Popular as a photo and video-sharing social networking site, it has turned into one of the most important marketing platforms for businesses of almost any kind and size, businesses have started investing lots of money in Instagram marketing.
Though for users, it is simply a trendy social network where they can share their pictures, video, and even private messages, yet businesses look at it from a different perspective. They see it as a market of 26.9 million users (by 2020), where they can demonstrate their products and services.
If you’re a business, you will be glad to know that around 80% of users on Instagram follow at least one brand, and 72% of users buy a product they see on their Instagram news feed. So, don’t miss business opportunities and start approaching your target audience with Instagram marketing.
If you’re struggling to boost your influence on Instagram, read this post until the end, as we will be sharing a few tested and trusted tips to magnify your impact.
So, without any further delay, let’s get started.
1. Establish a brand aesthetic
If you have been using Instagram for a while now, you probably know that aesthetics are everything on Instagram. If you take a look at some top Instagram business accounts such as FedEx, Gucci, Audi, and more, you will find that they continuously create eye-catching content according to the mood and impression of their target audience.
So, first of all, you need to create a general brand aesthetics to your Instagram account and stick to it. It is an ideal way to attract and engage your target audience.
2. Create engaging content
Instagram is all about eye-pleasing pictures and videos that people would love to share and like. So, make sure you provide your audience with double-tap worthy content. That is how your influence will start growing on Instagram. Since good photography is always praised on Instagram, you can create some amazing pictures around your services or products and share it with your followers.
Don’t forget to make use of filters and editing tools available on Instagram to enhance your content quality. According to research, filtered pictures are 21% more likely to be viewed. So make the use of filters to the fullest and play with different formats. For instance, you can use a carousel post that will share multiple pictures in one. On the other hand, if you want to show your products in use, you create a quick video of around 60-second.
3. Stay consistent
If the content is king, consistency is queen for sure. No matter how good your content is, but if you don’t have a decent number of followers who will appreciate your content? Remember, being consistent is an ideal way to attract and engage an audience on Instagram.
To make your Instagram marketing effective, you need to interact with your followers as much as you can and post relevant content. Reply to the maximum comments you get on your posts. Remember, businesses that regularly interact with their followers are more likely to have success on Instagram.
4. Follow your competitors
Analyzing your competitors can give you an idea about what type of content will work better for you and what your audience wants to see. Besides Instagram accounts, don’t forget to explore your competitors’ website as it will help you create a better content marketing strategy overall. So, if you want to stay ahead of your competitors, keep a close eye on what they are doing.
If you want to keep track of your competitor secretly, you may consider using a VPN service. It will hide your actual location and IP address, and thus your activities on your competitors’ site and Instagram profile will be undetected. It is advisable to go through online reviews before you finalize a VPN service.
5. Focus on the latest trends in your specific industry
As you know, in social media, things keep changing; you must pay attention to the latest trends in your particular industry and try to create content around that. If you’re not keeping up with trends, you will surely miss on a lot of opportunities. A large number of Instagram users quickly notice trendy posts. So keep up with changes in your industry, it will surely grow your presence on the social network.
6. Ask your followers to participate
Like all social media platforms, Instagram is an ideal platform for people’s participation. Create a post that encourages your followers to tag their friends in the comment. It will help you expose your Instagram account to an extensive network of people.
There are a lot of ways you can encourage participation. For example, you can host a picture contest and give out prizes; ask an interesting question in your captions or ask your followers to tag their friends and repost your photos.
7. Craft a great bio and profile
An impressive bio and profile are crucial to boosting your influence on Instagram. If your profile is incomplete or unclear, interested people won’t be able to get adequate knowledge about you and your business. Moreover, incomplete profiles look unprofessional & unappealing. Below, check out what you should include in your Instagram profile.
- Your business name should be up to 30 characters.
- Your bio should be around 150 characters. It must convey your brand identity and encourage new visitors to follow your Instagram profile.
- Similar to your other social media profiles, create a username that is easy to remember and easy for your followers to find you on Instagram.
- Add your business website to your bio. Remember, it is the only place on Instagram where you can add a clickable link. So, take the maximum opportunity out of it.
8. Create relevant hashtags to your business
This post could not be completed without mentioning the importance of hashtags. Most new users overlook the importance of hashtags, but they play a crucial role in improving the visibility of your content. People search for content of interest on Instagram using hashtags. Therefore, when you add relevant hashtags to your photos or video, interested people in your niche can find your post. In short, Instagram makes your content easier to find.
Try to use industry-specific hashtags. Remember, the useful hashtags are the ones that speak your target audience’s language. So use tags that are popular and have been used by numerous brands. For instance, if you’re into the fitness industry, you can use tags like “#fitnessmotivation”, “#fit”, “#workout”, etc. Instagram marketing loves hashtags!
Final Words
Instagram is a fantastic platform for small businesses to take their marketing efforts to the next level. In this post, we made you familiar with top tips that will help you increase your influence on Instagram. If you think you need professional help to improve your Instagram presence, don’t hesitate to invest in Instagram marketing solutions. Nowadays, there are numerous reputable tools available in the market that can help you with creating, planning, and scheduling Instagram posts across different accounts. Investing in such tools will give you a lot of benefits in the long run.
