Top 6 Ways to Use Instagram to Enhance Your Business

Instagram can be a tricky platform. While it seems like it exists solely for fashion and beauty images with the occasional funny meme, don’t be misled. Business marketing does, in fact, have a valid place on Instagram. Especially when browsing the internet, many people are more receptive to images than they are to typed content, because it’s easier and less time-consuming to process. Making use of Instagram can have a meaningfully positive impact on your business, as long as you’re doing it the right way.

1. Showcase your products and services

This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to cave to trends and go off course. Any image you post to Instagram should clearly be representative of what you make, what you do, and the philosophy behind your company. There’s nothing wrong with sharing humorous content once in a while, but if you share too many things that are irrelevant, people will lose sight of the core of your business. Try to stick to relevant posts the majority of the time.

2. Keep it stylish

A smartphone quality picture under fluorescent lighting is easy to scroll past. The point is not to share any random picture, but a picture that’s good to look at. If you’re going to use Instagram to market, you need to post images that are consistent with the intentions of a marketing campaign. Before you post an image, make sure that it’s something you’d feel comfortable running as a print ad. They don’t all have to be extremely high quality professional photos, but grainy, blurry pictures aren’t going to do anything to draw in attention.

3. Add text to your image

Instagram allows you to post captions with your photos, but there’s no guarantee that anyone will read them. Placing the text directly on your image means that viewers will be more likely to see it. Use fonts that are easy to read, and place them so they aren’t obscuring any important parts of the image. Keep your statements short and simple, and make your call to action easy.

4. Promote your Instagram across all platforms

If you want your marketing to be successful, you’re going to need followers. You can’t market to people who aren’t there. Cross-promote Instagram on Facebook and Twitter. Be a little more aggressive at first to make sure everyone who is interested in following you on Instagram knows how to do so, and once you’ve accumulated followers, do a few cross-posts a week to attract the attention of those who are newer followers on your other platforms.

5. Share images of happy customers

A vital part of marketing is inspiring brand loyalty. If you show the world that you value your customers, you’ll be more likely to retain current customers while attracting new ones. If someone posts an excellent photo involving your product or service, consider sharing that image. Even if you don’t share, check up on your followers once in a while and comment on posts they’ve made that are relevant to you.

6. Use hashtags right

Hashtags are what boosts your visibility on platforms like Twitter and Instagram. If you want to boost your visibility in global conversations, look at what hashtags are currently trending. Simply searching for popular hashtags will give you a comprehensive list. See what you have to contribute to current conversations. This can help you draw in more views and improve your organic reach.

If you’re currently using Instagram, have patience. Stepping up your game and staying current can help improve your relationship with the platform. If you aren’t already using Instagram, it’s a tool worth investigating.

About the Author:

With huge interest in digital marketing and branding, Monique Craig works at Oneflare. Oneflare provides the easiest way to find reliable and experienced tradesmen in Australia.