Instagram crossed 500 million registered users this June, and reports suggest that it could double in the next three years. That’s big news for business owners who are promoting their products and services on the platform.
However, on the flip side, it also means that business owners need to be smart and get past their competitors when it comes to getting more attention for their promotions. If you are looking to gain brand recognition through Instagram marketing, here are some effective tips that you could try.
Let’s get to know some inside secrets from people who have already done it on the platform.
1) Court influencers
Web Profits went from 500 followers to 15K in just a month by finding leading influencers that had a fan base similar to theirs and reposting their updates on their timeline. The co-founder of the company Alex Cleanthous tells us that it is an effective strategy that is more beneficial for startups and middle level agencies.
2) Respond right away
A group of Pennsylvania women launched a food blog called EatPGH and by responding quickly to their customers, they were able to make it into a travel and tourism website that arranges food events in its local area. The catchphrase of their promotion was, like Domino’s Pizza, “30 minutes or free”. Julia, one of the co-founders of the site, tells us that social media was highly beneficial when it came to getting publicity for their business. They promoted their services aggressively on Twitter and Instagram and gained 10,000 followers, which grew to 20,000 in just a couple of months.
From the above case, we understand that “quick response” matters when it comes to customer satisfaction. Is your service fast?
3) Use hashtags
People find your offerings using hashtags, so using them in your posts can help increase your chances of being seen by potential customers, and get new followers too.
EatPGH used its hashtag #EatPGH and improved its brand presence on Instagram. The company’s representative Gongaware said they used #EatPGH in every single post they shared and soon it caught people’s attention. So far, the company has shared over 10,000 photos using the hashtag.
If you’re looking to get started with hashtag marketing on instagram, these tips should help.
4) Post consistently and frequently
Web Profits gained more traffic on social media by posting three times every day. They say that once you have started building a sizeable following on instagram, you need to post regularly to keep them. Sharing three to five posts a day helped increase the user engagement on their account.
When it comes to posting, it’s important you don’t bore your audience with repetitive information. Web Profits developed a content posting strategy that encompassed posting different types of content and scheduling them for peak time for an entire month. In between, they also made space for spontaneous posts based on the audience response.
Gongaware advises marketers against taking Instagram vacations. Because when you do, your engagement rate drops down dramatically. People will start losing interest and may even move on to your competitor’s page when they are not getting the information that they want to learn about things that they are interested to buy.
5) Post high-quality photos
Gongaware tells us that the best way to engage with your prospects is to post great photos. Gone are those days when anyone could post a picture taken on a mobile camera with bad lighting and poor effects. These days, photo editing has advanced to a whole new level where brilliant use of filters and effects are easily enticing users to like, share, or talk about a picture. Instagram has truly taken photo posting to the next level.
One easy way to get the buzz is to Buy Instagram Likes for your high-quality photos. Plain as day, visual content with thousands of likes steal the show when compared to the ones that have very few likes or comments.
Emily Hilliard, founder of Nothing in the House: A Pie Blog, feels the same way. She says, “Because Instagram is a visual platform, much different from Facebook and Twitter, it’s important that you focus on the quality and expression of your elements rather than the text message.” She also advises marketers against posting dark, low resolution photos as they would be unimpressive for business promotions. Your followers aren’t going to appreciate poor photos for sure.
All you need to do is purchase a high quality camera and learn some photo snapping tricks that will help you take some great shots that you can share on your timeline.
6) Use paid Instagram ads for better coverage
If you have an eye-catching visual, video teaser, free giveaway, or any other competitive stuff then opting for Instagram Ads could be a smart choice, says Cleanthous.
His company Web Profits offered free tickets to a global business meeting in which Sir Richard Branson was speaking. At the end of the campaign, they were able to capture 3000+ leads for their email campaign at a cost of less than $1 per mail. That’s a big opportunity created indeed.
Fortunately for business owners, Instagram offers multiple Ad options. Check out Instagram’s Ad section and figure out details on what ad could be of great help to your campaign.
For better results, follow these step-by-step processes in order:
- Use your own database to target specific audience who are more likely to be potential buyers for your products/services. Send them emails and text messages, and make sure to include your Instagram ID in your promotions.
- The next thing you can do is remarketing. Once you start getting more visitors to your website through various promotions, your next goal should be to drive them to your Instagram account to keep them engaged. Include your Instagram photos and username in your website page. Also, be sure to promote your Instagram account on Facebook and LinkedIn.
- The above two steps will help you gain a considerable following on the platform. Now, you can consider running an Instagram contest followed by a paid Ad on the platform.
7) Copy (and curate) great ideas
Instagram is a great place to steal quality content too. Well, let’s accept it; not all brands are innovative and not all advertisements are creative. Sometimes, it helps to copy great ideas and deliver them with your unique personal touch.
Look around the platform for some inspiring content, and curate them in your own words. This will help you get a better response when compared to the regular ad that you usually post.
8) But be yourself, too
When you are getting good response for your curated content, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and continue with the same strategy. But, over time, that will hamper your authenticity. Strong brands are the ones that tell a strong message to the audience. Never stop innovating and improving. And a bit of copying when you are stuck for ideas.
9) Post behind-the-scene pictures and videos
Whether you are running a textile manufacturing unit, restaurant, cake shop, pizza outlet, or a boutique, your followers would love to see how your products are made and even get to know the team that is doing all the hard work in the background. Posting behind-the-scenes photos and videos will help establish a personal connection with your audience, and this will in turn contribute to more sales and profits.
CONCLUSION
No matter what the size of your business is and what niche you belong to, these are some great ideas that will help you establish a strong presence on Instagram and gain a loyal following that could help spread the word about your business faster.
Note: This is a guest post written by Nancy Grace. She is a social media writer at iDigic.net who also contributes for hundreds of other blogs. Her articles predominantly focus on social media and are widely followed by readers from all over the world.