Are you using Instagram to market your business? If so, then consider yourself on the right track for Social Media. Remember that on Instagram, like any other channel, strategy is key. Consumers are becoming more and more visually driven all the time. This means that your audience wants to see photos. What better way to satisfy that need, than with the second most popular (Facebook is #1) Social Media channel? There are over 80 million current users and the user base is growing rapidly.
In the world of Instagram, three strong tactics will help aid in the effective use for your business:
#Tagging
Tagging is simple and easy to do, however, it’s surprising how many users are not aware of these tools for exposure. Twitter is known for the introduction of ‘hashtags’ – using the pound sign to list keywords that relate to your post. Hashtags are a way of literally requesting the attention of users that share the same interest. In a business owner’s case, this is a great way to target your posts and place them into the hands of your ideal market.
You should always pay close attention to the tags that are trending, or most popular at the time, however, tagging is also an affective way to broadcast the location of your business. For example: A florist in the Orange County area would post a photo of their fresh roses, a description of the photo, and use the tags: #florist and #orangecounty. This automatically places their post into the categories ‘Florist’ and ‘Orange County’. Now, any one who is searching for either of these things will be exposed to that post. In case you are wondering – you can always go back and post a comment on your own photos and add tags. Don’t be alarmed as the Likes and comments flow in – tagging is a way to give your business a voice on Instagram and it is time to be heard.
Interacting
According to Huffington Post, 575 Likes and 81 comments occur on Instagram every second. It is time to get social. Once you have uploaded and hashtagged your photo – you need to interact with other users. Just like any other marketing plan – define your target consumer, find them and start a conversation. Keep in mind that other than downloadable ‘chat’ apps, there is only one way to directly communicate with Instagram users: following, liking, and commenting on their photos.
Just as hashtags aid in the exposure of your business, they help to locate your networking targets. Search hashtags to find your dream clients. Wouldn’t you say that the person liking and commenting on the photo of the roses tagged #orangecounty and #florist is a great networking target or prospect for the florist? Once consumers have responded to your photos it is important to engage with them. A great way of doing this is to respond back to their comment by commenting on your own photo and addressing the comment to them by using the “@” in front of their username.
Example: “Thank you @iloveflowers we have fresh roses for sale every Monday if you are ever in the area.”
Using the “@” sign in front of their username will make sure that your response shows up in their notifications. That reminds me – always pay attention to your notifications and know who is attempting to engage with you.
Relevant Content
This one is simple. Post photos that coincide with your business; photos that tell your story. If you are a florist – post photos of flowers, your flower shop, your team hard at work, etc. Make sure that your captions on each photo are relating to the post, informational, and most of all – about your business, product, or field. Brand your business on Instagram. Go ahead and throw some personality into it. Have fun but remember to remain consistent.
I’m sure that you are anxious to sign up, log in, and try out these 3 tactics. So hurry, you have roughly 7 million active daily Instagram users that are waiting to interact with you. Just remember – #hashtag those photos, search and be social, and post photos that tell a story about your business.
