Great Instagram Marketing Tips for Smaller Businesses

Marketing on the internet has become the backbone for a lot of businesses. Even those who are starting out understand how big of a difference a good campaign on certain platforms can make.

Instagram is without a doubt one of the biggest platforms and it has become a hub for quite a few brands. In fact, it would be difficult to find someone or something that does not have an account here.

Growing an account from scratch might seem a bit intimidating, but once you get the hang of how it is done, any doubts you might have had should disappear immediately. And to help with that, here are some excellent tips to help you.[no_toc]

Business Account

When your account is up and running, make sure to go to settings and switch it to a business if you have not done so already. While the name itself is an advantage, it also allows you to access analytics tools, connect the profile with the one you have on Facebook, and start running paid ad campaigns. 

Instagram Stories

This somewhat recent feature has been added and turned out to be a great success. Both regular users and business brands are using stories to the fullest as it is really fun and helps with attracting a bigger audience. As there are a lot of aspects to consider, you need to familiarize yourself with it immediately. Oberlo has your back with a full-fledged guide on Instagram stories, so be sure to check this one out.

Bio Information

Instagram is cheap when it comes to the number of characters that you can use on your bio. You need to make the most of them and ensure that the information you put there is relevant and understandable for your audience. A link to the website is in a separate section, so remember to put that in as well. Also, consider using some hashtags to increase your visibility.

Establish Yourself

The platform is all about visuals, so you need to ensure that every little piece you put on your profile is relevant to you as an individual or brand. The followers should immediately recognize your style and associate every bit of content that you put with you and nobody else.

Planning

A lot goes into planning, no matter what part of the marketing strategy you are working on. Instagram is no exception as you will have to plan every single day, especially stuff that concerns your content.

Posts should be regular, at least once or twice a week. Sure, some channels pump daily stuff, but not everyone would be capable of keeping up with it. The bottom line is that you need consistency, not the amount of content.

Competition Research

Keeping up with your competition will help you to inject more freshness in your brand’s veins and not fall behind whenever they are innovating something. 

Look at the type of content they are producing and whether their engagement rate is decent. See what works and what doesn’t. Also, if you have some thoughts that this is not ethical, keep in mind that such a business strategy has been around for centuries.

Influencer Marketing

There is no bigger influencer hub than Instagram. All the big players are here. However, since you are a small business just starting out, you will unlikely be able to afford to hire someone of big stature.

But worry not since there are plenty of micro-influencers who will work out just fine. Perhaps even more so since they have a very specific audience and are cheaper compared to the biggest influencers out there.

Video

You should not be afraid of introducing some content variety. There is a good reason why Instagram has a video feature. It would not be there if people did not use it. And in some cases, video content can be even more engaging and fun for those who are browsing on the platform, looking to discover new things.

Peak Time

This one will take time to test, but after a month or so you should be able to determine which times of day are the best for posting content. Once you have this data, apply it to your schedule and stick to it. Every little bit counts, and if there is a way to get ahead of the rest, do not let such opportunity go to waste.

As soon as you start your journey to growing a business account on Instagram, you will not be able to avoid a challenge. That is how things work there. However, if you are serious about the whole thing and want to make yourself noticed there, hard work will get you there. And be sure to follow these tips as they will also make a massive difference, especially in the long run.

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here