Using Instagram to Grow Your Business
Instagram is a strange piece of social media. They defy all the things that other social media platforms do (their content is not easily sharable, for instance) and in doing so they encourage users to constantly create new, original content. As a result, things rarely get stale, and followers are fans. Visual story telling in the modern age is streamlined into focusing on the image first, so you have to get experimental fast. This mentality means innovations are made every day on the platform. In short, it’s an exciting social media platform for your company to be a part of.
Instagram is a great choice for your social media strategy if your company heavily relies on visual appeal. Some examples of Instagram-heavy industries are:
Real estate and staging
If you’re considering an Instagram strategy for your company, consider the following guidelines before getting started.
Posting to Your Feed
Posts to Instagram should be high quality images. Today’s smartphones are capable of taking great pictures, but you may want to consider investing in a professional camera (or a professional with one). Even amateurs can create professional looking photos using Instagram’s filters.
Get creative with your shots. Get high, get low, get close, try a panorama. Instagram’s algorithm rewards unique photos by showing them to a larger number of followers.
Posting to Your Instagram Story
Instagram Stories are visible for 24 hours after you post them, then they disappear forever. Because of their temporary nature, they are the “candid” side of Instagram. Whereas Instagram Feed posts should be as high quality and well-thought-out as possible, your Instagram Story can be more improvisational. Think of your Instagram Story as a behind-the-scenes look at your company culture. Focus on the everyday things that followers can relate to, regardless of whether they are an employee.
Growing your Network of Followers
Being effective on Instagram goes beyond posting original content. In order to have your posts seen by people who are not already following you, it’s important to keep the following in mind:
Use hashtags & specify location when you post to your Feed or Story
Interact with other Instagrammers by liking posts, commenting, or direct messaging as necessary
Choose people to follow who are related to your business or share your company’s interests
Block and report spam to maintain a good reputation among Instagram and your followers