As the marketing battlegrounds have shifted from traditional to digital, so does the mode of advertising. You can see it from the explosion in the popularity of influencers or micro-influencers on social media channels like Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook. Non-celebrities like Jen Selter, Jamie Genevieve, Tana Ashley, Zach King are catapulted to fame on the strength of their Instagram followers alone, but there is still room for your business to grow on Instagram!
Consider these statistics:
- Each month, one billion people use Instagram
- Every day, 500 million users upload to their Instagram Story
- Users spend nearly 30 minutes on Instagram each day
- When you use Instagram, the potential captured market is 850 million people
- Three-quarters of US businesses will use Instagram by the end of 2020
- There are over 25 million businesses on the platform
As you might expect, it would be almost criminal if you don’t have somebody who will focus on Instagram management to help extend your reach and expand your profits.
But how do you leverage your business Instagram to benefit your organization?
Growing Your Business on Instagram
Growing your business on Instagram takes some effort and a solid marketing strategy. Here are some practical tips for you to follow:
- Make your posts consistent — Businesses that make an effort to upload a post at least once daily are likely to perform better than companies that are inconsistent with their posting. You can double your followers by simply ramping up your posts’ frequency from once weekly to once a day. The simple equation is this: the more you post you upload, the more Instagram followers you will get.
- Make your post interesting — However, there is a whale of a difference between posting and posting relevant and interesting content. The former route is the quickest way for your customers to unfollow you. You may need to brush up on editing tools to spruce up your photos. Apps like Canva feature templates that are ready to use to make interesting visuals. But don’t restrict yourself to photos alone. Instagram also allows brands to use videos and Stories to promote their products and services. Remember to curate your clips to fit within the 60-second limit for videos and 15-second limit for Stories.
- Beware the hard-sell — If users follow your brand, they also tend to be customers. As such, you do not have to scream to their faces your promos and product updates. No one wants to feel like they are being pushed into doing something they do not like. Instead, use professional photos and subliminal messages to make a sale. Of course, an end-of-season sale or store-wide discounts speak for themselves, so you can post a simple announcement and be confident it will attract buyers.
- Track the hashtags — Relevant hashtags will allow you to get a pulse of your Instagram followers. It will help people find your business who may be interested in what you are offering. Another advantage of putting hashtags in your post is to organize your content. Meanwhile, make sure to expand your network by following other brands, personalities, thought leaders, and the giants within your field.
- Contests and giveaways — These marketing methods are one of the quickest ways to gain followers. You can partner with influencers or even another business to make the prizes more irresistible.
- Appoint someone for Instagram management — someone whose main focus is on Instagram management alone. If you do not have a capable social media manager, you can outsource the task to a professional. The crucial thing to remember is that your Instagram business strategy should not be stop-and-go. It means constant follow-through and trial-and-terror to see the plan through.
- Do not forget to engage with your fans – When your followers comment on a post, they are taking the initiative to engage with you. Whether it is to ask a question or make a remark, the last thing you want to do is to ignore them. It shows that you consider their opinions important. It could simply be liking their post or thanking them for making an effort.
Creating a business Instagram will yield multiple benefits. For example, you can increase the number of Instagram followers exponentially through Instagram ads. By switching to a Professional Account, you will get valuable insights into the state of your product campaign, whether it is reaching the intended audience and getting the desired results. Essentially, you are no longer launching a product blindly and hoping you get the most returns for your investment.
If you need help growing your business on Instagram, Spotted Fox Digital is your digital partner-in-crime. With our team of proficient and experienced marketers, we will help you maximize all the features of the platform, establish your online footprint, create a consistent message, and keep track of your social media campaign.
