When it comes to marketing your business, there are several different strategies and approaches that you could take, especially when it comes to internet marketing. While websites and email campaigns are often discussed and commonly used, social media is growing in its value and its ability to aid a business as well. If you have not considered utilizing this group of platforms for outreach, now is the time to start.
Social media refers to those sites and online pages, as well as applications that are used for the purpose of socialization. These social outlets are used by millions throughout the world, sharing the most mundane to the most socially and culturally significant of information. It seems that anyone who is connected to modernity has at least one page on a social media platform. That is why it is such a huge influence and should be capitalized upon.
But, to speak of social media is not to tell the whole story. There are many different social media pages that can be used by a business, organization, or individual. Among the most popular of these pages are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. If you are considering marketing on one or more of these pages, it is important to understand the nuances of each, so as not to kill your marketing plan before you start. Therefore, this article will expound upon one of those popular platforms: Instagram. Use these marketing tips to ensure that you don’t suck at this amazingly beneficial tool of promotion. First, though, begin by understanding just what Instagram is.
What Is Instagram?
Instagram is a social media platform that relies on individuals posting pictures to their pages. These pictures can speak a thousand words, and they do! There are great graphic artists that share their posts, businesses that promote their image with logos, and a number of different musicians and other celebrities that share a picture with their followers quickly. Pictures respond well with individuals because of the quickness of the message that they send. Individuals can say something amazing in just a single click of the share button, and from there, the image can go viral.
Users can get involved with the posts by making it a favorite and commenting on the post itself. This creates dialogue between users, even if they do not know each other outside of the Instagram world. Strangers, then, start discussing and this creates more buzz around a post and, ultimately, a page—a tremendous asset for those looking for notoriety quickly. Users can also follow a page, too, by adding that user or entity to what essentially amounts to their friends list. This means that they will see these posts in their feed each time one is posted. Thus, a single picture post can create buzz that is a quick and easy tool of marketing.
Another aspect of Instagram is the caption that you include underneath an image. This caption can greatly impact the quality of the picture and should tell your followers something. It may be a description of the picture or it may be a call to action, which will be discussed later on. Regardless, this portion of a photo is an important part of Instagram and something that you need to know, understand, and embrace if you are going to get the most from your page. While a picture can speak a thousand words as they say, your caption can elevate the thousands to a whole new level.
Instagram Users
There is no cost to use Instagram. Users can create an account and post a picture free of charge. This has created popularity around this social media site that is very impressive. Thus, one of the reasons that you should market on Instagram is pretty simple: it provides you access to millions of people. On average, nearly sixty million pictures are uploaded each day and over eighty million comments are made. This means that you have, potentially, access to all of these people. For a low to no cost investment, businesses can promote their industry far and wide without having to contribute a large financial burden.
It is important to note that there is an age trend when it comes to this site. Currently, it is popular among millennials and generation y. These individuals are the most active making the site a great option for those that are interested in marketing to this age group. That is not to say that businesses that cater to older individuals cannot find value on this site. On the contrary, there are amazing benefits to all ages, but the most impact can be had when businesses understand the audience that uses this site most often.
The Tips & Tricks
So, if you have decided to start an Instagram account for your business, it is important to note how to do Instagram marketing effectively. The following are some tips and tricks that you can use to maximize the benefits of this social media site. Though not all-inclusive, these guidelines help to set the standards necessary to making your page boom and will leave you looking like you know exactly what you are doing.
1. Complete Initial Setup
When you decide to get an Instagram account, simply setting it up is not enough. You need to put some energy and effort into the initial phases of development. For instance, you want to ensure that you have completed your profile fully. Leaving out information or not providing everything you need can hurt your business’s reputation by showing that you rushed through the initial phase.
Further, you will want to make sure that you put a profile picture on your page. This is often forgotten about by businesses or a picture is uploaded that says nothing about who the business is or what it stands for. If you want to send a message on a site that is devoted to doing so with images, then make sure that you have an appropriate and meaningful profile picture. It could mean the difference between looking like you know what you are doing and not.
Finally, you want to make sure that you provide an about us section that—though minimal in characters—is telling of what your business is and what it stands for. You need to ensure that you have a complete section that speaks to the essence of your business. You will also want to link your website in the appropriate way as well. An Instagram account should lead to your page, especially if you sell services or goods online, and therefore, it cannot be ignored.
2. Promote the Brand at All Times
Your content needs to be interesting, your posts need to be creative, and you must adhere to brand messaging with everything that you put on Instagram. Do not allow yourself to get lost in the fray by creating images that are so trendy that they do not connect your audience to your brand. If you do this, you may get favorites and you may get comments, but you will really be saying nothing about your business, which can hurt you in the end.
Instead, stay brand-centric. Make sure that everything you post has some purpose to it. One of the best ways to do this is to share pictures of your goods or about your services. You may also wish to share images of your staff and team to create a human presence for your business. Another great thing to do on your Instagram is to post behind the scenes footage and other videos—yes Instagram can post abrupt videos as well. This helps to create your brand in relation to those who make it what it is and can really help to ensure that you get the connective feeling that your followers will crave.
It is important to note that your content should be trendy and topical. But, these trends should connect to your brand in some way. You can post that crazy cat meme or video of the beautiful sunset that your neighborhood is talking about, but connect it back to your brand and its message. This is known as reactive storytelling and can greatly impact your presence on Instagram. Work to be reactive, topical, and stay constantly aware of your brand tie-in and you will look like you know what you are doing.
3. Moving Upward
So if you are doing the above, you have a pretty strong grasp on the basics of Instagram. This is great but it is not enough. Sure, you might get followers but you are likely not going to get mass amounts if you only follow this. Instead, you need to move upward and onward with your content. Allow us to tell you how.
If you want to move to the next level of sophistication on Instagram, get your users involved. Just as with anything, you want those that follow your page to become invested in who you are as a company. In order to do this, be sure to get your followers involved in some way by having them generate your content for you. One of the greatest ways to achieve this is through user driven contests. Ask for your followers to submit a picture or story to you via Instagram. This will result in a “buzz” around your page, provide your followers the chance to get involved, and can provide you the content that you want and the investment in your company that you need.
You may also want to take your Instagram account to the next level by using hashtags. This shorthand can connect you and your content to trending topics, users that use similar phrases, and really show that you know what is going on. Hashtags are a language all their own and if you use it, then, you are showing that you have mastered the essence of Instagram. Be sure to think your hashtags out before applying them so that they appear as if you put effort into making them topical and relevant. An ill placed hashtag can be worse than no hashtag at all.
4. Call to Action
The term “call to action” is used a great deal in internet marketing. It is important that you know, understand, and use it well. A call to action is a post that you make on a page that asks your users to do something. It may be that you are asking them to donate to a cause. It may be that you are asking them to buy. It may be that you are asking them to share. Whatever the case may be, these call to actions are crucial to making your followers do something for you or on your behalf, which is the essence of having a business after all.
For many businesses, the call to action that they use most often is to encourage their users to do something like purchase. After all, you are a brand and you have something to sell or do. You should be overt with your call to action, and not allow any wiggle room in perception or in interpretation. But, you do not want to be extremely forceful or rude either. There is a balance and being too pushy can come off as a turn off so walk this line very carefully.
You will also want to include your call to actions with some discretion. Every post should not ask someone to do something. Rather, they should be incorporated into your page posts in a varied and unique way. You want your followers to build a relationship with your page. You may wish to balance your call to action posts with more fun and light-hearted ones, as well as the topical discussions mentioned earlier. By doing this, you are making your page interesting and increasing the likelihood that the posts that do rely on a follower doing something will be taken to heart. Balance, then, is key to appearing like you know what you are doing on Instagram.
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