Do you want to know the best way to market your business on Instagram? Do you even know what Instagram is? If you don’t already know, Instagram is a very cool way to connect with your consumers who make use of social networking sites. In fact, Instagram has over 130 million active users each month, with over a billion photos liked each month.
So, that’s what Instagram is: a photo sharing social media network. You can use Instagram to tell a visual story about your brand, or just highlight your best products through photographs. It’s easy to use, and allows you to market your business without other advertisers busting in and raining on your parade. You just have to use it right.
Used well, Instagram can help you build your brand. Once you’ve gotten a few customers interested in your brand, they’ll feel a personal connection to it and decide to “follow” your business on Instagram and other social media outlets. Once they do this, they’ll start sharing your brand with others, and that’s where the magic happens! Just make sure you follow a few pointers to ensure you market your business the right way on Instagram.
First of all, it’s best to use images to tell a story, not just blast your brand. Make sure the images you use are about the experience of using your product or service, not just a product placement ad. For example, show what a person is doing while they enjoy the use of your product or service.
Make sure your photographs fall into one of two categories: beautiful imagery or humor. Most users don’t post random party pictures, and your brand should do likewise. Pick and choose what you’re going to post to Instagram, and make sure it is either phenomenally beautiful or knee-slapping hilarious. These types of images capture your audience’s attention, which is what you want—you want them to want to see your posts and share them with others.
Third, don’t post too often. As a general rule, you should not post more than three photos in a row, or more than one every three hours. More often than that, and you risk hogging your users’ feed. Hogging a feed tends to put your customers off, and they’ll become less likely to share your posts with others. They might even stop following you altogether!
Finally, use hashtags sparingly. Many users are tired of hashtags, but a well used hashtag is still a great idea: specifically for things like special events or special subjects. Using super-long hashtags is frowned upon, so try to keep them short and to the point.
Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but only if the picture accurately depicts your business. A picture of a hamburger is just a hamburger, but a picture of someone enjoying one of your hamburgers with your logo prominently displayed somewhere can draw in your business like never before.
Are you still on the fence when it comes to social media and how it can help your business?