Instagram for Businesses

Welcome back to our monthly blog marketing series! Last month we discussed Email Marketing Tips for Small Businesses and this month we are going to move on to social media marketing and in particular, Instagram! Have you heard of Instagram? Probably. Have you thought about using it for your marketing campaign? Probably not.

Instagram is one of the fastest growing social networks on the internet right now with over 300 million users (and 25% of Fortune 500 companies posting 5+ times per week). Unlike other social networks, Instagram has a singular focus on captivating imagery (and short videos) giving businesses and brands an outlet for visual storytelling.  If you run a B2C business, Instagram could be an especially valuable way to reach and connect with a new audience. According to a study by Forrester Research, Instagram generates 120 times more engagement per follower than Twitter. With such high engagement, Instagram could be the perfect place to connect with customers, get feedback, build relationships, preview new products, and more.

Getting started is fairly straightforward. Here are a few tips…

1. Choose your business name as your account name.
2. Upload a 150 x 150 profile picture – preferably your logo.
3. Post photos that over time tell a story about your brand.
4. Edit photos with Instagram’s filters (change color, softness, etc.).
5. Include a caption for each image that’s short and sweet, include hashtags and questions which tend to drive engagement.
6. Tag other Instagram users to also drive and increase engagement.

An especially cool Instagram feature, snap a photo at your business and tag your location. After sharing the photo you will see a link above the photo which will display all of the photos that have been taken at that location. Perhaps people have already been posting about your business or products!

In addition, hashtags are a great way to reach new users. Similar to other networks like Facebook and Twitter, using hashtags will create a link to all of the other photos that have used the same hashtag. Using a hashtag like #embroideredapparel (or something similar) will connect you with others who share your passion. You could also use your location, for example, #phoenixaz to connect with locals.

Instagram can be a great way to generate online sales. Find creative ways to post pictures of your products, but make sure not to ONLY post pictures of products. Go beyond product pictures and sales, and create a personality.

I hope you found this installment of our marketing series informative. As always please contact me, Amy Grishman, CEO at Social Focus www.socialfocus.com if you have any questions. Thank you!