Many people believe that the power of Instagram for business can only be harnessed by consumer brands with a product to sell. However, in addition to sharing photos about your business, Instagram can be used to show that you’re an expert in your field, run contests and giveaways, and more. Read on to learn about Instagram and how you can use it to grow your brand.
What is Instagram?
Instagram is an online photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, apply digital filters to them, and share them on a variety of social networking services, such as Facebook and Twitter.
Why would businesses use Instagram?
If you sell goods directly to a consumer, you should most certainly be on Instagram. The platform can be a simple way to build a following, share photos of your product and more. However, as I mentioned above, it’s important to consider whether businesses that provide services or sell B2B should in on Instagram. Here are a few examples of businesses that are successful on Instagram (and some, you wouldn’t necessarily choose the platform for them):
- Oracle uses Instagram to build community behind their brand. They showcase events they attend, volunteer opportunities and more to give their business a personal voice.
- General Electric posts about their research to pique interest in the company.
- Oreo posts mostly about their brand and products (which is not a best practice) but keeps a strong following by incorporating tips and recipes.
How can I get started?
2. Build a profile that’s consistent with your brand. Make sure your username is the same as other social media accounts, make your avatar the same, use a similar description. You could also start by uploading brand photos you use on other sites to your page.
3. Understand how to use Instagram for business. Take a few minutes to look around the Instagram for Business blog. They share a lot of great tips that will help you understand how the site can best be used for your business.
4. Create a content strategy. Decide how often you’re going to post (I would post one to three times per week to start), create a schedule and stick to it. For most businesses, it’s best to post a mix of fun photos to personalize your page and photos of your products, business and activities you take part in. Don’t put the same - or for that matter, any - filter on every single picture. Mixing it up makes your page more fun to look at.
5. Follow people. Go out and find friends, family, business contacts, competitors, industry experts and anyone else whose posts may interest you. Just like on other social media platforms, when you have more followers, more people see your posts. Follow those who follow you back.
If you’re interested in learning how to run contests, reward followers and grow a strong brand on Instagram, keep an eye out for my advanced Instagram techniques blog in a few weeks. If you have any questions, please feel free to browse my website at jackiesteinmetz.com or email me at jackie@jackiesteinmetz.com.
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