Want to be noticed by customers on Instagram… Don’t let your posts get lost in a sea of images on Instagram!
There are over 1 billion daily active users on the platform here are some hacks to help potential customers find you…….
Say what it does on the tin, ask yourself these questions…
Is your Instagram profile set up properly? What’s your profile image? Does your Instagram handle clearly convey what you do? What does your bio say? Have you included your website address or URL?
Ensure your posts/feed have a theme.
Remember…….Instagram is visual! If you use the same filter & style of photography/imagery then your posts will be more recognisable. Try to use the same style fonts & correct colour pantones across all channels, including your website, for brand consistency
It’s Social Media……be Social!
A powerful way to make Instagram work really well for your business is to watch your competition & who comments/interacts with their posts. You need to get social with these followers by interacting with them. May sound time consuming, but it works! This is a successful way to build an organic audience of potential new customers for your business.
Make use of Hashtags, they will bring people to your feed
There are millions of posts on the platform so how can you help people find you? Hashtags direct users to what they are interested in. Aim to use 10+ hashtags, however, as too many can look spammy, add them into your first comment on posts. Do your research to make sure your hashtags are relevant. Hashtagify is a great place to find popular hashtags. Build a few different hashtag lists and change between them throughout your posts. Keep up to date with successful Instagram accounts in your industry that have a lot of traction & see how they use hashtags. You will notice after a while of being consistent with the use of hashtags that your engaged audience will begin to grow.
What brand hashtags can do….
Brand hashtags help your followers to show the community what they think of your brand. This can create a discussion about your brand & encourage users to learn more about your products/services. Also, try to use a few core hashtags describing what it is you do in all posts
Always add a description onto your posts
Make sure your posts are relevant to your business, then add a caption that is interesting, engaging & if possible……. entertaining. A great caption can really add value to your posts by encouraging interaction & conversation, which leads to organic growth!
Be fussy !!!
If your pictures aren’t good quality even after some editing help…….Don’t post them!! There is too much competition out there for you to not make your business look 100%
Use tools to create collages etc
Instagram Layout will help you to create interesting montages, handy for multiple images or step-by-step images. Canva is a great free tool for creating images with lots of templates, Unfold & Ripl are among other great apps that will help you to create fabulous branded content.
Use your bio to direct followers to the appropriate link
Make sure you have the relevant link to either your website or a landing page. This can be changed to relate to certain posts eg.click link in bio to enter the competition/leave your contact info/register
Network!!
Your Instagram will grow faster if you tag other businesses/organisations/accounts. This will show how engaged you are in your community. For example, other local businesses-share their stories, comment on their posts, mention them in your own posts when appropriate.
Encourage conversation
Ask your followers to interact with your posts through conversation. Only do this if you can 100% respond to comments!
Connect with influential people
Do your research…….who is influential in your niche market/industry. Connect with them and explore how you might work together to improve your own Instagram visibility.
Research, Plan & schedule
Think ahead…….Plan a content calendar. Add into this calendar allocated time to create images & content. Save hashtag lists for copying & pasting into posts.
Schedule ahead
Scheduling posts is highly recommended as this will ensure consistency.There are many scheduling tools to choose from. We recommend Buffer and Later.
Count & Measure results
See your traffic and conversion on Instagram with Google Analytics
Instagram Business Accounts also have Instagram Insights, which shows how effective your posts are.
Advertise !!
Businesses should use Instagram advertising. Whatever your marketing budget is, give it a go & see what traction you can gain for your business.
You can use a simple single image or up to a 60-second video – and choices of a call to action buttons. A good way to start is by advertising a post that is organically doing better than other posts and go from there.
Have an image feed from Instagram on your website
Don’t add a link, embed them. This will help to grow your Instagram following directly from your website.
Video is the way to go………
Mix it up, add videos into your feed as they get more views/interaction. Use a tool like a buffer to choose a good thumbnail before posting a video onto feed. If you find it difficult to make a video or think of ideas, use tools like ripe to create moving images from your pictures. You can even add music! Boomerangs are another great way to easily add a video to your posts.
Use Instagram stories
Using Instagram stories daily as a business will help your feed to be shown to more users organically. Either post the same as what you are posting on your feed, use the typing tool to put quotes/information into stories or share followers/other businesses posts into stories. The options are HUGE!! Unfold is a great tool to create interesting stories. Add your favourite/biggest viewed stories into favourites with a cover image so they don’t do the 24-hour disappearing act!
IGTV
Adding these 15 seconds to 10-minute videos can boost the visibility of your products & services. Online video viewership is increasing, with tutorials & demonstrations among the most-watched! Video is the king of engagement and has proven to boost conversations. Get on it!
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