How to Market Your Business on Instagram
By the end of 2021, monthly active Instagram users reached 2 billion worldwide. This makes the photo and video-sharing app one of the biggest social media platforms.
With over 2 billion active users, most of whom fall between 18 and 34 years old, Instagram is an excellent platform for marketing your business. Even if your target audience makes up only a percentage of the app’s users, you’re still bound to reach millions more than if you’re not using it.
However, your direct competitors most likely use the app, as well, so you need to learn how to market your business on Instagram effectively if you want to stand out from the crowd. Use this guide to help you grow your page along with your business.
Optimize Your Instagram Profile
One of the best things about optimizing your Instagram profile is that there aren’t many moving pieces you need to tweak. The most important ones are your username and bio.
Short but unique usernames are best since they’re easier to type in the app’s search bar. Just make sure the username you use still reflects your business name.
The next thing you need to focus on is your bio. A compelling bio has the following.
- A summary of your business
- Your location
- A link to your website
Other pieces of information, such as your contact information, don’t have to take up space in your bio since Instagram has specialized buttons for business accounts.
Take Advantage of Instagram’s Features
Instagram had come far from the simple photo-sharing app it was when it first launched. There are Stories, Reels, IGTV, Shopping, Live, and more.
These features allow you to create different content aside from pictures. So if you think your products would be better appreciated in the form of a video, then use reels. If you have long-form video content, IGTV is for you.
Instagram Stories are undoubtedly the app’s most diverse feature. With millions of filters from different creators and create mode, poll, quiz, and question stickers, music, and story tagging, there are endless options for utilizing Stories.
Plus, it’s a great way to bring content to your audience without worrying about spamming their timeline since Stories disappear after 24 hours. Once you learn how to take advantage of these free, built-in features, you can gain more engagement with your audience.
The efficacy of hashtags can be difficult to measure, but they help nonetheless.
When you use the correct tags, your posts can be seen by a wider pool of people interested in your products. Used incorrectly, on the other hand, such as putting too many hashtags in one post, can land you in Instagram jail.
As a business, it’s essential to know how to use hashtags properly. Try focusing on the following types.
- Product or service hashtags, like #makeup or #bookstore
- Community hashtags, like #photographersofinstagram
- Branded hashtags specific to your brand, such as Target’s #TargetFinds or Old Navy’s #oldnavystyle
Engage with Your Community
Like most social media applications, Instagram is a great platform to interact with your community directly.
If you’re a local restaurant, follow your city’s Instagram page, as well as the pages of your suppliers. Tagging your vendors and partners is a great way to build rapport online and cross-promote your business.
In addition, liking or replying to comments on your posts is a great way to connect with your audience. This way, you can directly answer questions they might have and further humanize your business.
Post Visually Appealing Content
Instagram is, first and foremost, a photo and video sharing application. Its users like seeing visually arresting content more than reading a long caption.
Make sure to post clear and creative photos of your products. If you’re advertising a service, hire someone to create your graphics professionally. If you can swing it, professional photographers and videographers can bring your products to life and make Insta-worthy content.
Never Neglect Social Media Marketing!
Businesses often neglect social media marketing, which is unfortunate because it is a crucial digital marketing tactic that you can use to interact with your target audience and increase your online visibility.
Instagram isn’t the only place you should market your business. You should also market your business on Facebook and LinkedIn and even Snapchat and TikTok! Evaluate your target audience, determine which social media platforms they use the most and the type of content they like, and get busy.
Check out this blog article we wrote containing seven no-fail tips for marketing your business on social media.
