With more than 120 million unique monthly users as of June 2019, Instagram ranks second only to Facebook in the most popular mobile social networking apps in the United States.
Since the platform launched tools for business users in 2016 – including business profiles, analytics and paid advertising within the app – the platform has quietly emerged as “the new home for companies seeking an impact on social media.”
Integrating Instagram into your marketing strategy for your business may seem intimidating.
To get started, here are five pro tips on how to best use Instagram for your business.
Convert your account to an Instagram Business account.
The first step to using Instagram for your business is to create an Instagram Business account or convert your already existing account to a business one.
Doing so gives you access to all the business features Instagram offers: including adding a call or email button to your bio and Instagram Analytics.
Learn how to convert your current account to a business one here.
Define and understand your target audience.
It doesn’t matter how beautiful the pictures you post on your Instagram are if you aren’t posting content that resonates with your target audience.
Utilize the Instagram Analytics tools built into the app, check the analytics on your other social media channels and consider social listening tools like Hootsuite or Mention to familiarize yourself with your audience.
If your content isn’t resonating with your audience demographics, it might be time to rebrand.
Set growth-orientated goals
After you understand your target audience but before you post, set goals to drive your content. Without goals, it’s difficult to know how well your social media strategy is performing.
Make sure your goals are relevant to your business and include specific, measurable objectives.
For example, while one of your goals may be to increase brand awareness, make sure you follow it with a specific objective, such as increasing your followers count by 100 over 10 days.
Develop a regular posting schedule, and commit to it.
After you develop goals for your content, make sure you post regularly to keep your followers aware of your brand.
But don’t post haphazardly.Develop a schedule so you can post strategically at the best times for your client base and industry.
Utilize Instagram Analytics to see when your posts create the most engagement, and find out the best time to post in your industry. You can also use online social media planning services such as Sprout Social to schedule when posts go live.
Expand your reach with targeted hashtags.
As a visual platform, Instagram is ripe for opportunities to attract new followers and engage with the ones you have.
While Facebook boasts the most users, according to a 2017 study, Instagram holds more than triple the engagement rates for brands than on Facebook.
Expand your reach by using thoughtful, targeted hashtags in your posts. They can be brand or campaign specific but avoid general hashtags. Instead use niche, industry-specific hashtags to increase your chances of attracting the ideal audience to your content.
Check out these lists at Post Planner and Soldsie.
At the 1893 Brand Studio, our Campaigns Team specializes in social media management and content marketing for your Instagram and beyond.
See our services to learn more or contact us to schedule a consultation.
