Instagram continues to be a strong social network that many businesses are using in their social media marketing efforts. Whether you have thousands of followers or just a few it’s still important to make sure you have a strategy when it comes to Instagram. Here are some tips for boosting your business’s Instagram efforts and boosting the quality of your posts:
Complete your profile: Now this may seem obvious, but there are a ton of Instagram profiles that are lacking data. If your business sells products online then add that website in your bio. Remember that you cannot use links in your comments or posts so the best way to get a fan to find your website is to link to it from your profile. Also make sure your bio makes sense, explain what your business does and how you can help your potential clients. Don’t go overboard, keep it short and sweet.- Remain consistent: Set a regular schedule when it comes to posting. If you go days without posting or months, you will be forgotten about. Get into a routine when it comes to posting and you’ll have better results.
- Engage with others: Not all businesses are going to have an immediate fan base. The best way to gain fans is to engage with others. The best way to go about this is by searching for hashtags that are relevant to your business and then like and comment on others’ posts. These potential fans will be excited that you are engaging with their posts and that may lead to a new fan! Compliment other users; you’d be surprised how willing they are to return the favor. Just remember to be genuine and not desperate.
- Use user generated content: If your business has tangible products or offers a specific service then you should create a hashtag around that. For example if your business sells necklaces, ask your customers to upload a picture of themselves with their new necklace, adding a hashtag that you created. Then you can search for that hashtag on Instagram and repost those images. This is a great way to tie in your customers and your products.
- Show off your business: Be personable with your posts, don’t stick to only product images or services. Try and mix things up! Share images of the town your business is in, images of business pets, employees doing fun things etc. This will add variety to your page and also allow your fans to get to know you better.
- Analyze your efforts: Instagram doesn’t offer an analytics dashboard but there are third party sites that can help you track your efforts. Statigram will allow you to view your own feed, search for others, search for hashtags and analyze your stats.
Above all, have fun, try new things and remember to stay flexible. If something is working, do it more and if something isn’t working don’t be afraid to try new things.
