With more than one billion users, Instagram has big potential for business owners who want to enhance their marketing efforts and grow their brands. According to recent reports, 78% of marketers are using Instagram, and 64% percent of them plan to boost their activities on the platform during this year.
The fact that 90% of users follow a brand on Instagram, and nearly 55% of consumers have made a purchase after seeing a product on it is enough to convince us that any business can do well on Instagram, but the platform is particularly suited to small businesses that don’t have the time or money for lavish marketing campaigns. All you need is a smartphone camera and a well-thought-out strategy.
Here are a few ideas that will help you use Instagram to grow your business.
1. Define Goals for Your Instagram Growth
Just like with any other marketing opportunity, you will need to define goals for your Instagram growth in order to be able to gain any real results. Having clear goals will provide you with direction, so be sure to take some time to evaluate what you want to achieve with your Instagram account and start setting goals.
Typical goals for businesses on Instagram include attracting more followers, increasing customer satisfaction, increasing sales, increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, etc. Remember, regardless of what you are trying to accomplish, your goals will need to be SMART, i.e. specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.
2. Optimize Your Bio
One of the first steps to ensure that your Instagram strategy works well is to optimize your bio. After all, it is the very first thing users see when they visit your IG account and, as such, it’s a great place to tell people who you are and what you’re about.
Your bio is also the only place where you can add a clickable link, which makes it perfect for advertising sales, important updates, new blogs, and adding direct links to your site. When someone visits your Bio, it should be attractive enough for them to stop and read it. It should also contain ways to interact with your business in order to boost authentic engagement and build great new relationships.
3. Have a Strong Visual Strategy
When coming up with Instagram content, take some time to choose a style that will reflect your brand and resonate with your target audience. Aesthetics naturally draw people in and when you’re working with a highly-visual platform like Instagram, looks are paramount.
One easy way to identify a style is by using specific colors or filters. However, it’s very important to be consistent with the colors and filters you pick. If you often apply different filters or choose inconsistent colors, your feed will appear messy and people will be less likely to tap the follow button.
4. Engage With Your Followers
Responding to and liking your followers’ comments is important for two reasons. First, the more engagement you create, the higher the chance people have of seeing your posts, and this is extremely important for the success of your strategy.
Additionally, engaging with your audience on Instagram shows that you are present, listening, and ready to interact. So, if someone comments on one of your posts, be sure to respond to it quickly. And if you get a new follower, follow them back immediately.
5. Run Contests and Giveaways
Did you know that Instagram contests get 3.5 times as many likes and 64 times more comments on average than regular posts?
Contests and giveaways are a great way to get new followers, boost brand awareness, and increase engagement on Instagram with minimum effort on your part. There are many types of contests and giveaways you can run on the platform. For instance, you can ask your audience to like and/or comment to win a prize or host a photo caption contest.
Regardless of the type of giveaway or contest you decide to host, the price of entry should be any combination of actions that will expose your IG account to a broader audience and increase engagement.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to use Instagram to grow your business, it’s time to get started. Put some of the above-listed strategies in place and you should see the number of followers and engagement levels with your brand steadily increase.
