In the past few years, Instagram has become a major hub for businesses. While Facebook is busy connecting people, Instagram has set out to increase engagement, brand-loyal customers, and business goals. Unsurprisingly, 200 million businesses are using Instagram, and nearly 200 million users are likely to visit business pages each day.
Particularly for small businesses, Instagram opens new doors for opportunities and success. If you are about to start a new venture, then you need to master the Instagram game. Stand apart from the sea of competitors with the following steps of running a small business:
Setting up a business account
Follow these simple steps of setting up an account in just a few minutes:
- Download the app and Sign Up
- Enter your email address or simply log in via Facebook.
- Select a username (with a business perspective) and password.
If you have been already connected with your target audience through your personal account, seamlessly converting it into a business account is also possible. Here is how:
- Go to the profile icon and select Settings from the top right corner.
- Select “switch to business account,” enter all details and tap done.
Design an excellent strategy
Invest time in creating your strategy. Jot down every detail and monitor your efforts continuously. Be sure to follow the points below:
- Pick the right audience
Before you start, you should know that Instagram users are young adults below 35, and the highest number of users are from the U.S. However, you need to pick a target market unique to your brand. Notice your followers on other platforms, dig inside your competitor’s followers, and keep a record of your website visitors.
- Set some goals
For setting goals, stick to the SMART ones. Your goals can be related to the number of followers in the next six months, comments, likes, and engagement. Once you have set the goals, you can take action accordingly.
- Use performance metrics
Performance metrics are great indicators of the success of your marketing strategies; they inform future decisions and ensure continuous improvement. For instance, Instagram metrics should focus on awareness, like growth in followers and brand awareness. Similarly, the number of shared posts, and like that come under engagement.
Profile optimization
Be sure to have a profile that leaves a lasting impact on visitors. Here is how you can do it:
- Focus on a professional bio
In a given limit of 150 characters, try to use hashtags, emojis, keywords, and catchy phrases. Be sure to use your brand voice. Tell the visitors who you are and what your product/service is about. Similarly, use line breaks so that the content becomes easy to read. Do not use pushy sentences. Also, try to have a professional tone.
- A great profile pic
Never use a different profile pic. Keep one professional profile pic on all social media networks. Many brands prefer keeping their logo as a profile pic. This leaves a good impact on your visitors.
- Incorporate business features
There are numerous business features that you can use in your business account. Some of them are:
- Prompt action buttons
Instagram facilitates its users with its call-to-action buttons. The visitors can easily buy tickets, make an appointment, and make appropriate actions directly from the profile. This shows how Instagram leads to direct conversion. Just go to the “Edit Profile” section and then select “Add Action Button” to activate this option.
- Category
Make it easier for others to know who you are. Use the category feature to categorize your business.
- Contact details
Instagram automatically gives you buttons for direct calling, emailing, and directions. Just provide complete details of your address, contact number, and email address so that visitors can use the one-click button to reach you.
Example:
Add a button of yearly membership in your Carpet Cleaning Buckinghamshire business profile. Set the category to cleaning and provide a complete address in your profile.
Keep sharing quality content
Instagram attracts visitors with visuals. Try to keep the following points in mind when dealing with your visuals:
- Take relevant photos
Try to take quality photos according to your business nature. For instance, if you have a clothing business, share pictures of your latest collection. Similarly, restaurant businesses share pictures of delectable food. Service businesses share behind the scene videos, customer reviews, work culture, and fans. However, it is imperative to stick to a constant theme. Just like your profile pic and tone of content, your visuals should also have consistency in their filters and colors.
- Don’t forget to share stories
Make the most of the Instagram Story feature. Do you that 400 million users grab customer attention with compelling stories each day? Share live events, behind the scene videos, customer reviews to make your stories interesting. You can also use the Slideshare option so that potential clients can develop consistency in watching your story.
- Captions are essential
Though Instagram is all about visuals, using captions is of utmost importance. Compelling, funny, and creative captions make your posts meaningful. However, you should remember the tone of your brand when creating captions.
Build your audience
At this point, you will invest time in searching for the right hashtags to engage with more people and gain more followers. Use tools like Hootsuite, Hashtagify, KeyHole, etc. to search for the most trending hashtags. Besides this, be sure to respond to comments and reviews. Using small influencers is also an essential tactic for every small business.
