With a steadily growing 700 million monthly active users, Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels out there. However, just because people are using Instagram, doesn’t mean they’re using it as a bridge to discover website content.
And it’s not your fault. It’s just the way Instagram is built.
Unlike Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, Instagram does not offer direct links to users as they scroll through your content. For example, Facebook allows you to post and share links, Twitter allows you to include them in your tweets, and Pinterest will link a pin directly to a website.
Instagram’s only portal to a website is on your account bio. So to get audiences to access and use the link, you need them intrigued by you! The best way to do that is with content that stands out! Here’s how to best use Instagram’s features to find your niche:
Target A Lifestyle
Know your competitors as well as the hashtags your audience is using. By focusing in on the different aspects of your audience’s lives, you’ll be able to search through followers and hashtags to find people to connect with. Are they into fitness? Do they sell art pieces? There are so many hashtags out there that you can search through that will lead you to people who will also be interested in your brand.
Develop Leads
You’ll need to have zeroed in on your target audience before you can attempt this, but once you’ve connected with Instagram users who could potentially be part of your niche, it’s time to network. Comment on other accounts, like photos, and network, network, network. This is how you establish a relationship, and that’s how you can build trust with potential customers. After all, people would prefer to do business with someone they know!
Create A Community
Start up a community hashtag. A community hashtag is a hashtag that is unique to your business that you would invite members of your target audience to use and contribute. If they’ve bought into your brand, they will revisit this hashtag whether they are using it or not. What starts as an investment in a community, can ultimately lead to an investment in your business.
What starts as an investment in a community, can ultimately lead to an investment in your business. Click To TweetIf you have a steady flow of website traffic from Instagram, you’ve clearly found your niche audience, and they have found you. Now you’ll need to learn how to keep your followers engaged.
