It is completely understandable why the number of brands that are pouring resources into Instagram marketing continues to grow at such a rapid speed. The platform boasts of having more than 1 billion users, and we can certainly expect that it will only increase in the future.
Now for those who have not had an opportunity to try Instagram marketing, things might seem a bit difficult. But that is entirely understandable. Knowing all the ins and outs about any type of marketing is challenging to begin with.
However, it does not mean that this challenge should be something to get discouraged about — quite the opposite. Numerous benefits are waiting for everyone who can crack this nut open.
All it takes is to get started and pursue your goals. But jumping right in without proper preparations is not a good piece of advice. Instead, you should become familiar with the basics.
This article will provide you with excellent marketing tips for Instagram. Once you have created the account and started the journey, be sure to make use of these.
13 Best Instagram marketing tips
1. Using a Business Account
You might miss this when registering, but that is not a problem. Switching your account to the business status is easy. Just visit the settings, and you can make the change there with a couple of clicks.
Now, as for why, well, there are a couple of benefits. First of all, you will show other profiles that you mean business. Moreover, you gain access to the Insights tool, ads, Shopping, as well as call-to-action buttons and contact information for your profile.
2. Instagram Stories
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You are probably unaware of how to make instagram story work towards your advantage. This neat feature offer so much, and it becomes apparent the more time you dedicate playing with it.
Most brands use Instagram stories to tease their audience of what is to come next and attract their attention through contests since the stories themselves are up for only 24 hours. After that, they are gone.
People do not want to miss out on something, so they keep a close eye on certain profiles, especially if this is a recurring theme – announcing or giving free stuff away using stories.
Also, consider it as a means to introduce more variety for your content. You can paint your profile in a new light by showing behind-the-scenes footage or encourage your audience to engage by asking them questions or opinions by voting. Put questions and poll stickers in your stories.
3. Clear Goals
Think of social media strategy and platforms as tools. And that you need to have a clear plan and goals on how to make the most out of these tools. It should be clear that there are lots of different things you can accomplish on Instagram. Ask yourself whether you want to:
Of course, you can always focus on multiple fronts and work on those simultaneously. But do not lose sight of the main objective. And do not set yourself up for failure. It is easy to dream big only to be left disappointed after things do not work out the way you thought they would.
4. Defining Your Audience
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Every business should have an ideal audience in mind. There is a petite point in spending resources on random users on the platform. Instead, think who fits the description of your ideal customer. Is it something for males or females?
Perhaps the Millennials or Gen Z would be more likely to try it out? And what about the location? Are you focusing on international sales or a particular area?
5. Optimizing Profile
It might not seem like that big of a deal, but a well-optimized profile can and will have an impact. It makes everything appear more professional. It should be noted that every single social media channel has its own specific main target groups and offers very individual opportunities to operate online marketing.
The biggest challenge is fitting everything you want into 150 characters. Instagram is cheap in this regard and will not give you more characters to work with. You may want to include the following:
Some like to include hashtags as well as they help with finding your profile easier. If you see that there is some room left for them, be sure to include a couple as well.
6. Profile Photo
A brand is nothing without its symbols. Compared to written data, people have a much easier time recognizing and processing visual content.
For a profile picture, you will certainly want to put your logo in. But keep in mind that the format of Instagram profile photo is not square, but more round. Once you upload the picture, double-check and make sure that it is displayed the way it should be. Alternatively, you can also create a profile picture cost-free with some online services.
7. Compelling Content
Similar to a profile picture, you should also emphasize visual aspects when creating content. There is an argument to be made about the need for professional photography – both the equipment and the person taking pictures.
However, those things cost quite a lot, and most channels make do without them. As long as you can excite your audience and remain consistent, you should be perfectly fine.
As far as the content itself, if you are having trouble with creating it, consider putting up some behind-the-scenes shots, inspirational quotes on images, short videos, guides. Finally, you can always ask your followers for some help and promote their content on your channel, which would be a win-win situation for both sides.
8. Writing
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Even if the main appeal of Instagram content is the visual side, do not underestimate the difference a good copy can make. The caption can be as long as 2200 characters, but hardly anyone is ever using that much.
If you are struggling with this part, look at other profiles on the platform and determine what makes their captions captivating. And if things are still not working out, hire a professional copywriter.
9. Hashtags
Hashtags are part of the post, and if you have been paying attention, you must have noticed that some posts have quite a lot of hashtags. This practice is a bit iffy. Brands expect to gain more visibility by including as many as they can, but Instagram’s algorithm tends to punish such posts because they look too spammy.
Stick to a few and include ones you feel are relevant. Also, if you are not sure how competitive a hashtag is, you can always look at these numbers on the internet.
10. Posting Time
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Determining the best time for scheduling your posts is not going to be easy. You will have to go through trial and error and see which time frames bring you the most engagement.
You might stumble upon information on which times are the best for specific niches, but those are more or less pointless because things do not work that way. Dedicate some of your resources and try until you have your answer.
11. Influencers
You may not care about the subscribers or traffic, but you will surely care about a strong fan following on Twitter and Facebook. Although there is no bigger influencer platform than Instagram.
Even the biggest celebrities in the world are here, and you can bet your money that it is one of the biggest reasons why Instagram is so popular. Fans love to see another side of their favorite superstars.
Influencer marketing continues to evolve, but a business does not need to rely on the heavyweights of the platform. You can conquer the industry with a couple of micro-influencers because they offer that much more value.
Micro-influencers have a specific audience. Meanwhile, all the big names with millions of followers have a random audience. It should be a no-brainer that you want to target a demographic that converts. That is the purpose of micro-influencers.
12. Instagram Ads
Similar to other networks, you can run ads on Instagram and reach a far wider audience. If your campaign is well-optimized, you will not have to spend a lot of money for more engagement.
Just make sure that you are reaching the right people, and that would include the location, interests, age, behavior, and other demographics. Now for those who have not had an opportunity to try Instagram marketing, things might seem a bit difficult.
13. Continue to Learn and Research the Competition
Mastering Instagram marketing overnight is impossible. It is a learning experience and one that will take you quite a long time to grasp truly. But the skills will come with time, so long as you are consistent and do not abandon everything in the middle of the journey.
The Last Say
And as a final piece of advice, it is worth mentioning that competition research goes a long way into giving you more ideas and getting a better understanding of how everything functions. That is if your research subject is not making mistakes.
As you can see, there are a lot of aspects that make Instagram marketing what it is today. There is absolutely no reason to believe that changes will not occur in the future. When that time comes, you should be perfectly fine, provided that you have followed these tips, and mastered the basics.
