How to use Instagram effectively for your business

How to use Instagram effectively for your business

Instagram has over 800 million active users and that figure is growing every day. It is now used as a marketing tool by most businesses across the globe – and if used correctly can grow your brand awareness. If you aren’t using Instagram in your business, you may be missing out on potential customers. Here are some tips on how to use Instagram effectively for your business:

1. Turn your profile into a business profile! - This is the first and most important step to producing an effective business Instagram profile. You can do this via the settings section. It adds some communication buttons like call/email so that customers just press and contact you quickly and easily. A business profile also gives you access to vital analytics data which gives you information about when is the best time and weekday to post dependent on your audience.

2. Sell your products via your profile - If you sell products, you can allow customers to purchase directly via ‘shoppable posts’ on your Instagram feed. These posts have a ‘shop now’ button which takes users straight through to your purchase page. 72% Instagram users admit to purchasing products via Instagram which shows just how powerful this tool can be.

3. What to post if you do not sell products - If you offer services within your business, show the solution which your business provides and try and make the pictures as aesthetically pretty as possible. People love being nosy about businesses – show your employees, tips and tricks to engage your audience.

4. Add a variety of content – don’t just post pictures on your feed. There is so much more you can do! Add gifs, videos and boomerangs (similar to gifs but unique to Instagram) to add some variety to your feed. People often find moving pictures and videos far more engaging than static photos.

5. Give Instagram ‘stories’ a try! – Instagram stories are a useful tool which once posted, only last 24 hours. You can use these to capture ‘quick snaps’ which can be lower quality than your feed images. Use these to give your audience a more personal look into your business at what you are up to day-to-day. You can use stories to tag other accounts and influencers who may share the post and spread the word about your business.

6. Always add hashtags and locations! – Hashtags and locations are a brilliant way to make your posts and stories more discoverable. Use known hashtags like “#tbt” (throwback Thursday) or “#instalove” which are regularly searched across the globe every day.

7. Use your bio link wisely – Within your bio on your profile, there is a link available for you to input a URL and visitors who click on the link will be led directly to that web page. Many businesses put their website in this section, which is perfectly fine. But if you have a particular enquiry or purchase form which you would like people to reach – link to this instead!

8. Keep an eye on the competition – Take a look at your competitors. Not just at their content, but also how often they are posting and how they engage with their audience. See what they are doing well or not so well and use this as inspiration for your account.

9. Engage with others! – Like, comment and share others posts! This is important because engagement often leads to an increase in followers and interactions on your own posts which can only increase your brand’s visibility. Don’t be afraid to communicate with other similar brands or potential customers to get your name out there.

I hope these tips have given you some inspiration for your own Instagram accounts! If Instagram is an unknown world or you simply do not have the time to run a business Instagram account effectively, Fountain Digital can help. Take a look at our social media packages or contact us on 01323 887387.