Can Instagram Help You Grow Your Business?
Instagram probably isn’t the first social media platform that comes to mind when you consider using social media to market and promote your business.
Usually, you think of the typical channels that many firms employ like Facebook Ads or networking on Twitter.
However, more and more companies, brands, and solopreneurs are looking to Instagram as one of the social media platforms with the quickest growth over the past year or so in order to reach a new, younger consumer.
Additionally, it makes sense if your brand has a prominent visual element. But Instagram is also fantastic for companies that prioritize content.
So it’s time to start considering how to view instagram stories anonymously can help you expand, whether you’re a freelancer, blogger, or small business.
Describe Instagram.
Instagram began as a popular iOS photo-sharing app for mobile devices.
It popularized square photographs, allowed users to apply digital filters to create the “Instagram aesthetic,” and integrated social media elements like profiles, followers, and comments.
Using Instagram
Instagram became the social photo-sharing app after it launched on Android phones in the spring of 2012 and was acquired by Facebook for $1 billion.
Instagram now offers the option to share videos, and its advertising platform is expanding, but the product is still primarily a smartphone app. For instance, using Instagram’s website to submit new photos to your account is not possible.
Can companies of all sizes actually prosper on Instagram, which is essentially a photo-based platform?
Over 500 million people use Instagram every day, and usage is still increasing while other social networks are declining. Instagram is used by 24% of males and 31% of women online; more than half of these users are between the ages of 18 and 29.
If you’re targeting teens in particular, Millennials would be the largest group and they would also regard Instagram to be the most significant social network.
So, if this is the demographic of your intended audience, Instagram may be the best channel for reaching them. And since those sectors rely on visual marketing techniques, there is no better place to be than on Instagram if you work in the culinary, travel, or fashion areas.
But even if you’re not in those markets, Instagram has a lot of promise for growing your brand and engaging your audience.
Spending some time on this platform might truly help your business grow if you have a sound approach.
If you have a sizable audience, you might consider making Instagram its own source of income. To find out how much you could make, use Ninja Outreach’s Instagram influencer earnings calculator.
Developing a plan for Instagram
Instagram should follow the same content plan that you have for your blog, as well as your social media strategies for Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Your company and brand will be quickly overlooked by Instagram’s demographic due to their short attention spans if you don’t have a strong visual presence there.
To begin, use Instagram yourself to familiarize yourself with the app. Download the app right away (it’s free) for Android or iOS.
Additionally, have a look at other companies in your niche to see how they are using Instagram and what kinds of photographs they are posting.
As in Hubspot
You must pick a username once your business account has been created. Use the same nickname you use on other social media platforms, if it’s available, for brand consistency and recognition.
You should start engaging as soon as you make your account and update your bio (which we’ll cover later). To get things started, follow influential people in your field, interesting users, and former clients. Some of them should follow you back.
If you require a place to begin:
- 15 accounts to follow on Instagram for food
- Follow these 17 Instagram accounts for travel
- 27 Instagram profiles for graphic designers to follow
You should next start commenting on other people’s images to develop your presence. By taking a few easy steps, you’ll watch how rapidly your Instagram follower count increases.
However, don’t think you must spend hours every day coming up with your plan. For business owners and entrepreneurs, social media is typically an automated or outsourced work.
You can plan Instagram posts using applications like Pallyy and Iconosquare, but unlike many other platforms, it’s not completely hands-off.
When a post is ready to go live, Hootsuite will send you a notification on your phone. Instagram mandates that all posts be published through its mobile app. You simply share the picture by opening it on the Instagram app.
Let’s take a look at three methods you can strategically increase your Instagram presence while also expanding your business.
1. Improve the bio on Instagram
Optimizing your bio is one of the first things you can do to gain more followers and potential customers.
You only have 150 characters, so concentrate on using your copywriting abilities to fill this important space with a succinct, benefit-filled summary of what your followers can anticipate from you and a call to action.
You may send folks to your homepage or, even better, a landing page with your lead magnet or email capture form using your URL, the only clickable link you’ll get on Instagram (they don’t allow live links in comments).
Include your brand’s hashtag here as well if you’re planning to use one. The athletic apparel manufacturer Lululemon makes care to add their Snapchat username along with their hashtag #thesweatlife.
lululemon
On the other hand, depending on your profession, you may occasionally be able to let your photographs do the talking. Despite having a succinct Pinch of Yum bio, Lindsay has almost 160,000 Instagram followers.
pinchofyum
She can capitalize on the fact that the Instagram niche for food is really popular. It would be interesting to watch how her email subscriber growth rate would change if Lindsay included a CTA in her bio that directed visitors to a landing page.
It’s also important to keep in mind that even though you are only permitted one bio link, you can utilize a bio link tool to maximize its effectiveness. For additional information, see our article on the tools for Instagram bio links.
To access more features, you should, if you haven’t already, create an Instagram business profile. Discover more in our thorough instructional.
The best advice for expanding your community is to pay attention and be sincere. Use a genuine profile image, make meaningful comments on other people’s photos, and communicate with your followers by responding to them fast.
Instagram is used by many online firms to display the behind-the-scenes of their expanding operations. Include photographs you don’t share elsewhere because people always want to feel like they are receiving something special.
Making aesthetically beautiful quotes for Instagram is another use for the platform. Kaitlyn of the Crown Fox practices this and makes careful to brand each of her quotations.
The Crown Fox as an example
One thing to keep in mind is how frequently hashtags are used on Instagram. Make a branded hashtag if you want to stand out on Instagram and increase brand recognition.
The hashtag shouldn’t just be your business name. Be imaginative instead. Consider selecting a hashtag that accurately describes your Instagram presence. It ought to be something that motivates your fans to participate and spread the word.
#hootsuitelife, the trademarked hashtag of Hootsuite, has resulted in over 10,000 posts.
Facebook Hashtag
For a well-known company like Hootsuite, getting those kinds of results is simple, but what about the rest of us?
To create the magic and develop your community on Instagram, you’ll need to put in some effort.
Running an Instagram giveaway or contest, however, is one of the best methods to quicken this process.
You might start by reading the following articles:
How To Run A Giveaway On Instagram From Scratch
16 Original Instagram Giveaway And Contest Ideas (Including Examples)
3. Create a Brand
Instagram is a visual platform, thus you must use impactful images to develop your brand. Although they don’t have to be professionally posed photos—in fact, it’s better if they aren’t—these images must nonetheless be relevant to your brand and target market.
If you’re going to apply an Instagram filter, choose one and stick with it to maintain brand consistency. The most common filter is the Normal filter (no filter), although Clarendon is a close second if you want to improve your photographs. See if your style of photography benefits from a filter by trying a few of the top selections.
With the use of their Instagram template, Canva can also assist you in creating an Instagram post.
YouTube Instagram
Finally, maintain similar-looking photographs throughout all of your images to create a unified visual brand.
To achieve that level of cohesiveness and consistency in your graphics so that people can recognize your brand when they see it, use a program like Pixelcut. It includes some unique capabilities that make it simple to edit multiple photographs at once and remove backgrounds and objects from images so that they all appear and feel the same.
Wonderlass’ Allison has a captivating and vibrant personality, and her brand reflects this.
Look no farther than her Instagram photos.
Wonderlass Allison
That much is certain: a follower won’t confuse her posts with those of others.
You may increase your audience and business growth on Instagram by developing a distinct visual brand.
Finishing it off
You’re missing out on Instagram, the hottest, most-used social network out now, if you’re concentrating all of your current social media marketing efforts on Twitter, Facebook, and perhaps Pinterest or LinkedIn.
It’s a top social platform with a fast expanding readership in the 18-34 age group and is more than simply a place for people to post selfies and photos of their cuisine.
Plan out your Instagram strategy in advance. Make sure your bio is optimized with a compelling call to action, and attempt to cultivate a group of brand evangelists.
Develop your visual identity by settling on a specific image aesthetic, maintaining a regular posting schedule, and engaging your fans in actual conversation.
Especially for non-visual sectors, Instagram may not seem like the best medium, but with the correct strategy, you may succeed.
