How to become an expert in Instagram for business
Learn how you can boost brand awareness, make connections and drive sales with Instagram
It’s official: Instagram is taking over the world. As the third-most utilized social platform, there are 500 million+ Instagram accounts active worldwide every day.[1]
And it’s not just photos of your friends’ cappuccinos anymore — businesses are seeing the potential and jumping on board too. With 80% of accounts following a business on Instagram,[2] the time to get involved is now. Keep reading to learn why you should use Instagram for your business, and how to do it.
Why should I use Instagram for my business?
People use Instagram to explore the world, connect with the brands they love and discover new ones too — in fact, 60% of users say they discover new products on Instagram.[3]
Instagram is hands down the best social platform for sharing photos. 200 million+ active daily Instagram users visit at least one business profile daily,[4] so if you offer products and services with a strong visual component, this is the place for you!
The basics of Instagram for Business
Setting up a business profile is simple, and free. With a business profile, you’ll be able to see how well your posts are performing, plus you’ll gain valuable insights about your followers. You also have the opportunity to tag your products and promote posts to boost brand awareness. You can also add in important information like store hours, business address or a phone number.
Bring your customers closer by sharing captivating, great quality photos and videos that show your products and people in the best light. Be sure to include relevant hashtags when you post to help new customers discover you. You can also try using branded hashtags to find the people who are using — and loving — what you offer. For the best visibility and consistency, your username should match the handle you use on other social platforms.
Get started setting up your Instagram business profile here.
What are sponsored posts on Instagram?
Sponsored posts on Instagram are a great way to improve reach, target specific audiences and drive conversions. You have the choice of photo ads, video ads, carousel ads and stories ads; you can either promote an existing post, or create a completely new ad.
Good news if you already use Facebook Ads: Instagram uses the same advertising tools as its parent company so you can set up, track and manage campaigns in exactly the same way that you manage your Facebook Ads.
What are Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories are photos or videos that are viewable on your profile for only 24 hours, and they’ve proved to be an incredibly important addition. Since stories were introduced, the average time spent using the app has increased to 28 minutes[5] — great news for businesses! Use this feature to share limited-time offers, promotional content and behind the scenes action. You can also share live videos, which also remain viewable for 24 hours. It’s a great way to show the personality of your business — and especially your fun, spontaneous side.
Thanks to the addition of the new Highlights and Archive feature, your favorite stories no longer have to be temporary. In Instagram’s words, “Stories Highlights is a new part of your profile where you can express more of who you are through stories you’ve shared.”[6] What you share will automatically be saved to your archive, and you can make highlights out of anything you’ve shared to your story in the past. These stories will live permanently on your profile above your photo feed until you choose to remove them.
What’s next for Instagram?
With audiences growing year-on-year and new innovative features continually being added, Instagram’s popularity shows no signs of waning. Take advantage of this powerful social platform now — you’ll boost brand awareness, create meaningful connections and drive sales when you do.
Not sure where to start? We have years of experience helping businesses like yours grow their brand with Instagram marketing as part of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. Want to learn more? You can read about all of the digital marketing services we offer here.
If you’re ready to get started growing your business with Instagram, contact us today.
Read more:
How to harness the power of user-generated content
6 reasons why digital marketing is essential for restaurants
How social media can revolutionize your real estate business
Sources:
- Instagram internal data, September 2017
- Instagram internal data, March 2017
- Instagram user survey, November 2015
- Instagram internal data, November 2017
- http://mediakix.com/2017/09/instagram-stories-statistics-changing-social/
- http://blog.instagram.com/post/168221445012/171205-highlights
Back to all blogs
