The Who, What, How, and Why of Instagram for Business.
Are you an established business owner seeking new ways to showcase your brand but wondering whether you’re using Instagram for the best effect?
You see others achieve amazing success on the platform, yet when you give it your best shot, somehow, the only sound you hear is one like crickets!
We all know by now that Instagram is an incredibly popular platform!
With over a billion monthly active users, it has grown to be one of the most powerful marketing tools for businesses, yet that might not mean much if your audience isn’t using the platform.
In this blog, I’ll share some top-notch strategies that will help you increase your brand’s visibility on the ‘gram, connect with your target audience and boost your online presence.
Pinpoint Your Target Market
Before you can start wowing the Instagram world, it’s crucial to identify your ideal audience.
Think about the people who would genuinely benefit from your product or service.
Do you see them on the platform?
Are other businesses like yours present? And if so, does it look like they are having success, audience engagement and an active presence?
This is a good indicator because as much as you might love Instagram, it doesn’t mean your target market feels the same, and if so, putting all your energy into it would be a waste of your time and happiness!
Make the most of your bio and link options
How we use social media channels has changed; it is now comparable to search engines.
Many users search for services via social platforms, and so when you Google a brand, chances are you’ll see a list of Instagram posts with the keyword you’re searching for.
Ensure you and your content is discoverable to your ideal audience by paying attention to your bio and keywords.
Your Instagram bio is a powerful area that introduces your business quickly while clearly communicating your value that can make a lasting impression.
Space is limited here, with only 150 characters for your description (yep, that includes spaces!); you want to use it wisely by writing a clear and concise help statement highlighting your unique value proposition, for whom and how.
Not forgetting to add your keywords. (for me, that would be social media).
Emojis can add a creative touch to highlight your key points or bullet list your bio section, but don’t go overboard.
If you want to maximise the single link allowance, you can use a tool like LinkTree. Some email service providers like ConvertKit have options and scheduling tools like Metricool and Later Media.
If you have a website, you could create a custom landing page with multiple links to help followers navigate your website, blog, products, or services.
Lastly, your profile picture, make sure it is clear and consistent across all your social channels.
Instagram is a visual platform
Instagram is all about creating stunning, eye-catching, stop-your-scroll visuals.
The quality and consistency of your images and videos play a big role in making your brand memorable.
Use your brand colours, show your face sometimes to build connection and play around with reels, carousels, mixed content types and compositions uniquely while ensuring you stay true to your brand’s identity.
Remember, the goal is to captivate your audience, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different post types to keep your content fresh and engaging.
Master the Art of Captions and Hashtags
Captions can make or break your content – aim for concise, value-driven, educational, helpful, inspirational, or witty and engaging copy that encourages conversation and adds value to your audience.
Keep your copy concise, use spaces vs huge chunky paragraphs of text, be aware of others’ needs by adding subtitles to any videos and generally make it an easy experience for others to digest your content.
Hashtags can increase visibility, but using popular, generic ones will only drown your content in a sea of millions.
Instead, mix relevant niche, branded, and location-specific tags to get your content in front of your target audience, and avoid any in the millions or super small.
Getting out there with reels? Now you can add up to three topics to help categorise your content and put it in front of relevant eyes.
All of these little nooks are there to help your content get seen by the right people. Follow the steps stay consistent, and be patient because it takes at least three months to see proper traction, and if you do, you will see movement and eyeballs on your business.
Leverage Instagram Stories and Highlights
I love IG stories! Stories offer a fresh and authentic way to connect with your audience.
Sharing behind-the-scenes moments, sneak peeks, promotions, or feeling brave, you can even go live and create a buzz.
Instagram is unique because it offers many tools within the platform that allow us to be creative and connect with our audiences differently.
You can share tremendous value within these 60-second slides, from quick tips to gathering market research by using the poll stickers to warm up your audience to a new offer and gauge their interest.
You can add links and quizzes. There’s literally so much within just the story sticker section to play about with and use to your advantage.
Many overlook this feature because they expire within 24 hours, but here’s the thing, you can curate your Stories into Highlights (on your profile) to showcase key aspects of your brand.
FAQs, Work with me, Testimonials, my life etc. You can use this space strategically to help people understand how you can help them.
Create eye-catching story highlight covers and organise them strategically to reinforce your visual branding making it easy for new visitors to explore your content.
Lastly, social media is social – don't skip this!
Building genuine relationships is the key to growing your brand on Instagram.
It helps you get seen, connects you with others and makes your audience feel more familiar with you.
Engage with them! Follow them back if feels good, and show some love by liking, commenting, and being helpful on their content.
Don’t forget to respond promptly to your comments and DMs on your account too!
Finally, use Instagram analytics to track your growth, monitor your content performance, and refine your strategy to maximise results.
Don’t give up!
The world of Instagram might seem overwhelming initially, but by implementing these tips and tricks, you can amplify your online visibility and create a strong, loyal community.
Remember to stay consistent with your visual style (yet if you feel it’s not doing you any favours or needs a shake-up, equally, don’t be afraid to switch things up).
Optimise your bio and captions, make the most of Instagram Stories and Highlights, and don’t skip engaging with your audience for continued growth.
Now, it’s time to unleash your creativity, transform your Instagram game, and reach your desired audience like never before! Happy gramming!
