Online marketing has become increasingly imperative for companies and is continuing to expand. Although various social media networks exist, Instagram is one that is attracting more attention from businesses due to having over 400 million users. Below are a few tips on how to use Instagram to market your business.

Plan and Measure Results

Instagram isn’t just about posting a picture and adding a caption, especially if it’s being used for marketing purposes. The planning process really begins with a strategy of what you want to display on your Instagram page, such as: your product, company culture, behind-the-scenes, etc. Knowing what your objective is makes it easier to plan posts. Platforms like Hootsuite have made it extremely easy to map out posts, as well.

The second part of the planning process is measuring the results of your Instagram account. This can include measuring likes, comments, or followers. With digital marketing growing, it is important to have numbers to show the growth of online presence which ultimately leads to more brand awareness. There are tools that have made it easy to track analytics. Tracking analytics is important because they allow you to understand your consumer more.

Use High Quality Images

Instagram is a social media platform where consumers want to see visually appealing images, and online marketing overall. Many companies are starting to have small photoshoots in order to have options for pictures. When taking pictures it is important to follow the Rule of Thirds explained in one of our previous blogs. Higher quality pictures tend to flow better and allow your feed to have a theme. Companies that follow a theme throughout their Instagram page, overall, appeal to the consumer more and may gain interest.

Engage with Your Audience

When posting captions for your picture, adding questions allows for the consumer to have a better connection with your business. For example, if you are café shop and post a picture of a vanilla latte at 12p.m., asking a question like, “What is your go-to coffee in the afternoon?” will allow the consumer to think about the coffee and feel more engaged.

Running contests or giveaways are also a great ways to generate engagement. Social Media Examiner shared great tips for running a contest.

Post Consistently

Posting consistently on Instagram allows for your company to stay visible to followers. Having certain days you dedicate to special products also gives the consumer something to look forward to. For example, Tune Tuesday for a music shop or even featuring a platter of the day for restaurants.

Use Hashtags

Using hashtags in your social media marketing strategy is great because it makes searching your business or product easier. Not only do hashtags make searching your business easier, they allow for businesses to build a community, which makes followers feel like they are part of something pertaining to your business. Although Instagram allows you to use up to thirty hashtags per post, it is recommended that not more than three to five hashtags. For more ways to grow your social media marketing efforts, head over to our blog.

Recently, Instagram announced a new algorithm that will change the way followers view your posts on their timeline. Rather than posts being in chronological order, only pictures that you could be interested in will appear. The Huffington Post recorded ways to prevent your posts from disappearing from your user’s timelines. Do you want to know more about all the recent changes to your favorite social media accounts? Stay tuned for our next blog!

If you have questions regarding social media marketing or simply want help managing your social media accounts, contact Ruby Porter today!