Instagram continues to be one of the most effective digital marketing platforms for business. It allows you to tell interesting brand stories with engaging visuals that can be easily shared. However, with its incredible rise in popularity, only the more strategic Instagram users can build substantial audiences.
This article will discuss important strategies and tactics you should follow to get the most out of Instagram for your business.
Pay attention to your profile
It may seem like the smallest part of your Instagram presence, but in reality, your profile’s description will actually play a huge role in your potential growth. You only have 150 words to play with, so make them count! Be short, concise and to the point. Advertise your business’ value proposition and convey your brand’s personality.
Every now and again, you can change your profile description to advertise important events, sales or product launches. Make careful use of the one link you can put in your bio. Remember, most of your fans will already know your website address; so you can really make use of your bio link to promote more specific landing pages. Ensure these landing pages are very strong and entice them further down the sales funnel.
If you register for an Instagram Business profile, you can include your phone number in your bio. You will also be able to access useful analytics data. This might be worth considering!
Go behind the scenes
While many businesses use Instagram to show off their products and achievements, one of the best ways to leverage the platform is to instead take your audience behind the scenes. This way, you can show them things that they did not already know about your business.
Providing this sort of insider perspective develops a stronger bond between you and your target market. They will likely feel more connected to your brand, having been allowed into the inner workings. Ideally, this strategy will foster stronger brand loyalty.
Going behind the scenes might involve filming or taking photos from in the warehouse, or after work hours. Alternatively, you might create content about where you source your products from and how they’re made. There are endless ways for you to share some behind-the-scenes action with your fans.
Use customised links to track traffic
It can be difficult to measure conversion rates from your Instagram posts, particularly when coming from the mobile app. This makes it harder for businesses to determine how much money to budget towards Instagram marketing. A great way to combat this is to use link shorteners whenever posting links on Instagram. That way, you will be able to see when people are visiting your website from the shortened link – meaning they have come from Instagram.
This allows you to better evaluate your Instagram strategy along the way, and tailor it through A/B testing towards converting into business profitability. This sort of analysis is crucial in the world of digital marketing for businesses.
Look out for trending hashtags
A great way to ideate Instagram posts is to work from the top down. Find trending hashtags within your target audience and then post content related to what people are looking at! This will help put you in front of the eyes of those you care about, without having to spend on advertising.
This will help you stay trendy and relevant with your Instagram presence, even if you have no idea what you’re talking about! There are heaps of tools you can use to help find trending hashtags.
Do not forget to video
While Instagram is traditionally thought about as an image platform, don’t forget video! Video let’s you tell more vivid stories and highlight different parts of your business than just still photography. It can be more difficult to pull off, but you should certainly consider planning different video strategies that your business might capitalise on.
At the same time, do not discard the value of still images. Both have their place. Images are generally more shareable and can work better alongside text and quotes. Finding a balance between these two mediums is the best way to maintain your Instagram profile.
Partner with influencers
Influencer marketing is one of the most important ways to leverage Instagram for your business. Look for people who have massive followings in your niche and think about how you can access their audience. Sometimes, it can be as simple as tagging them in a post that they may share. Other times, you will have to more formally collaborate with them.
Influencers act as a point of authority and have an audience of passionate fans. They are all over Instagram, so you should be making efforts to engage with them.
Takeaways
It’s no longer enough to simply be on Instagram as a business; you have to be very strategic with your profile and post schedule.
- Make careful use of your profile bio
- Take your audience behind the scenes
- Track conversions with link shorteners
- Work top-down from trending hashtas
- Use video as well as images
- Capitalise on influencer marketing
