Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has grown from a photo-sharing website to a marketing platform for many businesses. Initially, it was just an app for people to share their pictures and videos. But now, it has become one of the major social media platforms for marketing and advertising.
There has been an increase in the brands that have opted to market their business on Instagram. Here’s why your business should be on Instagram:
- Instagram has over 1 billion active monthly users.
- More than 500 million people use Instagram daily.
- An average of 95 million photos and videos are shared on the platform daily.
- Instagram has more than 25 million business profiles.
- About 80% of Instagrammers follow at least one business profile.
- Around 72% of Instagram users say they have purchased a product from one of the businesses on this platform.
Instagram has been growing and isn’t just for personal use anymore. It allows businesses to market their products or services, recruit talent, and inspire the audience. Over 500 million people visit the platform daily. Around 35% of the users have said they visit the platform multiple times in a day.
Getting started on the platform may seem a little difficult; that’s why we have created this complete guide on Instagram Marketing for you. For your complete understanding of the platform and marketing strategies, it has been divided into the following segments:
- Setting up a business account
- Different types of posts
- Instagram Marketing Strategy
- Instagram Analytics
Setting up a business account
You can download the Instagram app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Open the app; you will be presented with two choices to create an account – Log In With Facebook or Sign Up With Phone or Email. Make sure you use the email address of your business for Instagram so that it doesn’t get linked to your personal accounts.
Enter your account details and write the name of your business under Full Name. The Username is a unique name for your profile. For example, Instagram’s username is @instagram.
Next, select a profile picture for your account. Remember the profile picture is your first impression on the audience. So, make sure it’s unique. You can use your brand logo or an image that’s similar to your business.
After this, the Instagram bio – which gives you 150 characters to write about your business. Make sure this is unique and gives the audience a glimpse of what your business is about. You can also add the link to your website in the bio.
To switch your account to a professional one, go to settings and click on Account -> Switch to Professional Account.
Different types of posts
Instagram allows you to share different types of content – images, videos, and stories.
Images are the most common type of Instagram posts. You can post as many images as you want on the platform. Ensure the image content is engaging and related to your business. Use appropriate captions and hashtags to increase customer engagement.
Videos can be shared either as a post or an IGTV (Instagram TV) video. If the duration of your video exceeds 1 minute, Instagram will automatically upload the video as an IGTV video. A promo video of your business would be a great option to let people know about your business. You can use a promo video maker to make engaging videos.
Stories remain on your account for 24 hours. You can click on the profile picture icon and upload a photo or a video as your story. This feature lets you use multiple filters, focus, superzoom, and boomerangs as well.
Instagram Marketing Strategy
It is important to have a marketing strategy before you get on any social media platform. Since Instagram is quite different from other platforms, it needs a different marketing strategy. Here’s what you can do:
Set Goals
Building your presence on Instagram can take a while. You must have a purpose and goals to be successful in the long run.
Determine your Audience
Before you begin marketing your business on Instagram, determine the type of audience you want to reach. While determining the audience, consider factors like gender, age, interests, location, and motivations. To begin with, you can check your competitor’s page and their followers.
Do a Competitor Analysis
Once you have determined your audience, analyze what your competitors are posting on their Instagram accounts. Search for keywords related to your business and find similar accounts and analyze them.
Conduct a quick analysis to see what type of posts get the highest engagement – photos or videos. Also, check what hashtags are being used the most, what captions they write, and how often they post content. While doing the analysis, take note of strategies they might have missed and use it for your business marketing.
Maintain Consistency
Random content can make you lose your followers. Make sure you post content regularly on your account and maintain the brand aesthetic. Determine your business’ aesthetic and stick to it.
For example, ApartmentTherapy – a business account on Instagram whose personality is organized, clean, and bright. They post photos and videos that match with these personality traits. It makes their brand stand out from the rest.
When uploading videos, make sure they are engaging and not very lengthy. Use the Instagram video editor to edit your videos and make them look professional.
Grow your Followers
Growing your followers on Instagram can take some time. One way to increase followers is by posting relevant content to your brand regularly. Once visitors see your account is active, they would want to know more about your business.
To build a following on genuine followers the right way, here’s what you can do:
- Choose a recognizable and searchable username
- Follow accounts from your niche
- Interact with other accounts’ content
- Collaborate with similar accounts
- Promote your Instagram account on other social media platforms
- Convert Followers into Customers
Once a solid follower base has been established, you can start converting them into customers. For this, you can use the following strategies:
- Offer deals, offers, and discounts on your business services and products
- Run contests where you ask users to follow your account or like your post
- Use the Live feature to launch a new service or product
- Upload stories regularly, this will not spam your followers feed and also keep giving them a glimpse of your brand services and products
Instagram Analytics
Unlike Facebook, Instagram doesn’t have an analytics feature yet. But when you switch to a business account from a user account, you do get some analytics options such as followers growth, reach, engagement, and impressions. You can access these options by clicking on the View Insights button below your posts.
You can track Instagram impressions and spend money on ad campaigns using Facebook’s Ad Manager for Instagram. These analytics options will help grow your business on Instagram.
Growing your followers on Instagram can take some time. One way to increase followers is by posting relevant content to your brand regularly. Once visitors see your account is active, they would want to know more about your business.
To build a following on genuine followers the right way, here’s what you can do:
- Choose a recognizable and searchable username
- Follow accounts from your niche
- Interact with other accounts’ content
- Collaborate with similar accounts
- Promote your Instagram account on other social media platforms
- Convert Followers into Customers
Once a solid follower base has been established, you can start converting them into customers. For this, you can use the following strategies:
- Offer deals, offers, and discounts on your business services and products
- Run contests where you ask users to follow your account or like your post
- Use the Live feature to launch a new service or product
- Upload stories regularly, this will not spam your followers feed and also keep giving them a glimpse of your brand services and products
Instagram Analytics
Unlike Facebook, Instagram doesn’t have an analytics feature yet. But when you switch to a business account from a user account, you do get some analytics options such as followers growth, reach, engagement, and impressions. You can access these options by clicking on the View Insights button below your posts.
You can track Instagram impressions and spend money on ad campaigns using Facebook’s Ad Manager for Instagram. These analytics options will help grow your business on Instagram.
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