Content Attributes
Instagram is a platform growing year after year. It experienced huge amounts of growth in 2020 with it surpassing 1 billion+ monthly users. Reportedly, 81% of people use Instagram to research products and services and over 50% have made a purchase after visiting a business website from the platform.
Maybe you’re on Instagram already? Or maybe you are looking to start marketing your business on Instagram in 2021. Either way, you need a marketing plan to help build an engaged audience. This Instagram marketing cheat sheet is going to give you seven top tips that actually get results.
Powerful Instagram Marketing Tips Every Business Needs to Read
1. Get a Business Account
A business account opens you up to multiple smart features, unlike a personal account. Just click on settings and tap ‘switch to business account’.
A business profile gives you access to extra insights and analytic tools plus followers can click to contact you, right from your Instagram bio. You can also create Instagram ads and publish them without using advertising tools on Facebook.
2. Optimise Your Profile
You only get 150 characters for your Instagram bio, so it needs to pack a punch. This is the space where you need to describe your brand, make a great impression and give people a reason to follow you.
Luckily, there are other areas in your profile you can fill out also, to boost the chances of people finding you. These include;
- 30 characters for your username (Instagram handle). Make sure it’s relevant so people find you in your search
- 30 characters for your name also included in the search
- A clickable URL that you can change anytime. Link to your website, latest product, or a lead magnet here
- Business category. This helps people to know what you’re about
- Action button. Tell people what you want them to do, right from your profile
- Contact info so people can find you
3. Define Your Ideal Customer and Goals
The most important part of marketing your business on Instagram is to know your audience and have defined goals. If your audience is in their 20s and loves cats, you’ll need to be posting content regularly manually or using automatic sentence rewriting tool that speaks to that demographic.
It’s ok to have more than one goal and your goals may change over time. But knowing what you’re trying to achieve allows you to monitor and tweak your action plan when necessary. Some common goals are; getting more leads, increasing brand awareness, selling products, or establishing your brand as a market leader.
4. Post Visually Attractive Content
Instagram is a visual platform, meaning you need to make your feed look attractive. If you have the money to invest in pro equipment, go for it. If not, just make sure photos are well-lit, sharply focused, and follow a theme.
It can be tough to always come up with new photos, but it’s ok to use infographics, videos, animations, and even stock photos to fill in the gaps. Content needs to engage, entertain and educate. Some ideas;
- How-to posts. Teach followers how to do something or how to reach a goal
- Behind the scenes. Build a relationship with followers by letting them into your life and brand a little
- What you’re working on posts. Drum up some excitement about your next product launch
- Blog post. Promote your latest blog post to drum up interest and link to it in your bio
- Reel posts. Make a sequence of posts using Canva like a guide or inspirational piece
- Videos. Instagram allows 60-second videos or you can post longer videos with IGTV
- Regram viral content. If a post in your niche got a massive amount of interaction, it may do the same for your account
- Quote or inspiration posts. These are great to fill in the gaps and perk up people’s day
5. Create a Cohesive Look
Alongside creating great content, you need to make your brand stick in people’s minds with a cohesive look. If you have a brand color, use that somewhere in every post, or decide on a color scheme when you start.
Another idea is to use photo filters that are the same on every photo. The preview app is a top free Instagram schedule app that allows you to organize your feed and add filters in a visually appealing and cohesive way.
6. Take Advantage of Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are a great way to generate more sales and interest in your business. They appear in a small area above the main news feed in a slideshow format.
They only stay live for 24 hours, but it’s possible to save what you created to use again another time. You can be a bit more creative with stories and not worry about the post being on brand.
Stories allow you to add multiple pages, polls, text, images, videos, and gifs and you can even tag other accounts.
7. Engage with Followers
If you want engagement on your own Instagram account, you need to engage with others. When you get comments, respond to them in a natural way. If someone tags you in a post, respond and say thanks or you could even re-post it.
Search out other big accounts in your niche and like, comment, and interact on their page. This gets eyes on your account when you show interest in a non-spammy way.
Encourage conversations on your posts which make them fun for your users. People are more likely to buy from someone they know, like, and trust so getting to know your audience is key.
Conclusion
Building your brand on Instagram can take some time. But by following the above tips consistently, you’ll increase your chances of getting results quickly. If you need extra help with your Instagram marketing, try out the Binsta App which does it all for you from one platform. Check out this Binsta App Review to see more detail on how it works.