Instagram is now one of the most powerful tools in the world that business use to grow their influence and market their products. If you have a business and are not currently using Instagram to market and grow, you are missing out on over 1 billion people use this social media platform.

When you look at the businesses that are using Instagram as a marketing tool, they great ones all share similar characteristics. They all go about their marketing a little bit differently but all use the same baseline ideas. In order to leverage the marketing strength of the Instagram platform, use the ideas below to begin creating a strong Instagram account and a strong brand.

1. Create a Strong Page

When starting an Instagram page for your business, you need to make sure you have all the bases covered before you branch out and start marketing to consumers. If you don’t have the necessary foundation on your page, all the time and effort and money you put into marketing will be a waste. 

First, you want to set up a specific Instagram page just for your business. If you are planning on marketing what you do from this page don’t mix it with anything personal, keep it all about the business. Along with this, you want to have a strong logo as your profile picture and a consistent name for your company. Your photo and name will appear next to any post you interact with so make sure it is on-brand. 

You also want to make sure you have a link to your website right on your Instagram page. That way, any marketing you do on the social media platform will also drive traffic to your main website. Finally, include an appealing bio. Potential followers will most likely check your page’s bio before following. Make sure your bio is clear, concise and appealing. This is your first chance to sell a new potential client on you and your business.

2. Create Imagery in your Business 

Instagram is a visual medium. Yes, you can write captions and tell stories but at its core, the pictures are what people come to Instagram for. The most important part of marketing your business on Instagram is figuring out how to show your business off in the best visual light.

 If you are selling a product, figure out ways to show that product off creatively. Are there interesting people who use it? Can it be used in a creative way? Is it being used in a wide variety of locations? If you can answer “yes” to any or all of these questions start figuring out ways to get photos of these things happening. Establishing a unique visual brand is one of the biggest keys to marketing your business on Instagram.

3. Show off your Clients & Community 

If your business is less about products and more about services it may make more sense to focus on the people side of the business. Taking people behind the scenes on your Instagram account is a great way to market your business and grow brand awareness. The quality of your image is what gets people to stop scrolling and read your caption or, hopefully, visit your page. Make sure the image is appealing to your target demo and on-brand for your business.

 Whether it’s you, your employees or your clients, if you don’t have a specific product to create images of, use people. Make sure to create images that mesh well with your brand image. If you are a young, fun company, create images of employees having a good time outside of work. If you are more serious and solutions driven, post images of clients after a positive experience with your company.

4. Offer Deals

 While the ways and places we market our businesses have changed dramatically over the years, one thing has remained the same. People love a good deal! To build your Instagram following and successfully market to your followers you should offer Instagram exclusive deals and giveaways on your page.

 When people come to your Instagram page they should know there is a benefit to doing so. If you occasionally offer something for following and visiting people will continue to go to your page. It can be a small discount on your product or service or some type of giveaway. It does not have to be expensive either. If giving away what you do is not financially doable, something as simple as raffling off a book related to your industry will go a long way. Just make sure you require people to follow your Instagram page and like the post in order to win!

“I’ve been using Gainsta’s Automation software for about a year now, I’m nearly at 200,000!”

 

Verified Gainsta User @franktobinuk

5. Know your Numbers

Instagram offers a wide variety of analytics for businesses to use. From follower count to post engagement, they offer you a glimpse into your numbers that will help your marketing effort. If you are doing marketing campaigns or even brand awareness posting you should be following up by looking at the numbers. If you don’t understand what is working and what is not, the marketing you do on your Instagram page will be much less efficient.  

Once you understand your numbers you can tailor your strategy to what works. You will be able to see what types of post work better and drive engagement so you can post more in that style. You can also see when in the day and week your posts do best. Once you know this, you can schedule your marketing campaign for the right times where you’ll get the best response.

Summary

If you are not using Instagram to market your business you are falling behind the competition. There are over 500 million people who are active on Instagram every day and some of these people will want to buy whatever you are selling. Yes, marketing on Instagram can be time-consuming, especially in the beginning. If you follow the tips above though you will be able to see a big return from the time spent. It will be worth it for your business!