800 million reasons to embrace Instagram.
Picture
success with the wildly-popular photo sharing app.
Instagram
may not have been an instant hit in the business community, but now it’s ready
for prime time. The world’s leading photo sharing app recently hit 800 million
users. And that’s the big reason more than 25
million businesses have Instagram profiles.
If you
think that means the competition is too stiff, think again. Less than one in
ten business users are active on a monthly basis. And of those that are, most
are not maximizing the platform’s unique advantages.
But
you, smart marketer, are different. Just minutes from now you’ll know how to
reach Instagram success. In the in-depth
tutorial “How to master
Instagram for business in seven easy steps,” writer Brent Barnhart
points out that there’s an audience on Instagram for most any kind of business.
Perfect
your profile.
Begin
with a profile photo that ID’s your brand. (Hint: Use your logo.) Then
fill in your account name, e.g., the name of your business. Your username should match the account
name. Next, plug in your website address. Please note this will be your
Instagram page’s only clickable URL! Use your website address or link to a
landing page. Give careful thought to your bio. You can talk about your
business, your website, your tagline — or all of these things.
Forget
massive numbers. Find your tribe.
True,
there are hundreds of millions of users on Instagram. But you’ll only want to
attract a tiny fraction of them. Create
a mental image of your ideal customer. Then, rather than blasting a message to
the millions, think relationships. Build your Instagram page by reaching out,
one on one.
Encourage
followers to tag you in their own Instagram photos. And zero in on your tribe
by researching and using niche hashtags.
Develop
— and execute —a clear strategy.
Start
with some simple questions: Why
Instagram? What would you like to achieve? Is your focus brand awareness? Social selling?
Sharing some snappy photos? Whatever it is, make sure your content supports
that strategy. Random posting is not the answer!
What’s
your story?
Use
storytelling — your brand narrative — to paint the picture you want customers
to see. Unleash your creativity and let the pictures and captions capture
followers’ imaginations. The litmus test is that visitors should get a feel for
your brand with a quick look at your feed.
Promote
your product or service creatively.
As
Brent Barnhart puts it, “show off your products without totally shoving them in
your followers’ faces. Creativity counts on Instagram unlike any other
platform.” That might mean a straight-forward promotional post, video content,
memes, user-generated content or a product shot in the wild.
Influence
the influencers.
One of
the best ways to get on the fast track with Instagram is to reach out to
Instagram influencers with a strong existing following. Being acknowledged by a
power user could attract an adoring crowd with a solitary post. Some
influencers do organic shoutouts while others expect to be paid.
Add in
some ads.
One of
Instagram’s most attractive features is that it’s easier to reach your audience
organically than it is on Facebook. Still, it might make sense to advertise on
this platform. Combining one of the platform’s many ad types with Instagram’s
ability to target your audience could be just the thing to show up on your
audience’s feed.
Ready
to master Instagram along with other social media channels for the long haul?
Review
7
Social Media Retention Strategies — Tactics for Effective Customer Communication.