Instagram started as a photo-sharing app. It is a different thing that it has transformed into one the most effective and (plausibly) essential marketing channels for businesses all across the globe.
Contrary to what people think, the social platform actually has been optimised to support and promote brands and their offerings. Every update on Instagram is skewed towards bringing more engagement through different outlets for its users. Whether that be the introduction of IGTV or Stories, it provides you with the right tools to grow into your own space and become an internet sensation.
Instagram isn’t all about giving though. It takes tips, tricks, strategies and sometimes a social media agency in London to gain a bankable level of popularity on the platform.
Here are 5 ways to make sure that the business account of yours catches public attention.
- Streamline Your Focus
A plethora of options means that you are spoilt for choice. With feed, stories and IGTV, you can achieve multiple objectives. This includes building a community of your own, making company announcements, effective advertising, and overall brand awareness. Once you have established what part of the business you’d like to promote, it is important to create and publish content in line with those goals.
Following a robust approach makes sure you are on the right track throughout the process. It also makes all your efforts measurable to a higher standard. This gives you a complete insight into what is going right and what needs to be updated in the long run.
- Consistency is All That Matters
Instagram knows when you have been away for too long. Posting regularly keeps you in the algorithm’s good books and increases your organic reach. Additionally, ghosting your followers can lead to a lack of trust. Since, reliability is a key factor in business and brand building, maintaining a regular flow keeps you in their sights at all times. You don’t need to post every day, just at a reasonable intervals.
Consistency doesn’t just apply to your posting but also to your brand message, colour palette and text overlays. A strong social media marketing strategy ensures that your brand identity is maintained through all the channels of communication, including the verbal and non-verbal elements. Finding the right tone and sticking to it gives your feed an aesthetic that encourages brand recall and recognition.
- Take Control of the Hashtags
Categorisation is encouraged in all forms. Whether that be your own website or a social media platform, labelling content allows you to segregate your target audience and deliver content that matters to them individually.
Although Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags, it is not necessary to dry up that well every time. Choose your hashtags wisely and apply only the ones that seem relevant to your posts. Excessive use can make your content seem like spam and end up being completely ignored. A well-performing post contains anywhere around 11 hashtags.
Think of hashtags like keyword research for your web pages. Study your competitors, analyse the trends and start experimenting. Using a branded hashtag that allows your audience to find everything related to you is one of the ways to build authority on the platform.
It is important to note that some hashtags can affect your posts negatively too. Steer clear of any shadowbanned set of words, and you’re good to go.
- Push Content That Your Audience Values
Instagram may be a personal collection of photos, but Instagram for Business is all about creating an image that resonates with your core consumers. For your product to sell, you need to show them why they have to buy it.
Using a mix of photos, videos and carousels, promote your product in a way that feels deeply aesthetic and relatable to your target audience. Research your ideal buyers at length to learn all about their desires, ambitions, livelihood, likes and dislikes. Using this information create imagery that attracts them to like, share and comment on your posts, building an organic reach.
The Explore tab works wonders in these cases. If the content is highly engaging and relatable to a group of people, it shows up in the Explore area of the platform. Consider it as a free promotion by Instagram to help build your audience in exchange for keeping its users engaged.
You can also apply the 80-20 rule for your posts. Keeping 80% of the content entertaining and informational while reserving the other 20% for those sales pitches. A weighted balance between the two keeps your consumers coming back for more.
- Go Behind the Scenes
Give your followers and audience a sneak-peek into everything that goes into making your product what it is. Everyone likes to know what you do and how you do it. Taking them behind the curtain allows you to build a trust-based relationship. It also lends a human touch to your brand and lets the viewer see you in a different light.
Plus, by making the audience a part of the process, you make the products more relatable and reliable. It doesn’t matter if your office is a mess or your production facility makes the most horrendous sounds figure out a way to portray it creatively, and you shall find brand advocates within your consumers.
Towards the End
Hooting your own horn is never enough. Step outside the boundaries of your own channel and engage with your audience on a personal level. One-on-one interactions that address consumer pain points and bring customer service to the platform are always appreciated.
You can also create collaborations with other creators or brands on Instagram to leverage each other’s reach for a higher engagement. This includes conducting influencer campaigns and brand partnerships for effective marketing.
Lastly, remember to take a step back from time to time and analyse everything you are doing from a third-person view. Instagram Insights can help you understand the metrics that matter. Be objective about the performance and cut out the parts that don’t work ruthlessly.
Done right, Instagram can make your business profile into an inbound lead generator.