With over 800 million Instagram accounts, this social media platform is an opportunity for your company to reach new clients and increase your success. More than just sharing photos, Instagram has changed the face of marketing through introducing hashtags, advertisements, followers, influencers, stories, and more. To take advantage of everything this social media platform has to offer, you must go beyond merely sharing photos. Consider the following ways you can use Instagram for your business:
Implementing Hashtags
Many people mistakenly believe that Instagram hashtags aren’t important or simply something for millennials to use. But, for companies, hashtags are incredibly important in order to increase your marketing success. Hashtags play the same role as keywords do in blog articles or website pages. When you use hashtags with your images, your image is categorized on Instagram’s database. So, when people type your hashtag into Instagram’s search bar, your photo will show up in the search results.
Additionally, hashtags are a great way to strengthen your brand. If every image that your company posts has certain hashtags, your viewers will start associating your company with that hashtag. For example, if you saw #justdoit, you would likely think of Nike. By being consistent with the hashtags you use, more people will connect with your company. If you’re using Instagram without hashtags, you’re not taking full advantage of the marketing opportunities this social media platform has to offer.
Paying for Advertisements
In the marketing world, Instagram is known as the king of social media. Instagram has a higher engagement rate than Facebook and Twitter combined. This is due to the sole purpose of this social media platform – sharing photos and videos. People are innately drawn to things that please them aesthetically, take up a minimal amount of time, and entertain them. This is Instagram in a nutshell, and this is why advertising on Instagram is an incredible marketing opportunity.
The four different types of Instagram ads – photo, video, story, and carousel – are unique and useful in their own way. They are non-intrusive, which means your potential customers won’t be annoyed by them. Additionally, captions provide straight-to-the-point information, which tells your customer that you value their time. When you choose to advertise on Instagram, you can select your target audience, clarify your objective, and set your budget. Your advertisements will be placed strategically and intentionally, optimizing your chance at winning over a client.
Targeting Your Followers
You have great content and high-quality images, but your company’s Instagram page doesn’t have many followers. While it’s important to have followers, you want to ensure that a specific audience is following your Instagram. Thousands of followers who have no interest in your company does nothing for your business. So, you want to take the appropriate actions to target your audience and encourage them to like your page. Here’s a few ways you can do this:
- Add your Instagram handle on all print and digital material
- Do giveaways via Instagram as much as possible
- Follow people who like hashtags related to your business
- Invite them to like your page
- Like and comment on their posts
- Tag people and other companies in your posts
- Use other social media outlets to spread the word
Whether your business is brand new or decades old, having loyal and interested social media followers will greatly affect your marketing success. Take time to target your followers and you’ll see the results in days and weeks to follow.
Using Influencers
Before the Internet, radio, television, newspaper, and every other form of digital and print communication, there was only one way to spread information: via word of mouth. A person’s opinion or trust in a certain company encouraged others to seek out their services or products. Fast forward to the present – what if we told you that word of mouth is still an incredibly important part of your marketing success? On social media, people who spread the word are called influencers.
An influencer is a person who is highly respected and has many followers. When they state their opinion about a certain service or product, the associated company will likely experience a boost in sales and popularity. Certain influencers charge an excessive amount of money for them to review your product and share their thoughts. If you’re not ready to pay an influencer, start small. Ask happy and loyal customers to leave a review on their Instagram page or story, and tag your company in it. Word of mouth may not be the only way to spread information now, but it is still extremely valuable.
Let M&R Marketing Group Help
We know your time is valuable, and that’s why we’re here to help. At M&R Marketing Group, we have social media specialists who will research information and create posts that will reach more of your target audience. Are you ready to get started? Email us at email at hey@mandr-group.com for more information!
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