Chances are, you already use social media sites to reach current and potential customers. Perhaps you tweet regularly or post on Facebook or LinkedIn. But have you also incorporated Instagram into your marketing plan?
Many people who regularly post on Facebook and Twitter may be reluctant to start using Instagram since it’s primarily a video- and photograph-based platform. However, just like any other social media site, Instagram is all about making connections with your audience—and the following five tips can help you do it.
Make your Instagram page about your brand, not you. Although you may already have a personal Instagram page, when it comes to marketing your brand, it’s best to create a separate business profile. While it’s a good idea to show your personality in your posts, followers are only going to be interested in what your brand can do for them—not what you did over the weekend. Also, when you sign up for a business profile you have access to helpful tools, such as data about post impressions and engagement, which will help guide your content.
Interact with followers: Just as with other social media platforms, Instagram users enjoy the ability to interact directly with the brands they like. Instead of using your platform just to broadcast your messages, be sure to reply to those who respond to your posts or mention your organization. This will go a long way toward building relationships with the people who follow you.
Have a contest: Everyone loves the opportunity to win something, so you can use this love to expand your reach on Instagram. When doing a giveaway, you can collect entries by having followers like share, or comment to a post you make, or ask them to post a photo or video of them using one of your products. This will increase your engagements and get people excited about your brand.
Cross-promote on other platforms. Whenever you make a post on Instagram, be sure to share it with your followers on other social media platforms. Encourage them to engage with you on Instagram and share your posts.
Follow industry influencers: If you want to get an idea of what your target audience likes to see on Instagram, follow some people in your market with a large audience to find out what they’re posting about. Also, take the opportunity to mention and respond to influencers if the conversation is relevant to your brand.
Instagram works somewhat differently from other social media platforms, but it’s still an effective way to connect with people who may be interested in your products or services. By adding the platform to your social media presence, you can expose your brand to people you may not have been able to reach before.