Instagram was first established in the year 2010 and gained popularity in just 2 months. Imagine that massive growth of an audience in just a short span of time. According to the data released by Statista, a rapid growth in the number of users from 2020 and a projected number till 2025. The data below shows an expected massive increase. As of today, there are roughly 1.4 billion active application users.
Let us now dive deeper into how you can use Instagram for marketing your business.
Instagram Marketing
Since Instagram already has a massive audience reach, the second question would be, how it can help your business. The average number of daily app visits reaches over 500 million. Have you ever wondered how many of these users can later turn out to be your potential customers once they see your advertisement?
Results depend on how well you utilize and maximize the use of the platform and how you will turn Instagram into your marketing or business podium.
In short, Instagram marketing is simply promoting and advertising a brand and its offered product or services to generate sales and impose brand awareness with the use of creatives like images and videos and as well as hashtags.
Now, let’s get down to business and start creating your account on the application.
Creating a business account on Instagram
Creating your own business account profile on Instagram is the first step. Business accounts are different from one’s personal account, whose intent is to only share and communicate. Unlike in business, it gives the account manager access to all the tools, including analytics and insights.
The following are the steps to creating your own Instagram business account:
- Access the Instagram business website and on the upper part of the interface, you will see the “Create account” button
- Fill out the form using all the necessary information needed by the platform
- Verify your account
- It is optional for creators to link their Instagram account to their existing Facebook account
And you’re done! You have already set up your Instagram business account.
The next thing you need to do is to put details on your account about what your business is all about. This is where the real deal takes place.
How to put details on your Instagram business account
Identify your Audience
Since Instagram has billions of users, it is very important to break down those numbers and identify carefully which type of audience you need for your business and which type of audience your business needs.
Choosing your audience will be a step closer to getting what you want, which is to generate traffic and increase sales with the use of audience engagement.
After you successfully identified them, the next step would be,
Write a Compelling Story
Write something that is interesting, informative, persuasive, and something that is really worth reading. Keep them wandering and keep them on the hook. This is one of the best ways to prolong engagement with your intended group of audiences.
Always remember that the way you introduce your brand to them in the first place is the same as how you tell them a story in the long run. Keep them interested so that they have reason to get back to you.
Write a Bio
Make first impression last.
Writing your own bio will help your audience to have an idea of who you are and what your offerings are, but you still have a long way to go. Impress your audience and be on point. Your bio should give them a preview of what you are up to, and this should also help them to understand you in just a glimpse.
Your bio is limited to only 150 characters and this should include:
- Call-to-action
- State your brand voice in a clear manner
- Include relevant keywords in your industry
- Use hashtags, and
- Write something that your audience can read
Write Great Captions
Aside from coming up with insightful content, you have to catch your audience’s attention with your captions. This is the narrative explanation of your creatives and it is also important to consider the differences between your audience. Some of them might get your message by just looking at an image, but some of them might not get the idea.
Here is an example
Use Eye-catching images
Another tip would be to impress them using your visuals. Aside from the content and your attention-grabbing caption, the images and videos you post and use also play a vital role. This is also one of the best strategies that you can use to keep their engagement and to retain their interest in what you are trying to deliver.
Give them something that is worthy of viewing.
Use Related hashtags
Hashtags are now vital and prominent. These are commonly used to allow social media sites to categorize their content and to make them more discoverable. A lot of users always go with the flow of the trend, and hashtags are often used to engage and keep up.
Creating your own hashtags can be of help to your target, who can see you in an instant. Take note, you are using your Instagram account to widen your reach and not just to socialize and post.
Geotags in posts
Do not limit your reach.
This is the reason why geotags in Instagram posts are free to utilize. When you are aiming to gather as many followers as possible, it is advisable to use geotags whenever you post something on your feed. This is also how Instagram can help your business grow and be known across the globe.
Expand your range. The goal is to gain followers who might be interested in something that you post, especially when they are within the area.
How to add geotag to your post?
- On the upper right corner of your post click the “:” symbol then go to edit
- On the upper part of the edit interface, you can see “Add location” then you can now start typing for a specific location
- Take note that the location should be associated with your posted image or video so that your followers can determine where it is taken from.
Audience engagement
Once you have already gained your audience’s trust, keeping up with them will be the hardest one to maintain. This may consume so much of your time but one thing is for sure, it will benefit both parties.
The best way to keep your engagement with your audiences is by opening the comment section for them where they share their thoughts and ideas concerning what you just posted. Make sure that there is always an interaction between you and the users. And according to Shama Shafiq, one of the best strategies to apply when wanting to sustain your engagement with them is conducting giveaways and games especially when you are launching a product or service.
Keep the conversation moving. Be attentive.
Use Instagram stories
After you post something on your feed, you can share it in your story. Instagram stories last 24 hours and these are used mainly to feature your Instagram post. Through this, your audience will be able to know that you dropped something new on your feed.
Your Instagram stories can also be the best way for you to get feedback. The platform now allows users to answer questions and send messages using a text box.
Here is how you can do it.
- Choose a post that you wish to highlight in your stories
- Put a Q&A section where your audience can leave their message and suggestions
- When you are already satisfied with how it looks, you can now share it
Note that everyone can see your story as long as it is set in public
Build relationships with other users
Whether you are new to the platform, establish relationships with other users, especially those people who are in the same industry as you.
Tap in with people who can help you grow and can help you be known. Follow and comment on their post so it will be easy for them to notice you. Not getting any replies or a follow back won’t hurt!
Engage with users who you can grow with. Instagram is a marketing tool, now all you have to do is to seek ways on how you can effectively utilize all the features it offers to help you grow your business.
Why Instagram?
Instagram is now one of the most used platforms that has a total estimated number of 1.4 billion monthly users as of 2022. Reach as many audiences as you can while you use this platform as one of your marketing tools. Its availability and accessibility will help you widen your target reach!
Wanting to know how you can utilize the application’s features and make use of it for your business? Leave us a message.
