Instagram has won the battle and war when it comes to the go-to platform for the visual medium. Whether you are sharing your cute poppy pictures or selling a pair of Yeezys.
Over 1 billion users visit Instagram monthly, and more than 500 million daily. What is even more fascinating is 80% of Instagram users follow at least one business, and 72% of users admitted they have purchased a product they’ve seen on Instagram.
If you have doubts should you be utilizing this powerful platform, we are here to tell you to cast your doubts aside and hop right in. with that said, being on Instagram is half the formula, the other half relies on your goals and strategies’. Similar to having business goals and marketing strategies. Finding the right Instagram marketing strategies or defining your goal on Instagram sometimes might get tricky, but an expert like us will help you set your foot on the right path.
A quick tip: make sure you create your account under a business account to make use of the “business account” features. Such as Instagram insight, Instagram ads, contact information, and call to action button on your profile.
1. Set Defined Goals
Instagram charm rests on the creative freedom you have. However, it is pivotal to have an answer for “Why I’m using Instagram?” Are you trying to: Increase brand awareness? Generate new leads? Make sales?
One way to go about answering these questions is by visiting your competition, or leading brands accounts’ to get the gist of it. You will be able to formulate an idea of how businesses and their consumers engage one another.
Then only you can start considering long-term Instagram marketing strategies that are good for your business.
2. Revamp Your Profile
In your account bio, you’re given 150 characters to tell who you are and persuade your audience to click the follow button. In theory, it is not enough to generate followers on Instagram.
Luckily, there are few other fields appear on your profile that will compliment your bio, and most importantly describe your business or brand better. For example:
- Profile name: you are allowed to use 30 characters
- Profile Username: known as your handle, also 30 characters.
- Website URL: your audience can click on it to reach your business website, you can update it as you see fit.
- Industry: a feature that lets you tell your audience the type of industry your business falls under.
- Contact information: a clickable button either email or phone number or both.
Also, your profile display picture is at 110 by 110 pixels, cropped to circle shape. It is another space you can use to convey your business and brand, use it wisely.
3. Aim For Visually Pleasing Content
The devil is in the details. Browse through your favorite brands, look at how their profile come together from the theme to the colors used. enhance your photo’s sharpness, composition, and focus. Combined these elements can make your content visually compelling.
Moreover, if you are thinking about what to posts, here are some general ideas used by big brands.
- Behind the scenes: gives your audience the chance to see your office, or if you are a factory a look into the manufacturing process.
- Quotes: something that is related to your business and the font should be visually appealing.
- Tutorial posts: teaching your audience some of the business crafts.
4. Build An Audience
If you are starting from the ground, one way to increase your followers on Instagram by reaching out to your subscribes via email and letting them know if they want to see discounts and promotions they will find them on your Instagram. Focus on your niche if you aim to increase leads and sales.
Buying Instagram followers is not the best move, because these followers will not engage with your brand, and you are looking for followers who are willing to engage with you to convert them to customers.
Furthermore, you can copy your existing social media marketing strategies to determine your niche audience and apply it to this platform. Another possible method is by monitoring trending events, and your competitors’ followers, look at their profile. That will help you identify your niche as well.
5. Always Post Content
Out of sight out of mind. You must maintain a regular content posting pace. Posting once every week wouldn’t qualify your account as an active account. Consequently, you don’t have to spam your audience timeline to get their attention. You might push them to unfollow you. Research suggests elite brand post 1.5 a day, totaling to 10-11 times per week, and that’s the frequency we suggest you follow.
In case you have extra content you feel it must be shared you can utilize your Instagram stories (IG stories). Furthermore, research also indicates the best time to post content is during work hours, to be exact at 10 am – 11 am. Mainly because office employees seek distractions during these hours, and they have extra time to slide in a few minutes of social media.
Moreover, avoid posting content on Sundays research indicate it generates the least engagement, while Mondays and Thursdays are the best days to post content.
6. Optimize Instagram Live
Live broadcasting will always give you the advantage of interacting with your followers in real-time. Engage your audience in reply to their comments, make them feel acknowledged. By going live you could present information about a coming project, showcase your office environment and your staff. Your audience could very possibly relate to these spontaneous interactions among your co-workers. Moreover, the Q&A session is another great idea.
Furthermore, going live with a brand collaboration is an Instagram marketing strategy more brands are employing. Give it a try too, it will help to promote your brand better, and gain a new audience.
7. The Art Of Captions
This is the part we usually consult our friends about what should we write. Because we are looking for that unique attention-grabbing caption. Experts do encourage to include these following elements in your caption:
- A personalized tone, not too rigid.
- A call to action, urging your followers to check your bio, or ask their participation.
- Instagram hashtags are essential, ideally, your brand should have their own authentic branded hashtag. A good Instagram marketing strategy example is RedBull hashtag (#GivesYouWings). One hashtag is too little but too many will appear as clusters. Keep it within 3-5 hashtags.
- Besides, Hashtags marketing is a viable Instagram marketing strategy in recent years, regardless of the platform that’s being optimized. Be on the lookout for special occasions. For instance, national events with their hashtag is a solid opportunity for your brand to appear in the Instagram hashtag search.
8. Combine User-Generated Content With Giveaways & Contest
If you remember the “Ice packet challenge” or the Facebook “10 years challenge” these type of content falls under user-generated content, and commonly they tend to go viral. If you’re lucky enough to create such viral content your brand can ride the hype train as far it goes.
You can even combine a contest or a giveaway with user-generated content. The exposure will benefit your business immensely. This is a solid Instagram marketing tip to engage your followers.
9. Engage
We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to constantly engage your followers. Reply to their comments, like their comment. Ask their participation in pools, queries, keep the momentum going. Find popular accounts within your niche interacted with them in a non-promotional way to gain the needed exposure. Moreover, check your brand tags, and could it be an opportunity for you to throw it in your feed?
[Bonus] Post The Same Product Again, And Again
People are inclined to not pay attention to products’ ads the first time or the second time. However, the more they are exposed to the product the more likely it will intrigue them. That’s how advertising work in theory. According to a recent study, 60% of consumers on social media need to see the product/service 2-4 times before actually buying it.
Utilize Instagram features. Begin with a regular post of the product, and a few days later share the image of the product on your Instagram stories (IG stories) or a “how to use it” video, after some time start a contest or a giveaway regarding the same product.
[Bonus] Get Creative With Your Stories Highlights To Optimize Your Bio
Instagram offers a new feature called “highlights” it is an album version of your shared stories. You can customize it, categorize it as you see fit. It will be at the bottom of your bio, if you execute it creatively it will add volumes to your profile.
These are the best Instagram marketing strategies you can start implementing today to boost your digital presence with zero cost. If you’re curious to go a step further try the free trial we’re offering. You can schedule your Instagram posts, get an audit, and a full report.
Linkedin