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It’s not all vacations, pets, and dinner pics. Instagram has evolved into a go-to destination for learning more about products and keeping up with influential businesses, especially among young consumers. Nearly half of all Gen Z shoppers, for example, are using Instagram Stories to discover new products, according to HubSpot.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. The social media platform’s visual aesthetic makes it highly engaging, entertaining, and informative regarding businesses posting about their offerings. And when they capitalize on connecting with their audience through Instagram’s messaging, tagging, and hashtagging capabilities, things tend to click in the brand-building department.
Having an “Insta-presence” is an increasingly reliable way to boost your bottom line by enhancing the visibility of your products and services. Kickstart your digital marketing strategy with these tips.
1. Connect with your audience.
The chance to build connections on Instagram for small businesses is a gigantic opportunity. Data available through RivaIIQ reveals that, in measuring engagement (interaction on posts, including likes, comments, favorites, retweets, shares, and reactions) across 14 leading industries, Instagram (.67%) outperforms Facebook (.064%) by over 10x, and Twitter (.037%) by over 18x.
Use hashtags and location tags
The ability to connect with existing customers and expand your reach is further bolstered by using hashtags and location tags. According to Sprout Social, including just one hashtag can grow your engagement rate to 29% per 1K followers. Tagging your location can generate up to 79% more engagement.
User-generated content
A fun aspect of Instagram for businesses is when your followers use their posts to feature your products, services, or experiences with your brand. If you spot a follower post you think would make a nice addition to your content calendar, reach out to the user to see if there’s an opportunity to re-share it (and ensure your legal/copyright bases are covered). These types of posts create greater brand awareness and present your business as friendly and involved with its fans.
2. Set up an Instagram store.
Have you enabled Instagram Shopping? This 2021 app feature allows brands to sell their products directly on the app by setting up a store on the platform. This update seems to cater primarily to product-specific (not service-related) storefronts, but it certainly does up the game for in-app marketing opportunities (and eliminates the need to usher shoppers to your “link in bio” section when you’re trying to get them to the point of purchase.)
3. What’s your story?
Instagram Stories are short video clips or photos accessed at the top of an Instagram feed on the home screen. Because of their 24-hour lifespan, they’re a chance for brands to create exclusive content that cuts loose and is relevant to the moment.
Stories are also a great way to pull back the curtain to show some personality and interact with your followers. They can feature hashtags, @ mentions, and location tagging, as well as some more fun options like stickers, GIFs, polls, countdowns, and questions you can ask your followers.
Instagram Story Highlights (collected below your bio information) are another opportunity to increase engagement; these curated collections can feature important information like business milestones, services, products, or recent news.
4. Seek out influencers.
Influencers, also known as ambassadors, are exactly what the name suggests — people who leverage their social media following to attract business and boost sales. The right influencer knows the ins and outs of using Instagram; their expertise is precisely why brands hire them to make their offerings look good.
Several websites are out there to help connect brands with influencers, or you can begin by doing your own research to find those willing to tout your brand in exchange for your products, services, or payment.
5. Get to know your followers.
As your following continues to grow, you should start seeing comments on your posts. Respond to these! If you receive meaningful feedback, a sincere reply — whether to kudos or criticism — will portray your business as approachable and authentic. This is not to say that hateful or discourteous discord will be tolerated; you should report and remove this banter immediately when necessary. Also, don’t feel like you must answer every single comment, as this could appear disingenuous and forced.
Be sure to keep paying attention to any customers who have posted about your brand. To stay on top of things, this responsibility could be shared with more team members, if necessary. Keep an eye out for when your business is tagged in a user’s photo, video, or story, and see if there’s an opportunity to build on the connection by commenting and/or reposting (with permission).
6. Enhance your bio.
Spend just a few short moments on Instagram, and you will inevitably see the invitation to check out the “link in my bio.” What does this mean? That link refers to your Instagram business profile, a sector of space to describe your purpose in your industry, convey a corporate personality, and prompt your targeted audience to take action. The centerpiece of your business bio should be an eye-catching photograph of either your top-grossing product, your logo, the face of the corporation, or any other image that will encapsulate the essence of your enterprise.
From there, Instagram bios allow for just 150 characters to super-summarize your business (emojis are allowed for brevity). Also, the bio area is the only space on the Instagram profile that allows for URL links to your sales page or general website (see why that “link in bio” language is crucial?). Another highlight of the business-optimized IG page is the opportunity to add a call-to-action button, which can direct users to your email, DMs, or phone number.
7. Kill it with content.
For every photo or video you post, give your followers and potential customers a reason to stick around; give them something they haven’t seen, something they haven’t considered. With so many visuals vying for attention on Instagram, make yours stand out. Easier said than done, sure, but that’s the game (and the fun).
Remember: Your content should be relatable to your audience; this requires a bit of prowess and creativity. Dig deep to find what’s unique about your brand, then invigorate your followers to want to learn more. The goal is to create a unified brand through diversified social media posts.
8. Authenticity wins every time.
You’ve put your soul into your business, building it from the ground up with your own blood, sweat, and tears. Your social media content should reflect the heart of it all: you. Try not to overthink or over-produce each post. Focus on spontaneity, the uniqueness of your staff, the vibe of your office space, or the values that power your organization.
Wrapping it up
Be yourself, let your light shine, and remind your followers why you do what you do. Instagram is one piece of the pie, but a big one. With a well-developed social media marketing plan, your followers could turn into leads, which could turn into sales, revenue, and, ultimately, profits. As with any social media tool, it takes time to learn its capabilities, so keep these tips handy when you’re starting out.
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