Brand expansion is one of the most common challenges that small businesses have to go through. They have a low budget and a huge expectation when it comes to marketing strategies.
If you are one of those small businesses who is looking for improving their marketing drive with Instagram, then you have come to the right place. There are plenty of ways you can make your small business shine. However, Instagram offers a unique way to boost your business. At the time of writing it has more than 500 million active users.
So, why Instagram?
Apart from the huge active user base, Instagram offers a unique way to connect with your customers. It makes it a unique platform for improving reach and overall marketing strategy.
Instagram also lets you quickly know what your customers like or dislike. This way you can continue to refine your marketing strategy. Not only that, you will undoubtedly discover new users who will ensure your proper growth on the platform. Instagram is undoubtedly one of the least explored social media platforms for small business. That’s why we are going to share some tips and tricks on how you can improve your Instagram marketing strategy as a small business.
Let’s get started.
1. Business profile
Instagram is a place where business and normal users can co-exist peacefully. This also means that Instagram offers business profiles. Business profiles are created just for business and provide more ways to show your business to the audience. For example, you will get a contact button, analysis tools and so on.
So, before you get started, always transform your Instagram page to business. Also, if you do so, your page will now have the ability to have more followers than 10,000.
2. Finding a target audience
After setting up the business profile, the first step is to find the target audience. On Instagram, you will find a diverse audience. For you, not all of them are worth the attention as everyone is different and has different preferences. That’s why you need to create customer personas which would list customer demands and demographics.
To get a better understanding, it is always a good idea to look at what your competitors are doing. Observer their target audience and then try to formulate your target audience. You need to be careful when you observe a competitors target audience because you don’t just want to copy them completely. It is like having a website that might function similarly but should have a different feel and uniqueness attached to it.
Last, but not least, you need to do surveys so that you can understand your audience better.
3. Content Creation
Now that you have successfully created your target audience, it is time to create content for them. Content is the number one medium to connect with your audience. However, content creation should be done with care. You don’t want dull or uninteresting content to go to your audience. That’s why you need to write engaging content. It should also be coupled with images and captions whenever possible. If the target audience connects well with the content, you can conclude that you are on the right path.
4. Branding
Brands are not created in a single day. They are created with constant effort and perseverance. That’s why it is a good idea to publish relevant content that fits your brand philosophy and objectives. You might also want to ensure that your brand is established as a content leader in your specific vertical. For example, if you are starting a website to sell headphones, make sure that people rely on you for the best advice, information, and knowledge. If you can do so, you will ramp up your sales and improve profits in the long run.
5. Photos
Instagram works around photos, and that’s nothing new for you. However, you should focus on quality photos rather than quantity. Also, you don’t have to rely on a DSLR camera to get the best possible photos. A decent phone with a sense of creativity can provide you more value than a costly piece of equipment. Also, small businesses are always tight on budget, and that’s why it is always a good idea to start with a simple device. You also need to come up with creative ideas and show your audience why you need to be followed.
6. Post captions and business photos every day
Consistency is the key to get success. If you want to engage your audience, you need to post daily. The content should contain exciting and eye-catching photos. This simple trick is missed by businesses that only post once or twice every week.
7. Video content
Video content is a grey area. It might work as it is new to the platform. As a small business, you might want to give it a try. You can record interesting 15 sec videos and see how your audience reacts to them. If they love it, then you can follow it up with more videos. Also, it is wise to keep the frequency of videos to two or three times per week.
Furthermore, you can use video content in your website or blog with the embed feature.
8. Hashtags
The real purpose of hashtags it to group similar kinds of pictures or content for an audience. And, you can use this to your advantage. So, if a user searches for “#headphones” tag, your content should come up, giving you more exposure. Tags should also be creative and should cover all possible hashtags that a user can search for.
9. Interesting Bio
When any visitor reaches your page, he/she will instantly read your bio. That’s why you should write it in a professional manner which also draws attention.
You should also focus on writing your bio strategically. It should not only be attention drawing but also be professional. To write an interesting bio, you need to leave out meaningless or uninteresting things such as your qualifications or your business address. You have other sections that you can put that information in. For now, your goal is to make things as appealing as possible and easy to understand. In short, humanize your brand, and you are good to go!
10. Contests
Running contests can help you engage your posts better and also give you the scope to grow! Contests can be run in the form of a photo or video submission. Also, make sure that the contest is friendly. Don’t try to go overboard with a regressive or unfriendly competition because it can cost your brand.
Wrapping up
This leads us to the end of the topic. As a business, you aim to make the most out of the platforms available to you. It can be Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram. As you can see, marketing drive starts with smaller steps ranging from completing a bio to doing events or contests. There are many ways you can take advantage of the platform. So, which tips are you going to use to improve Instagram marketing for your business? Comment below and let us know.
