Businesses across a multitude of sectors have managed to get a decent handle on their social media game to enhance their marketing. The ones that are succeeding today have understood how rapidly things have changed in the world of marketing. As with the case of YouTube, people have found a way to download videos from social media platforms. An example of this is a Facebook video downloader.
Given how Facebook and Instagram are the behemoths of the social media world, every company on the planet, regardless of their success, ought to start taking social media marketing seriously.
Instagram Marketing
Over the years, people have gradually started to steer away from Facebook to Instagram. Thanks to its hashtag feature, among many other cool features, Instagram’s reach is unfathomable. However, this also means that brands have to work harder to stand out from the noise. Fortunately, there are several useful tips you can incorporate to get the edge over most businesses.
Create and use a Business Account
This is rudimentary, but many business owners still seem to be operating from their personal accounts. Switch to a business account at the earliest.
A business account offers features that your personal account does not. Here are a few:
- It provides you with Instagram insights.
- You have the option of using Instagram ads.
- A business account offers you the Instagram shopping feature
- Additionally, your contact information and a call button will be displayed on your profile
Have clear goals
Before using the social media platforms, you want, you ought to define your goals clearly. Your strategies will be rendered moot if you do not outline your goals. Using a platform like Instagram, you may want to get new leads, increase your brand’s awareness, convert leads, and so forth. Your goals may include all of what is mentioned above.
Profile Optimization
Having an engaging and informative Instagram bio is crucial. You need to be able to create an excellent first impression, let people know what your brand is all about, and why they should follow you. All this in 150 characters. This is where Instagram profile optimization comes into play.
Your Bio needs to include the following:
- Your name
- Instagram profile username
- Your website (if you have one)
- Category: Business or Personal. Be sure to use the business account
- Call-to-action options: This gives your followers a simple way to get in touch with you.
- Contact information
Defining your Target Audience
So, you have your goals in place, and you are probably satisfied with your Instagram profile at this point. However, you can market yourself effectively without defining your target audience. You need to define your target market and start creating content that caters to that market. The same principle holds when you decide to run Instagram ads.
Producing Eye-catching Content
Considering the ever-decreasing attention span of internet users and the excess of stimulation, getting your audience to pay attention to you can be a tedious task. An excellent way to stand out from the crowd is to create visually engaging content. Also, your content has to compelling. You need to be able to tell a story or do something that could get your viewers excited and wanting more. There are a variety of things that you can do to arouse your audiences’ curiosity and interest:
- Images that contain text or quotes
- Videos that can be used as a tease to the entire video on another platform like YouTube
- Practical, instructional posts one can use on the fly
- Posts that show what is going behind-the-scenes, to let your audience know how things work and connect with your brand better
You can also upload longer videos for IGTV. However, chances are people may download them using an Instagram video downloader.
Using Hashtags Strategically
The option of using a hashtag is perhaps one of the most significant features that distinguish Instagram from Facebook. While you can technically use up to 30 hashtags per post, you are better off sticking to five to nine hashtags per post to avoid putting off your followers. The use of irrelevant hashtags is a spam tactic that does not seem to work as effectively as you may have hoped.
Users can choose to unfollow the hashtags they do not want to see, therefore decreasing your chances of getting through to those users. Instead, make sure you use hashtags that are relevant and specific to your niche to reap the most benefits.
Post Consistently
As mentioned earlier, there is an ungodly amount of stimulation in the digital age. With tons of businesses and sources of entertainment, among others, continually fighting for attention, you need to make sure you post daily to keep your audience and followers in the loop.
Use Instagram Stories
Businesses have witnessed a significant surge in attention from the consistent use of Instagram stories. Instagram stories last 24 hours, and they happen to be a little rawer and real than the posts on your feed. You can use Instagram stories to post updates, discounts, promotional offers, sales, and so forth to make sure your audience makes the best of them.
Instagram stories can be made visually appealing, thanks to Instagram’s wide variety of filters and options. Also, you can interact with your audience from time to time by posting questions, polls, and so forth.
However, you need to be consistent. You are better off posting multiple updates on Instagram stories than your feed.