One of the most powerful marketing tools marketers have today is social media. From Facebook posts to tweets on Twitter, sharing your services or products on social networks platforms is a fantastic way to increase brand name awareness, engagement, sales and leads.
Numerous people are left scratching their heads when it comes to marketing with Instagram.
Many of us use Instagram as a personal account to publish photos of our family, friends, holidays and food - however how can it tie into service? And should it?
With the speed of which Instagram is growing, don't undervalue its worth to increase your brand name and marketing efforts.
It has turned into an extremely valuable marketing platform and although the 18-29 years of age's are still prevalent users, the higher age are capturing on and catching up fast.
Some 2018 Instagram statistics from Sprout Social are informing:
• 7 out of 10 hashtags on Instagram are branded
• 80% of users follow a service on Instagram
• 65% of top-performing Instagram posts include items
If you feel the tug to explore Instagram as part of your social media marketing strategy, take a look at these preliminary pointers to assist you begin:
1. Usage Hashtags Wisely
You do not require to stuff every hashtag you can think about in one post, however you do need at least a couple of.
A hashtag is the # sign followed by descriptive words about your image as in this example, I utilized #marketing and #ctaconf, which was the conference I was participating in at the time.
When a user clicks/taps on a hashtag or types a hashtag into the search box, it brings up all images that utilize that hashtag. The user can even sign up for continue to follow that hashtag.
The hope is the user will see your image, head to your profile and best-case scenario, follow you and get engaged with more of your posts!
Nevertheless, when hashtags are exceptionally popular, the competitors to appear in the outcomes is intense. Comparable to SEO keywords, the more popular a term is, the harder it is to stay at the top of the search results. Thus, my example of utilizing #marketing really was useless if I wanted to get any traction from that post.
You wish to make your hashtags pertinent to your company and place, but likewise engaging enough that a user would type them into Instagram's search box.
For example:
• Say you have a pizza joint in Vancouver. You publish a picture of your Pepperoni pizza with the hashtags #VancouversBestPizza #NicolosRestaurant #DeliciousDeepDish
• Or you're a Toronto wedding event planner. You post an image of a bride and groom's very first dance with the hashtags #TorontoWeddingPlanner #LoveWins #WinterWedding
Vacations and unique events are an exceptional time to promote your organization and gain Instagram followers. Whether it's a sale on Black Friday, a Thanksgiving-related use for your item or a product shout-out on National Dog Day, they are all perfect chances to display your organization brand in a non-salesy way.
2. Thank Your Audience for Showing Up
You don't just publish a bunch of images and hashtags and wait on the likes to roll in.
To acquire Instagram fans, engage with your audience and grow sales or leads, you require to put in the time.
See an example here from video professional Michele Moreno where she reacts back to each of the remarks left on her video post.
If someone leaves a comment or concern on one of your posts, take the time to respond and thank them/answer their concern.
Have a look at their profile, and if you like what you see, follow them.
Organizations often follow commenters initially, in the hopes that they may return the favour.
You can also look for individuals who might be interested in your item, then discuss their pictures and/or follow them, but don't spam them with an ask to follow you immediately.
3. Connect with the Right Influencers
Influencers are Instagram users who can affect your target audience because of their appeal and/or social networks following.
Danielle Bernstein is a good example of an influencer who dealt with a brand. You may not acknowledge her name, however the 1.8 million followers of her Instagram account WeWoreWhat do.
Bernstein and FIJI Water worked together to produce BodyWoreWhat, a marketing project offering 8-minute workout videos with her and her personal trainer.
That might be an extreme example, and unless you have deep pockets you probably will not be able to draw in an influencer with nearly 2 million fans.
However don't despair. From mommy bloggers to local foodies, you can always find someone who your target audience follows, likes or admires. Maybe they 'd be willing to evaluate your wayfair discount code item or take a picture utilizing it - use your creativity!
4. Do Not Just Shill Your Products
Instagram is not the place to merely share product shots all the time. Think of the experience people have using what you're using, or the advantages it offers individuals.
Even better, reveal real-examples. Asking for user-generated content from your audience is one way to do this. That suggests that users share their photos utilizing a hashtag you supply.
The online furniture shop Wayfair.com does user-generated content extremely well. They have a user-generated project that lets clients share photos of their elegant Wayfair-filled homes utilizing the hashtag #WayfairAtHome.
Make certain to let people know that their images may be featured on your page and you can increase your Instagram content big time - for free!
No matter how you use Instagram for your business, be genuine and real to your brand. It's what the platform is all about, and it's going to help you grow your business, gain Instagram fans and attract sales or leads.