The Power of Instagram
Instagram has allowed us to share photos with the world and is one of the most popular social media sites in the world. Anyone who has a product to sell or services to offer can and should use it. With more than 500 million users it is a potential avenue to reach customers that should not be ignored but like any platform there are things to keep in mind in order to use it properly.
Instagram has been called the “king of social engagement” and top brands generate 4.2% follower engagement, which is 58 times better than Facebook and 120 times better than Twitter. Engagement on other social media sites is falling while Instagram is rising. So if you want to reach the most potential customers through social media, Instagram is the way to go.
So what should you do besides opening an Instagram account? First have a look at what your competitors are doing. Doing this will certainly give you some inspiration and give you an idea about what is working for them. After garnering some ideas you need to decide what your goal is. Do you want to bring clicks to your website, increase sales or increase your brand awareness?
Creating an Account
When creating an account you will be asked to choose a username so try to pick something close to your business name. Fill out the information as professionally as possible and fill out the 150 character bio. Also select a profile photo, preferably your company’s logo. This photo will be cropped so make sure it looks good before setting it. After creating an account set a mission statement so that you know what the account will do and what goals you have. Next you will need to set your content strategy. How often will you post? What time of day will you post? What themes will you use? You don’t want to overload people with content as they may tune you out or stop following you but you do want to keep your company in their mind. It may take some trial and error to figure out the optimal strategy. Don’t forget that you can schedule your posts in advance.
Using Filters
Instagram allows you to use filters on your photos. Select one certain filter so that your users become accustomed to that filter and will stop scrolling when they see that post. Of course you will also want to decide what photos need to be posted. If you are unsure about what photos to use, check your competitors for ideas. When you become more popular you can also feature user-generated content as well like from your customers or employees. Don’t forget to also apply a hashtag to a picture or if you want to engage a specific follower use the @ symbol. Figure out what hashtag fits your product’s lifestyle or professional brand and use it. This will help you reach new potential customers.
Push Notifications
One overlooked feature of Instagram is push notifications. Turning them on will allow you to be notified when just about anything related to your account happens from likes to comments to new followers. It will let you know when someone tags your brand or shares your content. Don’t forget to thank them when they do so they know you are paying attention and engaging your followers can be a huge boon to generating new business and it can help expand your presence. Just remember to reply to any comments yourself, don’t automate it, while it may seem easier it will be easy for your followers to detect and they may stop engaging with you. You will also want to follow other users and companies. Not only will that provide insight into what other companies are doing but it will help you know what your followers are looking for.
Don’t forget that Instagram allows users to cross post to other social media platforms. By doing this you can garner maximum exposure for your business and can bring in followers from one site to another.
Conclusion
When it comes time to post some photos there are a few things to keep in mind. Keep your photos unique and cater them to your follower’s interests. Tell a story and if appropriate throw in an emoji or two. Contests can expand your brand, so don’t shy away from hosting one. Along the same lines if there is a cause that your company supports don’t forget to advertise that and invite others to give to the cause. Not only will it increase awareness for that cause it shows that you are civically engaged. If you are having trouble consider having a professional take over your account, even if it is for a day or a week. While this may not be cheap the knowledge and tactics used could pay off in the form of new followers and more potential business. Also consider taking people behind the scenes, people always like seeing the nuts and bolts of where their favorite products come from. If you want to learn more about how NDS can help you get on top of your Instagram game, give us a call or head over to our “Work Inquiry” form to get started today!