Today, an estimated 600 million people use Instagram monthly. In terms of popularity, it is ranked 2nd after Facebook. And for businesses, it’s a trendy platform that provides an opportunity to enhance brand awareness and to communicate with customers.
But how does Instagram work? Is it just a platform where you can post pictures that you clicked on a smartphone? No – Instagram is a lot more. It is presently used by many businesses to promote their products and services online. And it is, in fact, quite effective.
Now, the question is: how do you use Instagram for business promotion? Here are some effective ideas that have been proven to work.
Start an Instagram Business Account
When you plan to promote your business online, you need to have an Instagram business account. If you already have a personal account, you can easily convert this to a business account. This will give you access to various business features that make the transition seamless for all your existing followers.
Have a Consistent Name and Clear Photo
Use your brand name as your Instagram name or choose one that is closely related to your brand. Next, you have to ensure that this profile name, which represents your brand, is the same across all social media platforms. In addition, having a consistent profile photo is necessary because most of your engagement and interactions on the platform will display this thumbnail. Having a clear image also makes your brand look more professional and recognizable.
Include Necessary Information Related to the Brand
When you are using your Instagram account to promote your business, an informative yet catchy bio is a must for your profile. It should include your business name and a brief description of your brand. This information will add value to your brand and might help to bring in additional followers.
See to it that any information or post shared is interesting and fun; try to stay away from sales pitches. Keep in mind that Instagram has a different culture altogether from other social media sites. Keywords or even hashtags are not important here as they are not searchable when they are on your brand’s bio.
You should also keep your bio updated whenever you promote a campaign, launch something new, or when a sale is announced. And don’t forget to include the link for easy access for your followers.
Need to Be Active and Involved
In order to use Instagram to promote your business, you shouldn’t be simply a publisher of your videos or images. It is necessary to be involved as well. This means you have to:
- Follow other influencers, brands, and people
- Actively participate in your posts and the posts of others
- Reply to the comments you receive and comment on other posts
- Publish content that is useful, engaging, and interesting; just randomly posting images and videos don’t actually help
Use Great Photos
If you are using Instagram for promoting your business, you need to have some good photos. This does not mean you will need a professional photographer; you can use your mobile phone as well. These are some tips for taking quality product photos:
- Ensure that the light is natural – Natural light tends to be easier to work with, but the best part about it is that it’s free!
- Stay away from harsh light – Late afternoons are the best time to click photographs. Remember, cloudy day shootings are better than shooting on a sunny day as the clouds act as a diffuser for harsh light.
- Use different angles – Shoot at as many angles as you can to give viewers different perspectives of your product. Zooming into details and other areas of interest will also help viewers better visualize your product, especially if you don’t have a physical store that they can visit.
Photo Editing Matters a Lot
Sometimes, taking great photographs is not enough and you might have to edit them a bit before posting. Consistent and smart editing helps in maintaining your brand aesthetic and results in images that are more recognizable.
Instagram Stories
With the millions of people using Instagram these days, most people have mentioned that they became interested in a certain brand or product after seeing it on an Instagram Story. So, if you are thinking about promoting your brand or your products, Instagram stories do make a difference.
Promote Your Instagram Account
When you are on Instagram and you are trying to promote your brand, you have to make your Instagram known to people on other social media platforms. Let them know about the posts and stories you share. It might also be a good idea for you to embed Instagram posts in your blog or share it in other places.
Instagram Advertising
Just like every other social media channel, businesses now have the option to advertise on Instagram. There are 3 formats for advertising on Instagram: video ads, photo ads, and carousel ads. They are effective for promoting your online business in addition to supporting the main objectives of advertising. These include mass awareness, mobile app installations, and video views.
Instagram is now successfully being used by businesses across the world. Are you using Instagram yet?
