A Brief Guide on Making the Most of Instagram as Promotional Medium
A Brief Guide on Making the Most of Instagram as Promotional Medium
Instagram was launched as a photo-sharing platform. It has now turned into one of the biggest and most active social media platforms on the web, with over one billion users. Today, Instagram enjoys the kind of popularity that Facebook used to have in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The majority of young people are now most active on Instagram as compared to any other social media platform. This impressive traction and engagement have turned Instagram into an effective vehicle for promotion as well.
The stats and surveys highlighting commercial activity on Instagram are truly eye-openers. One report suggests that nearly the third-fourth of all US businesses will be on the platform by the end of this year.
Last year, Instagram generated $20 billion in ad revenues. Surveys suggest that Instagram is the most effective platform for influencer marketers.
In light of all this information, your business must start using Instagram for marketing. In this blog post, we will provide a quick guide on how to make the most of Instagram as a promotional medium when you are new to this side of SMM.
Make a Business Profile
Many business owners usually make a personal account and convert it into their business’s Instagram page later on. If you want to benefit from the marketing strength of Instagram right from the beginning, set up a business profile or switch your existing profile to business. A range of marketing and sales benefits come with an Instagram business profile.
- You can use “Instagram Shopping” which lets you sell your products and services directly from a post or story. This feature is not available on personal accounts.
- You can provide your audience with an easy, clickable way to reach out to you.
- You can use Instagram analytical tools to find out the relevant stats about your page. Instagram calls this feature “Insight,” and it informs you about your posts’ impressions and outreach.
Optimize Your Profile
Once you have made a business profile of your venture, optimize it with the right information. Use your enterprise logo as your profile picture. If you don’t have any logo, use an image most relevant to your business. Then, pick the handle that doesn’t just doesn’t highlight your business name but also remains easy to remember. Give a brief description of what you offer and end it with a clear call-to-action with a clickable URL. Maintaining a neat look at your Instagram page in its uppermost section will give your visitors a quick and complete introduction to your business.
Maintain a Consistent Look on the Platform
Instagram is one of the most happening places on the internet at the moment. Hundreds and thousands of businesses are competing with each other to stand out in different niches and different regions. With so much going on the platform, you need to give your Instagram page a unique yet consistent look and feel.
Have you ever come across an Instagram page whose grid snapshot looks impressively coherent, and at first glance, it feels like the same picture is posted repeatedly? By consistent look, we mean achieving that sort of symmetry and oneness on your Instagram page.
To get to that point, all your posts should be rendered and edited on the same photo editor for the same prerequisites. You should use the same color scheme for all the posts (e.g., pastel soft colors). Similarly, you can use a natural backdrop for all your posts or go with digital art. You can also create consistency among your Instagram posts by focusing on the main object/product/caption in the post and blurring the rest of it.
In short, pick some peculiar characteristics and use them consistently among all your Instagram posts. Your audience will start identifying these characteristics as part of your distinct brand identity, which will help you set yourself apart from your competitors.
Use Captions for Storytelling Instead of Stuffing Superlatives
Instagram lets you add long captions of up to 2,200 characters on each post. You need to use this section of your Instagram post very wisely. This character limit is enough to weave a great, thought-provoking narrative or for telling an engaging story. If you have stories to share that can resonate with the audience as well as the products/services you offer, use Instagram captions to tell them. Captivating storytelling is a core element of effective branding, and you can pull it off through Instagram captions.
Use Hashtags Prudently
Using hashtags is a great way to increase your visibility and reach out to potential followers without spending anything on paid promotion. You can use up to 30 hashtags in a single Instagram post. However, maxing out this hashtag limit on a single post is not the right move. Just pick a couple of relevant and interesting hashtags specific to your niche. We recommend not exceeding five hashtags per post.
Leverage the Story Feature
Instagram Story is a great feature that lets you give your followers a behind-the-scenes look at your company. Visitors are more likely to click on a story instead of going through your entire feed. In many cases, giving them raw, unfiltered sneak peeks of your business can prove to be more effective than well-curated posts. Also, Instagram Story remains there for 24 hours, which is enough time for reaching out to all your followers and potential visitors.
Collaborate with an Influencer
Instagram Influencers are one of the most powerful marketers on the block. One research report suggests that almost 20% of online consumers now buy a product after seeing an endorsement from their favourite influencer. Find a popular influencer of your niche and hire them for their “influencing” service. It is better to work with influencers that promote products and services in an organic and non-sales manner.