have a clear understanding of your goals. What exactly do you want to achieve by getting your brand on Instagram? Is it to create awareness, or sell products and services, or do you want to showcase your work culture and employee-friendly programs? Whatever you have in mind, spill it out to your entire team so that every time you post something on the channel, you have your eyes set on the target.
- Find your Niche
Always remember when you have choice of many social media platforms for your social media marketing objectives. You need to put first things first. What you need to do is follow accounts of people who follow brands that sell similar services/products as you do. If they’re following these brands, there are chances that they’ll look up at your account too, and might start following you. But this isn’t a hundred percent accurate – they just might not follow you yet, and keep you on hold to see how you interact with your other customers and follow up on your services. So, make sure even if you have a small number of customers, always answer their questions and be polite!
- Build your profile step by step
You first need to have a business account to sell your products. Business accounts have a few extra features than regular accounts that allow you to sell your products and track your performance. But what’s most important is the look and feel of the page. Make sure your 150-word bio is interesting to read and is not full of business jargon. It must have a small description of your company, contact information, and a clickable link to reach your landing webpage. Make sure that every time you post something on your account, you put “Link in bio” to tell your followers to click on it to reach your homepage. You can also reach us to help you to set up an Instagram business account for you as part of your social media marketing strategy.
- Make your page appealing
You don’t need an expert to tell you this, but unless your page has interesting pictures and texts, nobody is going to stay on it for longer. All you need to do is decide on one format that you’d like to follow throughout – choose a color palette and stick to it for a while; if you like more text-y boxes, go for those and make them look interesting with pictures and anecdotes. But always make sure whatever pictures you use, they’re of high quality, and yes, work on them a little bit before posting them on your page!
- Use hashtags
Yes, yes, and yes. Hashtags can make a world of difference to your brand. A lot of Instagrammers follow hashtags to discover new content and accounts to follow. For example, if you’re a social media agency, common hashtags such as #socialmediamarketing #instagramforbusiness #digitalmarketingagency can help you target the right audience and gain their attention. But at the same time, don’t make it crowded with too many. You don’t want to look desperate, right? So, keep it simple and to about 10-12 hashtags in a post – but make them count!
- Be consistent
If you’re on Instagram you probably know by now that the social media channel has an algorithm that works on your searches. So, whatever you’ve looked up on Instagram or go back to check time and again, these feeds will become regular on your timeline. To be able to connect with your audience, you need to consistently post something on your account. Make a calendar that works best for you. If not every day, make it at least thrice a week to post something on your channel and then interact with your customers. Responding to comments is a great way to stay connected with your audience and show them that you care.
- More the better
Instagram offers you various ways to connect with your audience. There are picture posts, definitely. But there are other ways to showcase your brand and its products. You may want to check reels, IGTV, stories, and even post videos to create a better understanding of your brand and attract more customers. These are easy-to-use tools and have far-reaching results. A healthy mix of different content types can do wonders for your brand.
Another great way to connect is Instagram Live. You can talk about a new product that you’ve launched and its purpose; you can have a Q&A session; get an expert to talk about a service/product you offer. This is a wonderful way to tell your customers that you’re listening to them and are doing everything to make their experience worth their time.
- Work on the captions
Well, you might get tempted to simply put a heart or use some other emoji to show your emotion for that particular post, but the best way to sell your services/products is to engage with your customers by writing a nifty copy. You don’t necessarily have to be a creative writer to show your talent or wreck your brain to write a 100-word artistic piece. All you need is a well-rounded copy that tells what you’re selling in a fashion that’s simple yet attractive. You can write a full-blown post with all the details possible, or a short headline to tell the story, or even ask questions to engage the customers. Whatever works best for your brand and that post, in particular, go ahead with it and let the dialogue begin.
We at First Choice Media specialize in using Social Media Marketing as a tool to increase your business. If you want to know more book a growth session with us or email us at support@firstchoicemedia.ca
