Instagram has over one billion active users per month, and over 500 million people use it daily. Numbers like this are just too big to ignore, and this booming social network is just too popular to ignore.
This huge platform is ingrained in our lives and is here to stay. For many businesses, it’s vital, and yours might be one of them, which means that you need an Instagram marketing strategy. And to compete in today’s saturated market, it needs to be good.
Keep reading for seven ways to use Instagram efficiently to market your business.
Understand your audience.
This is critical, no matter what marketing strategy you construct. You may produce the most engaging and visually pleasing Instagram content, but if it doesn’t appeal to your target demographic, what’s the point?
Take the time to research who your existing audience is, what they want, and think about who you’d like them to be. Since you’re using Instagram for marketing, you need to consider whether they are current clients, future customers, or if they can help you build your brand in some way.
Use the following tools to learn more about your audience:
- Instagram insights.
- Listening tools.
- Analytics tools.
Utilize hashtags.
If you’re not using hashtags in your Instagram posts, you are missing out on capturing the attention of a greater audience. Research hashtags that are relevant and specific to your industry and use them. Hashtags make your posts searchable and allow other users to find your content easily. Simply put, if you want people to find your content, you need to use hashtags.
Here are some of the best practices for hashtag use:
- Don’t go overboard; five specific hashtags are better than 25 that don’t make sense.
- Avoid overused and basic tags.
- Don’t spam with hashtags; keep them relevant to the image.
Post at the best times for your business.
You can share creative posts daily, but if no one sees them, it’s futile. For the best return on your investment, it is essential to know when users are online and engaging with your posts. Before you begin posting, be sure to do your due diligence. Look at other accounts within your industry since followers of different markets will have different patterns. See what posts get the most reactions and what times and days’ work best for them. Once you have built your following, watch the data to determine times and days’ that work best.
According to the team at Later, the worst days to post on Instagram are Sundays, while Mondays and Thursdays seem to be the best days to post for engagement. Whatever days you decide to post, be sure to stay consistent. But don’t over-post; if all they see is your brand clogging up their news feed, they will unfollow you quickly. Here are some other posting tips from Later.com:
- Shoot for non-work hours such as early morning, lunchtime, and evening hours.
- 3-4 pm is typically the worst for engagement.
- Regularly monitor your posts to figure out the ideal posting schedule for your account.
- Depending on your business, be careful of weekend posting.
[Check out these other ideas for digitally connecting with customers!]
Utilize those Stories.
If you’re an Instagram user, you already know about the Stories feature. For marketers, Stories are a fantastic tool. You don’t need to try to convey your entire message in a single image; you can string together several posts to tell, well, a story.
Stories can help your brand show some personality or apply a narrative to products. Some tips for outstanding Instagram Stories include:
- Don’t just string together your typical daily Instagram content. Show sneak peeks or “behind the scenes” glimpses to make your content feel relatable.
- Do be super formal. Stories also tend to be more intimate, less polished, and more fun than other Instagram content.
- Give your stories a beginning, middle, and end. Introduce a product, person, or place to get the user’s attention, then end with a call to action.
- Get creative! Do a takeover by letting a staff member take over the account for the day. Or make your followers feel special with “day in life” glimpses.
Take advantage of this opportunity to craft a different type of content. Balance your carefully structured timeline with spontaneous Story content. This variety retains your user’s attention and keeps them sharing.
Pay attention to your color palette.
Some of the most successful Instagram accounts tend to use a consistent style and select color palette for their photos, helping them to create a distinct theme.
Focus on your brand colors and visual style when it comes to Instagram. Think about how you can make your Instagram content feel aligned with your brand’s overall aesthetic and vibe
Have some fun.
Contests are a great way to increase engagement and build loyalty within your audience. When done correctly and effectively, contests can have many benefits for brands that include:
- Increased awareness.
- Build a stronger community.
- Loyal followers and engagement.
Some good contest ideas are:
- Like /comment to win.
- Photo caption.
- Tag a friend.
- Trivia or poll.
- Scavenger hunt.
Just make sure you set clear goals and establish the rules early on so there is no confusion later.
Engage with your followers.
Responding to your Instagram followers may seem like a tedious task, but it is very necessary. By responding directly to comments on your post, you will add a human component and personal feel to your brand.
This strategy is especially important if people are asking questions or expressing grievances. Respond to these comments as fast as possible and attempt resolution. Consumers are willing to pay more for excellent service, so take it up a notch and stand apart from the crowd but going above and beyond.
You can’t rely on just your website to sell products. In today’s social media world, you have to take advantage of other avenues as well. Since Instagram is growing at such a rapid rate, it only makes sense to utilize this channel to help drive sales. All of these strategies will help you elevate your social media presence and increase sales.