Instagram is an American photo and video-sharing social networking service, currently owned by Facebook, Inc. It was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and launched in October 2010 on iOS. Instagram, through the years, has evolved as the number one social media platform to promote business. Even it is primarily a platform to share videos and photos, nowadays people are using Instagram for business.
Just like any other social media Instagram has evolved as a business platform. After the acquisition by Facebook, both are going hand in hand to tap the most potential to upgrade your business.
Let us discuss how we can kickstart your business on Instagram in 2021.
1. Create a good profile and bio
Once you have your Instagram logged in, the first thing is, you need to set up your account. Make sure you are creating a business account. You can choose the business profile while the account is set. Choose your business category and submit. Next thing you have to be careful about is the overall aesthetics of your account. You have options to add your photo, a small description of what you represent and your website address.
It is advised to keep a clear picture since it will be only visible in a small size. Also, you need to keep the bio short and simple.
2. Focus on a niche
It is important that you keep focusing on what you want to achieve from social media and keep in mind where your business fit in. And also where your customers are and what they are looking for. A strategically planned niche will help you to find the perfect market for your product. Instagram tools help you deliver your products by narrowing down your audience. Hashtags are very helpful in that case. But, before you post anything, you must make sure that what you want to post. How your post will resonate with your audience.
3. Follow pages that are only relevant to you
Once your profile and goal are set, the next step is to follow some pages. Following another page is a sensitive thing. Firstly, it is going to affect your brand identity, secondly, it is going to affect the growth of your page. The first rule is, not to consider your business account as a regular account. You cannot follow random people when you are a business account. You have to be picky when choosing whom to follow. And the second thing is the follower to following ratio. Instagram recommends that the number of people you follow is lesser than your followers count. With Instagram, you can only follow at most 7,500 people. So, the ratio of your Instagram growth will develop. And it is when the follower ratio matters between 1,000 to 1500 followers. If you do want to follow people choose the people who are in your niche.
4. Identify top hashtags and use them wisely
A hashtag is a label used on Instagram that makes it easier to find information with a theme or specific content. Hashtags encourage social media users to explore content that catches their eye. You can use hashtags to reach their and to help members target audience filter information.
Hence, to identify the perfect hashtags is important. There are different tools to find hashtags that work for you.
Also, you can refer to the posts of your competitors and pick from the most engaging hashtags. There are sites like Ninjalitics to help you do that.
5. Post quality content consistently
The golden rule of posting is being consistent. Post content that is relevant to your customers. Showcase your products. Make sure you have an aesthetically pleasing gallery. Make use of templates that can be easily edited and arranged. You can use apps like Canva, VSCO, Later, Snapseed to create awesome posts. Also, use high-quality images for your posts. Try using different formats for posts.
Foundr on Instagram
Use the captions to give further information about your post. Don’t forget to do proper research on what you are posting. Keep the posts short and simple. You can also repost from other pages that are in your niche. Collaborate with influencers once in a while for greater reach and engagement.
6. Engage with your audience
Customer Engagement will give an and a brand. A brand should be perceived more like a person. Be emotional connection between a customer relatable and humane when you are on the platform.
With highly engaged customers, you will be able to know the customer’s needs. You can empathise with your customer. And that customers buy more, promote more, and demonstrate more loyalty. Providing a high-quality experience is an important component in your customer engagement strategy.
And finally, you should be aware of the Instagram algorithms. Because it will also affect the reach and engagement of your Instagram page. If you have a Facebook page, don’t forget to link it to access more features. You can centralise your Facebook and Instagram accounts and manage all your posts. Also, don’t forget to use Instagram Analytics to analyze the growth of your Instagram account. Look out for what works the best and what doesn’t work. Experiment with different methods and improve. We will discuss more on that on the coming blogs.
With all this set, you are ready to start your Instagram for Business account for 2021.
Read more blogs on SEO, Social media Marketing, Content writing and more.
