Instagram is fast becoming a mecca for businesses to gain new subscribers and build awareness for their brand. As of April 2016, there are a recorded 400 million users on Instagram across the globe! That’s a huge group of potential customers; right at the tip of your fingers! So… how do you create a strong brand image amongst all those other businesses trying to compete for the same 400 million people? Below are four tips and tricks to get you started…
Create compelling content that is worthy of sharing (don’t forget the video!)
We all know the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”… It’s true and you always need to make sure your brand is conveying the right ones! Be CLEAR about your brand and create content that your customers want to see. Not sure what to post? Take a look at what your competitors are posting, check out niche blogs and other websites to see what popular topics consumers are talking about, and take advantage of the many tools already available to you on social media i.e. insights and analytics. Always double check your work to see what’s working and what’s not!
Don’t forget the video. Instagram offers up to 15 seconds of video recording… All the time you need to get your point across 🙂 Here are some quick tips and ideas on how to utilize videos on Instagram:
- Answer FAQs
- Showcase Your Company Culture and Style (Get employees involved!)
- Use videos to engage followers to submit videos for contests, events, and more! (Don’t forget the hashtags)
- Create a video portfolio of your work
- Showcase special offers and sales
Use your Instagram bio to convert followers into subscribers
Unfortunately, you only have one opportunity to have a clickable link on Instagram… and that’s in your bio. Use this opportunity to link to targeted pages or your company website. Since there’s no cap on how often you can update your bio, you can use this link for targeted marketing campaigns to sell products or grow your subscription list. Don’t be pushy; make sure to create a bio that’s interesting, unique from other bios, keyword optimized, and includes your company name and what you do.
Balance fun images with pictures from your business
Your followers really don’t want to sift through your images and see nothing but self-promoting, salesy product images. ZzzzZzZZzzzZz Share other items like quotes, facts about materials or ingredients you use, cute puppies (if your niche calls for it lol), whatever… don’t always share pictures of your company and products.
Follow your followers back (sometimes)
You’ve got some die hard fans? You should absolutely follow those people back… maybe. While it’s important to show your biggest customers just how much you care by reaching out to them on social media, their presence might not always be beneficial to you. Make sure to stick with users who post content that is appropriate and relevant to your business (for the most part). In addition, make sure to follow other people who share relevant information and interest you, partners and business associates, and others in your industry who use Instagram and learn from them (watch what they do, what works, what doesn’t?). Get yourself out there and engage with others – that’s the only way you’ll be heard!
Oh, and one more tip for the road…. HASHTAGS! HASHTAGS! HASHTAGS! You are allowed to use 30 hashtags on Instagram, take total advantage of it. (Click here to download a FREE infographic on how to post on Instagram)
While these four tips and tricks will definitely give you a strong starting point; there are countless other ways businesses can utilize Instagram to make the most out of the social network. Contact us if you would like to talk about a customized approach for your business and how we can help you make it happen.
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