Who are your customers? What do they like? What content are they creating?
Instagram might not be your first choice for social media productivity, but it is definitely worth considering for brand marketing. With over 400 million active* users taking photos, manipulating them and posting for the world to see, Instagram is a fantastic tool for getting your brand into a digitally fun and friendly atmosphere.
Since the Facebook acquisition of Instagram, publicity and user figures sky-rocketed, however many businesses still don’t use it. If you are one of the few who hasn’t snapped a Sierra toned scene, then check out Huffington Posts “11 Instagram Tips For Beginners” to get started.
Out of the 400 million active users, there are 75 million that use it on a daily basis…but, how do you promote your brand to this market?
Instagram might not be your first choice for social media productivity, but it is definitely worth considering for brand marketing. With over 400 million active* users taking photos, manipulating them and posting for the world to see, Instagram is a fantastic tool for getting your brand into a digitally fun and friendly atmosphere.
Since the Facebook acquisition of Instagram, publicity and user figures sky-rocketed, however many businesses still don’t use it. If you are one of the few who hasn’t snapped a Sierra toned scene, then check out Huffington Posts “11 Instagram Tips For Beginners” to get started.
Out of the 400 million active users, there are 75 million that use it on a daily basis…but, how do you promote your brand to this market?
Create an account.
Firstly, you will need an account. Best practice is to name your account after the business, something simple and memorable. If someone has your ideal Instagram handle, try not to use your name, your birthday, or underscores as you will need to make it easy to find.
To the world of Instagram, this is your shop window, your front door. Let’s begin making it attractive and enticing – after all, you do want more customers right? As soon as you have signed up, get your business logo set as a profile photo and start following other users in your industry by searching for keywords.
You will also want to upload a 150-character bio overview and your website on your profile to give users the impression that you are an active user.
Share your Link.
If you have a company Facebook, you might have already linked your profiles which will enable you to send an invite to your existing contacts. Otherwise, you can create a badge to put on your website (In the account management section) to direct users to your account. You can also copy your profile URL link and post this in a blog, Tweet it, post it on Facebook or write an update to LinkedIn to reach your audience.
A more recent addition is the capability to share your Instagram videos and pictures on your blog or Website to extend the reach of content even further.
Get creative.
In the early days, it is OK to reuse content from your website, but do not be tempted to use other users content. The pictures may be relevant and publicly available, but Instagram pictures might have various filters and edit customisation that users will be protective of.
Before you post, consider why you are posting and what you are hoping to achieve.
Do you sell products? Pictures of your range, flattered by Instagram’s own brand of photo magic can make most things look impressive, including what you had for dinner (Note: please don’t post pictures of your dinner).
Are you looking to sell a service? The filters available are very good at creating a level of atmosphere that straight photography just struggle to achieve. Tap into your customers’ senses through a Valencia filter for friendliness, or X-Pro II for clinical attention to detail.
Be consistent.
A large following, great content, increased brand recognition, regular sales conversions, better inbound traffic and healthier SEO rankings do not happen overnight.
Post little and often.
If you are at an event or just launched a new product line, don’t post 20 photos or a series of videos at once…the impact will be lost and followers will start to treat similar posts as spam. Once or twice a day is sufficient, but make sure you are posting at times your customers are likely to be using the app.
Be Business-like.
Selfies…don’t do it. It is OK to post selfies on a personal account, but this is your brand and image. Post content that is relevant to your product or service but keep it simple and fun, this is a creative community you are engaging with. Don’t forget to check your content for spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. Run it by someone else or pre-plan your posts in advance and give them another check with fresh eyes before they are due to run.
Provide full content.
Instagram offers a range of further options for your work of art, use them! You can add your business location, tag other users, and more importantly, you can share across Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Swarm and Flickr – That’s 6 social media markets in one hit! Using hashtags in your description will also help improve your reach.
Make friends.
Posting content is only half the battle, but it is the most time-consuming. The less time consuming, and perhaps more enjoyable part is being reactive to others content. Show an interest in your customers, follow them and like their pictures and videos.
Be consistent.
A large following, great content, increased brand recognition, regular sales conversions, better inbound traffic and healthier SEO rankings do not happen overnight.
Post little and often.
If you are at an event or just launched a new product line, don’t post 20 photos or a series of videos at once…the impact will be lost and followers will start to treat similar posts as spam. Once or twice a day is sufficient, but make sure you are posting at times your customers are likely to be using the app.
Be Business-like.
Selfies…don’t do it. It is OK to post selfies on a personal account, but this is your brand and image. Post content that is relevant to your product or service but keep it simple and fun, this is a creative community you are engaging with. Don’t forget to check your content for spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. Run it by someone else or pre-plan your posts in advance and give them another check with fresh eyes before they are due to run.
Provide full content.
Instagram offers a range of further options for your work of art, use them! You can add your business location, tag other users, and more importantly, you can share across Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Swarm and Flickr – That’s 6 social media markets in one hit! Using hashtags in your description will also help improve your reach.
Make friends.
Posting content is only half the battle, but it is the most time-consuming. The less time consuming, and perhaps more enjoyable part is being reactive to others content. Show an interest in your customers, follow them and like their pictures and videos.
Prepare a plan.
Now that you are active on Instagram, you can save a lot of time by sharing existing content across your other social media profiles and delivering simultaneously. This also means that your account won’t go unloved and begin to appear inactive. Regular posts keep your brand near the top of discoverable content, so have a look at your existing plan and incorporate Instagram to ensure you stay front of mind for prospects.
Don’t have a plan?
If you don’t have a plan or social media strategy, don’t fret, we can help.
From establishing your social media presence and strategy, through to content creation and Account management, we have a variety of flexible packages that are customised to what your business needs. Just contact us today to find out more.
Source - http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/important-instagram-stats/
Further reading - Great examples of Business Instagram Accounts.
Now that you are active on Instagram, you can save a lot of time by sharing existing content across your other social media profiles and delivering simultaneously. This also means that your account won’t go unloved and begin to appear inactive. Regular posts keep your brand near the top of discoverable content, so have a look at your existing plan and incorporate Instagram to ensure you stay front of mind for prospects.
Don’t have a plan?
If you don’t have a plan or social media strategy, don’t fret, we can help.
From establishing your social media presence and strategy, through to content creation and Account management, we have a variety of flexible packages that are customised to what your business needs. Just contact us today to find out more.
Source - http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/important-instagram-stats/
Further reading - Great examples of Business Instagram Accounts.
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