Most people use Instagram to look at pictures and videos that were posted by their friends, or by popular people and companies. Instagram is ten times more effective for engaging customers than platforms like Facebook or Twitter, so companies rely on it.
In order to make Instagram more successful, it is important to have an Instagram profile that will capture the attention of your target audience. The tips below can help social media marketers optimize an Instagram profile to achieve specific business goals.
1. Opt for an Instagram Business account.
Many businesses are already using Instagram Business accounts in order to take advantage of helpful analytics and promotional tools. While personal accounts give users an insight into their own post performance and follower growth, business accounts provide access to analytics that can help guide marketing strategy. Business users on Instagram have a section on their profile separate from the traditional bio where they list their office location and hours.
Since most Instagram users follow at least one brand, Business accounts can include a contact button that sends a message to brand representatives via Instagram direct message, email, or SMS. This makes it easier to provide customer support through social media than it was before.
In addition, content from Business accounts can be “boosted” with just a few taps. For a relatively low cost, you can ensure that your message reaches a wider audience by boosting your post.
2. Use a profile tracking link.
The link in an account profile on Instagram is very important because it is the only live URL that social media marketers can share across the entire platform.
However, many marketers make the mistake of using a link that does not track clicks in their Instagram account profile. If there is no way to track the link, then there is no way to know how many website visitors or customers came from Instagram.
3. Upload multi-grid images to make a statement.
When creating an Instagram profile for marketing purposes, it is important to make sure that the profile makes a statement and is attention-grabbing. There is no better way to do this than to create a collage made up of several different grids that forms a clear image. Brands that rely on large images use this technique to prevent the images from looking bad when they are cropped to fit into a single post.
When brands post a series of images that are difficult to understand, it can make their followers curious. The full image can be seen by visiting the Instagram profile.
4. Invest in a powerful Instagram analytics solution.
To know if your Instagram strategy is effective, you need to be able to track and analyze your progress. Third-party analytics platforms offer more information about performance than an Instagram Business account.
5. A/B test your Instagram bio.
Is your Instagram bio helping you to achieve your social media marketing goals? You can figure out if your bio is effective by doing an A/B test. Choose a dependent variable to measure. One popular dependent variable is tracking link URL clicks.
After you have created your profiles, make sure to rotate them evenly so that each profile is seen by the same number of followers for the same amount of time.
After looking at all of the data, determine which profile was most effective at generating URL clicks based on the URL performance data.
6. Focus on the quality of followers rather than quantity.
Some Instagram marketers think that having a large number of followers is necessary to create an optimally functioning profile. The more followers a brand has, the more credible it often appears to be. The quality of your followers is more important than the quantity of your followers. There are many Instagram profiles with a lot of followers that use “clickbait.”
7. Build a thoughtful content calendar.
Instagram’s content doesn’t get buried in someone’s profile like other social media platforms. It is easy to see every post dating back months or years. Marketers should create a sequence of content on Instagram that tells a coherent story about their brand.
8. Activate Instagram notifications.
It is important to be able to respond to your target audience quickly, so turn on Instagram notifications. If you want to make your brand more popular on Instagram, show your followers that you’re always available. This will make people feel more positively about your brand and make them more likely to interact with your posts.
9. Choose an appropriate handle.
If you haven’t made an Instagram profile yet, spend some time picking out the perfect username. The best way to quickly build a loyal following is to use a handle that is on-brand. If someone else is using the username you want, you may be able to get it by paying the person who owns it.
10. Assign someone to monitor messaging channels.
Many consumers expect customer support to be responsive on social media platforms. Additionally, the average person will tell 16 of their friends about a negative customer service experience.
11. Update your Instagram profile image to suit current campaigns.
Many Instagram marketers overlook the importance of regularly updating their profile, but this is a key way to keep the profile current and engaging. If you want people to regularly check your profile, consider adding campaign-specific logos or designs.
12. Earn a blue checkmark to increase credibility.
Instagram offers verified account status, similar to Twitter, which is signified by a blue checkmark. This checkmark will mark your account as an official voice of your organization, and give followers peace of mind.
13. Review your Instagram profile across devices.
Instagram, like Facebook, is a mobile-first company. Instagram has always had an iPhone and Android app; the desktop and tablet versions came later.
14. Ensure you are linking to a mobile-optimized website.
To drive website traffic from an Instagram profile to a company webpage, be sure that the entire company website is mobile optimized. Most people who access your Instagram page will be doing so from a mobile device, and if the first impression they get is a poor one, it will significantly reduce the chances of them becoming a loyal customer.
15. Add emojis for fun.
Instagram is a platforms where people can upload, edit, and share photos and videos. One way to make your company’s Instagram profile more engaging is to use emojis in your company bio. You can use a few emojis instead of words to create a more interesting bio. There are many young users on Instagram, and by using the platform, your organization can show that it is capable of relating to them.
To create brand awareness and simultaneously develop opportunities to nurture leads, you need to provide valuable content geared towards the target market.
Content relevance is also a vital parameter to consider. In order to be successful on Instagram, you need to pay attention to emerging trends and use analytics to figure out which content performs best. You should also try to incorporate popular trends into your content to make it more visible. Still in a dilemma? We have got you covered. There are 15 ideas for content listed below that can help you grow your audience and sales on Instagram.
a. Take followers behind the scene
People love behind-the-scenes content because it gives them a glimpse into your life and makes them feel like they are a part of it. Transparency and trustworthiness are important values for any business. If your business practices seem opaque or your employees seem untrustworthy, it can damage your reputation and cost you customers. You also don’t need to spend a lot of time making your post look perfect; it can be in its raw form.
Making a video of your product photography session is a great way to show potential customers what you’re all about.
b. An inspirational quote
You should occasionally share something inspiring related to your business’s niche. “Designing a quote template with your brand fonts and colors is a great way to ensure that your quotes look professional and consistent with your brand.” “Having a quote template with your brand’s fonts and colors is a great way to make sure your quotes look professional and consistent.” You can create simple designs using a graphic design tool like Canva. Remember to include your handle or website’s URL at the bottom of the post so it can be shared easily.
c. Repost user-generated content of your product
The regularity of your posts will let your target audience know when they can expect new content on your Instagram page.
You can find posts by your customers about your product by searching for the product hashtag on social media. Once you find some, re-share them to your company’s social media feed to show your audience that others are enjoying your product. This is an excellent way to show your followers that your brand is engaged with the community, which is very important. It is also helpful if you have a small number of products in your store. When users see content that they like, they are more likely to create similar content themselves. This, in turn, leads to more people seeing and talking about the original content, which is a form of marketing.
d. Post about your best-selling product
Don’t forget to talk about your products while you’re posting all that fun content! Your goal is to increase sales by using Instagram. You can post about your small business without coming across as salesy.
e. Spotlight a Product Line
By posting product photos, you can show your followers what your business sells and keep your brand top of mind. A single image can only show one product, but multiple images in a post (aka a carousel post) can highlight an entire product line.
f. Discount sales and coupons
A technique that has been proven to work, offering discounts will help you increase your sales. But make sure you do it at the right time. The most opportune time to advertise special deals and promotions is during festive seasons. To create a successful post, include an enticing photo along with a description of the sale and when it ends.
g. Giveaway post
If you’re not familiar, a giveaway is a type of contest where people can win prizes by commenting and tagging others. A winner is chosen at random. The technique is designed to help you connect with more people and potential customers. Try posting a giveaway for one of your products every once in a while to tempt people. Make sure to mention the rules of the contest clearly, and when it will end. The example above does it right.
h. Tips and tricks — a helpful post
If you want to reach your target audience, you need to create content that solves their problems. Make sure that what you’re offering is related to what your customers need or want. You might want to create a carousel post with tips on how to do something, or a tutorial video. Alternatively, you could create an IGTV video.
i. A relatable meme, according to your Instagram Content Ideas
Memes are not only funny, but also a powerful marketing tool. If you want your business to seem more relatable, you should post memes on your feed. This way, your audience will feel connected to your brand. Because who can resist a good meme? Posts that receive a lot of re-shares are classified as memes. Make sure to mention your brand name in the post. It’s important to make sure that your memes are related to your niche or business in some way, rather than randomly.
j. Break Up Long Educational Posts With Carousels
Instagram is perfect for sharing quick, bite-sized pieces of information. First, consider what message you want to deliver to your audience. In any case, infographics may be the way to go. You may want to use infographics to demonstrate how you acquire materials, or to emphasize the advantages of a crucial component in all of your products. Shorten your message so that it can be expressed in a few sentences that would fit on an image or in a video frame.
As an online business entrepreneur, it is important to grow your Instagram following. Adding Instagram marketing to your to-do list is a big responsibility for small business owners.
You will need to have a plan and be patient to develop a fully optimized Instagram profile that can engage users. Having the ability to gauge your performance and being open to making changes based off of the data will put you ahead of the competition.
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