With over a billion users every month, Instagram can be an invaluable marketing tool for growing your business.
It has proven to be instrumental for businesses. Research shows that around 50 per cent of people purchase a product or service after seeing it on Instagram.
The app has simplified outreach for businesses by facilitating the creation of business accounts, allowing fundraising on Live broadcasts, opening shops on Instagram profiles, paid advertisements, etc.
However, keeping up with all its updates and tools can be cumbersome, so we have made a list of the nine best marketing tips on using Instagram for business.
9 Best Tips for Marketing on Instagram
Marketing on Instagram begins with creating a business account, which gives you access to features like tracking content performance and selling your products.
A good strategy for your account will go a long way in growing your business, and you can start with these effective tactics:
1. Define your Goals
The first step in how to use instagram for business should be to identify goals and formulate a strong targeted social media strategy.
You can use Instagram to create brand awareness, build a community, showcase your company’s values, and sell your products and services.
Use your goals as a check to ensure that your Instagram activity is in line with what you seek to achieve.
Instagram’s metrics can track your progress in achieving these goals by monitoring follower growth rate, outreach, post impressions, engagement and conversion rates, and customer actions and retention.
2. Profile Optimisation
A person’s first impression is often their last impression. Therefore, it is important that your profile attracts your target customers and strongly signals your culture, values, and product or service. Below are several ways to optimise your profile:
a) Profile Picture
The first step is to choose a distinct profile picture consisting of your logo, logomark, mascot, or anything that will be most effective in helping users recognise your brand. Ensure that you use the same picture across all social media platforms
b) Instagram Bio
Your bio must concisely, in 150 characters, describe your company, the industry it is involved in, your contact information, and a clickable link that may lead the user to a website, catalogue of products, etc.
c) Instagram Story Highlights
Instagram highlights are a way of showcasing old stories on your profile. You can organise them by date, product, event, or any other suitable category. Ensure that the covers of your highlights are consistent with your profile’s aesthetic.
d) Additional Features
Business accounts can also have clickable Action Buttons like Book Now, Contact, View Shop, Get Directions, etc., facilitating easy interaction with potential customers.
3. Pick your Aesthetic
Whether it is pretty pastels or bright contrasts, you should pick an aesthetic you and your brand most identify with.
Your aesthetic makes your business distinct and recognisable. Follow a uniform colour palette and font for your posts, stories, reels, and website. A consistent theme will also make your profile more visually appealing.
4. Routine and Consistent Posts
A successful Instagram marketing strategy is about using Instagram’s algorithm most optimally. One way to do this is to upload content regularly, whether in the form of posts or reels.
With the help of machine learning, the algorithm studies individual activities to customise their feed.
Your goal is to appear on people’s feeds as much as possible so that they can interact with your account and convert these viewers into customers.
You can always keep some content scheduled to post regularly to keep your account buzzing with activity even if you are busy.
Scheduling posts is also an effective way of determining the best time to post content to reach the broadest possible audience. This can be done by tracking the engagement rates for posts made at different times in a day.
5. Variance in Content Type
An essential aspect of making effective content that can generate customers is finding the most successful content in reaching most users.
Experiment with all the different content types Instagram offers, like photo and video posts, reels, stories, live videos, IGTV, and make guides or filters.
Using a wide range of content types is favoured by the Instagram algorithm. People also have different preferences for content, and you should be able to cater to them all with engaging content and captions.
6. Community Engagement
Instagram is a highly interactive platform that allows you to engage with your customers by responding to their comments or mentions and sharing their positive experiences.
While community engagement can be automated, it is not advisable to do so. Personally responding to your users will make your brand authentic and contribute significantly to customer retention.
Ensure that your business has a positive community where guidelines and troll policies are strictly followed.
7. Hashtags
Hashtags are a way of enabling users, especially ones who do not follow you but are interested in the content you post, to find your content, which will ultimately lead them to you.
You can add hashtags in the caption or comments. Using common hashtags that will often be searched will display your content to a large audience.
However, you can also make your own brand hashtag that you and your customers can use, enabling the formation of a community.
8. Promotions and Collaborations
If your business doesn’t have sufficient followers, a great way to reach more users is to collaborate with similar businesses or suitable influencers.
You can approach a business with a similar target audience having an established following to promote your product or brand on their page.
Influencer marketing is a highly effective tool used to gain access to a loyal and dedicated following. Collaborate with influencers that you think will identify with and represent your brand.
9. Analysing and Adjusting
The most crucial step in your marketing strategy is measuring your progress and adjusting your actions if needed.
Use Instagram’s analytic tools to track followers, engagements, views, impressions, and impact. Keep experimenting with your content and analytics until you have found the right formula for your brand and business.
Wrapping Up
Marketing on Instagram is about leveraging its algorithms to reach and engage the largest possible audience.
Instagram has unlocked a global customer base for your business, and you can utilise it by using these techniques.
You are not alone in your business journey, and you can join the InVideo Community to discuss your ideas and learn from over 25,000 creators just like you.
Leave a Reply