Instagram for Business
Business Instagram for Beginners
Instagram can be a powerful marketing tool for business. It’s free, it’s relevant, your competitors are using it, and your customers are using it. As of November 2015 Instagram had 400 million active users worldwide. That’s 400 million people you can reach, for free, if you arm yourself with the right tools and knowledge.
For those just starting out, the in’s and out’s of Instagram can be dizzying. The following is a guide to Instagram for business, starting at the very beginning.
Getting Started
Instagram is an app that can be downloaded to iPhone or Android. You can also access it on the computer, however it is designed for use on phones and is most successfully used via phone.
Once you have downloaded the app, you need to set up an account. The very first thing you should do is select the right user name. This should be your business name, or the very closest you can get to your business name. This is so that customers can find you in a simple search, and so that you are easily recognisable as your business. For example, if your business name is ‘Mary’s Coffee Shop’ then your username should be @maryscoffeeshop (Instagram will add the @, you just worry about the name that will come after it). Users can use your username to tag your business in their images and to search for your page. As your profile image, use your logo as this makes you easily identifiable.
Content
Before starting, have a browse of what similar pages post and the techniques they are using. Note the response they get to different kinds of posts (comments and likes) and their target market.
When posting, it is important to post relevant, interesting and conservative content. Try not to post anything with legal, political or controversial subject matter, the last thing you want to do is start an online argument, alienate a potential customer or get a customer offside. Stick to pictures of your product or service, of customers enjoying your product or service, or pictures that are relevant and humorous. Add a clean and flattering filter to your post, and caption your image with something attention grabbing and witty. Finally, use hashtags.
Always post with your target market in mind- if you aren’t reaching them then you aren’t reaching your full potential.
Hashtags
Hashtags are your best friend when it comes to engagement and exposure. Basically, a hashtag is a word or phrase preceeded by the # sign. Users can search a hashtag, for example #coffee and every Instagram post that has #coffee in its description will come up in a users newsfeed. How is this helpful? Well, any user anywhere in the world can come across your post wether they know about you or not, based on a hashtag.
Hastags can be specific or general. For example, ‘Mary’s Coffee Shop’ should have a #maryscoffeeshop hashtag that you use on all of your posts. This would link all of your posts together, so that if anyone searched #maryscoffeeshop all of your posts would come up.
Hashtags can be used more generally too. For example, if you have posted a picture of some of your customers enjoying a morning coffee and scone on a Sunday morning, the hashtags used could include #coffee #coffeeshop #sundaymorning #loveyourlocal #scones #australia – the possibilities are endless, and every hashtag used has the potential to widen your exposure. This is where a little research comes in- search to see what hashtags your competitors are using and if they’re relevant to your business, use them.
As of November 2015 Instagram had 400 million active users worldwide. That’s 400 million people you can reach, for free, if you arm yourself with the right tools and knowledge.
Engaging with Customers and Users
Be sure to be active on your account. Respond to any questions or comments left on your posts, check your hashtags and respond to any posts you are tagged in. For example, if someone has posted a picture of themselves and friends enjoying a coffee at Mary’s Coffee Shop and tagged @maryscoffeeshop you will get a notification. Be sure to comment something positive on the post such as “Glad you enjoyed yourselves! Can’t wait to see you next time.” This shows that you care about your customers and their experiences and gives you the opportunity to connect with your customer- increasing the likelihood that they will return.
Post Regularly
There’s no point in having an Instagram account if you don’t use it. Make sure you post at least weekly, seeing your posts in their newsfeed will remind your customers of your business and products and maintain an interest in your page.
When to post
Knowing when to post for maximum exposure is important. While you may be excited about a new picture or product to share, stop to think about what time it is. If you know most of your followers are in Australia, stop to think about the time of day you are posting. At 11am on a Monday the chances are that most people are at work or school, and aren’t looking at their Instagram. Aim for the evening, between 6pm and 9pm, when people are more likely to be relaxing and unwinding with time to check out their Instagram newsfeed.
At first glance, Instagram can seem a little overwhelming. After a little practice and some good old fashioned trial and error, you will see that Instagram is a valuable tool in business growth, reaching new customers and engaging with existing customers!
