Introduction to using Instagram
The next in a series of blogs providing insight on how to make the most of your social media – today we discuss… Instagram!
Instagram is an upcoming social media platform with over 700 million monthly active users. It’s a less competitive social media than Facebook or Twitter and audiences are generally more engaging.
The platform consists of images, GIFs and short clip videos called Boomerangs. Short descriptions or captions are attached to them and yes hashtags are used.
Show what you do in a creative way
As a business you should focus on the solution you provide. Provide content that shows how your services or products present solutions to then end consumer, rather than simple product shots (of course TLC will help you do this!)
To attract the most attention in a post, it’s important that your content has value to your customers, it’s properly hashtagged to attract new followers and that your post looks pretty while you do it i.e. #SPACETOWER
Create a winning profile
You have 150 word to fit into your Bio. As a company, it’s probably a very difficult to fit all of what your business does in here, so focus on the most important unique selling point. Allow your profile posts to show the values, culture and mission your company has.
Ensure your profile has your website attached and that it links to either the homepage or the relevant section for the profile as this is the only clickable section to have links. You posts cannot have external links…
Expand your reach with Hashtags
Make sure you setup your main company hashtag eg. #YourCompanyName, and use it sparingly across instagram. This will make it easier for people to find the content related to you as well as your account.
It’s best to use between 3 to 5 hashtags per post, despite the fact that you can add a maximum of 30 per instagram post. Use your company hashtag, campaign specific hashtags, as well as more popular hashtags to increase discoverability. The goal is to use targeted hashtags that will be used by people interested in your content. Whilst using a hashtag that has 300 million posts on it can help you reach a large group of people, it won’t be at the top of the feed for long. Having a mix of highly used hastags and more specialised ones is a healthy mix.
If you’re attending an event, keep an eye out for official hashtags that the events use. By doing so , you’re ensuring your posts will be mentioned in the right place at the right time.
Collaborate and mention others
Instagram is one of the strongest social media channels for highlighting collaborators and sharing customer success stories. Whether you’re collaborating with non-profit organisations or similar sized companies / accounts, you both can benefit from mentioning each other with @ signs. This can often be more effective than using hashtags direct people’s attention and grow profiles.
Reward your followers
Keeping your customers interested in your marketing campaigns is essential. Reward your follows with exclusive content. Let them be the first to know about new products, services or events. Create teaser photos that build anticipation or satisfy curiosity for your new projects, office openings or stores. This sort of content makes your followers feel special and keeps the coming back for insider information.
