Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps with over 1 billion people using it monthly. According to Hootsuite, 200 million Instagram users visit at least one business profile daily and 1/3 of the most viewed stories are from businesses. Here are some tips to get the most out of your business account:
Story Highlights
Adding story highlights to your page is available for both personal and business accounts, and the possibilities are endless. Story highlights never expire and it’s one of the first things followers see on your page! Highlights can showcase your products/services in creative ways like having a section dedicated to testimonials — it could be screenshots of reviews, fan photos, etc. You could also have a highlight with tutorials or different ways to utilize your products. If you notice that people have a lot of questions in your comments/DM’s, create a FAQ highlight!
Only verified business accounts or personal accounts with 10k followers (or more) can post a link on their story which allows people to simply swipe up and they’re there. If you don’t fit those requirements yet, you can always post a story that says “Link in Bio!”
Ads
Instagram’s potential advertising reach is 849.3 million users and with 62% of users saying they’ve become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it in stories, ads are a smart investment. What’s great about Instagram ads is the ability to specify them to reach a targeted audience whether it’s by location, demographics, lookalike audiences, or more — there’s plenty of options to consider. Check out all of the different types of ads you can promote easily through your business account.
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Giveaways/Partnerships
People love to win free stuff—and when it’s simple to enter—who could resist?! Giveaways can boost followers and engagement, but they also establish an emotional connection with people. Consider partnering with another brand or influencer, but if you are planning to pay, make sure you’re getting a return on your investment. Factor in their number of followers, how much engagement they usually get, the cost of the giveaway, etc. If you want to make it seem more exclusive, offer it as a teaser to an upcoming launch. Here are some ideas to get started! Just make sure you follow Instagram’s promotion guidelines so you don’t get penalized.
Instagram Shopping
If you haven’t set up your shop on Instagram already, now would be a great time to do so!
Instagram has made it easier than ever to buy directly off their app instead of a website. One of the many great features of this is the ability for users to shop exclusively from brands they follow. People don’t always remember who they follow and what brands have to offer, so having a shop set up will put you directly in front of them.
Having a shop also allows your page to be suggested in the shop feed which is always a plus! Keep in mind that consumers still go to the website to view all the products offered so have a link easily accessible to them. Many brands simply add it to their bio. A cool thing you can do is make posts tagging individual products so people can buy it right off their feed. Here’s how to set it up!
Hashtags
There’s countless hashtags out there and while many of them work to increase your reach, creating a branded hashtag is much more effective. By using a general hashtag, it’s more likely to be buried under all the posts using the same one. Having a hashtag that’s distinct and catchy to your brand will differentiate you from the rest. Some examples include Calvin Klein’s #InMyCalvins and Disney’s #ShareYourEars campaign. If you’re hosting an event, create and promote a hashtag so all attendees can use it to boost visibility! This is also an easy way to snag and repost some user-generated content (attributing credit, of course).
If you’re having trouble coming up with one, search for trending tags that are relevant to you. You can always experiment and find out which ones are more successful by using Instagram Insights, which is only available to business accounts. Be aware that using too many hashtags can come off as spammy and having too long of a hashtag won’t appeal to followers. Don’t forget to double-check a hashtag that has other unintentional words in it.
We hope these tips help you achieve your Instagram goals! If you need help coming up with a social media strategy, we’re just an email away.