5 Foolproof Instagram Marketing Tips

When you hear about Instagram Marketing for your business… Do you cringe? So many of the small business owners that I chat with on a daily basis do.

Now that there are over 500 million users on Instagram, it has become a key piece of marketing for any business that wants to connect with potential customers from every corner of the world.

But how do you get started with Instagram Marketing?

Check out these 5 foolproof ways to get started building your reach on Instagram:

Tip #1 — Make sure your profile is a Business Profile (Important for your Instagram Management strategy)

Before you start thinking about your Instagram marketing plan, be sure that you have an Instagram Business Account. This is a quick and easy process that can lead you to some fabulous new options!

It’s as simple as navigating to your settings and clicking on “Switch to Business Profile”. The app will walk you through all of the steps.

Why is this a MUST DO for Instagram marketing?

1. Followers can get in touch with you quickly by just clicking the ‘Contact’ button on your profile. Removing barriers and making the process easier for potential clients is always a must-have.
2. If advertising is something you are considering, changing to a business profile will unlock all of the paid advertising features.
3. Instagram Analytics. Need I say more? Find out who, where, when, gender etc of all of your followers. Better yet, find out which of your posts they love in just a couple quick clicks.

Tip #2 — Cross-Promotion

There are many people out there who already LOVE your brand. Why not invite them on over to join you on Instagram as well? Post on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and wherever else you’re social to invite them to experience your new Instagram content. Since these people already follow you, they’re obviously already interested in what you have to say.

Another way to integrate Cross-Promotion into your Instagram management strategy is to reach out to other similar sized brands.

For example — let’s say you’re a new business marketing shoes and there is a local business that sells pants that have a similar target market and are a similar size. A great way to grow your base here would be to reach out to that company and offer them the option of putting a post on your feed while having them post one of yours on their feed.

If the demographic is similar this can be a free and easy win-win situation for both businesses.

Tip #3 — Wow your followers… rather than overwhelm

When you’re deciding on how often to post there are two main points to consider.

1. How often do I need to post to stay relevant with my followers?
2. How many posts can I post per day without annoying my followers?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic formula for this. The answers to these questions can be found by playing around with the times you post, the frequency of posts, etc. Then make use of the handy new insights you gain (see above in Tip #1) to get a feel for what your audience likes to see and when.

A great starting point is 2x per day at alternating times of the day. You’ll get great insights this way and be able to adjust to your ever-changing following accordingly.

Tip #4 — Interaction. Interaction. Interaction.

This is a key concept when it comes to Instagram Management. If someone takes the time to leave a comment on one of your posts, it’s only polite to thank them for their comment. By simply replying you can create a loyal customer for your brand!

It can also be very beneficial to engage directly on your target demographics posts. Set aside time in your week to like and comment on other posts you find. To find people to engage with you can search by hashtag or simply look in the ‘discover’ area.

An example: Let’s say you are a local coffee shop and you’re looking to build your business base with local people. Engaging with people who are local to you can be key. These locals can be found using local hashtags for your area.

Tip #5 — Build your own #hashtag

This can be a solid way to promote your business to the followers of your followers. When you build your own hashtag, you create instant and ongoing engagement.

A simple strategy for this is to offer your followers an opportunity to be featured on your page for using your customized hashtag. This accomplishes two things for your business. It exposes your hashtag to all of the followers of the participants while providing you with some great user-generated content to post on your feed.

Free advertising and easy content. How can you go wrong there?

So, now that you have these 5 foolproof tips for Instagram Management…

Get out there!

Get your business noticed on Instagram!

And if you need any help building out your strategy or executing it… Contact us. We’d be more than happy to help.

Originally published at webscientists.net on September 13, 2018.