Instagram initially created a visual environment by popularizing terms such as “selfie” and “food porn.” Presently, there is undeniable evidence that Instagram is a leading social media platform for promoting your business. It offers an aesthetically pleasing platform with a multitude of incredible visual content.
If you are a small start-up or an established company, using Instagram can greatly enhance your digital presence. Having a well-planned and managed Instagram presence can be highly advantageous for any business. It is important to have a clear marketing strategy when utilizing the platform as a marketing channel.
Why Should You Promote Your Instagram Business Profile
According to statistics, more than two million individuals access their Instagram accounts at least once per month. If you have recently created a profile, it is possible for it to go unnoticed amidst the multitude of others. To enhance your visibility and draw in both your followers and potential customers, it is advisable to consistently share visually captivating and engaging content.
It is a good idea to reconsider promoting your Instagram Business Profile at this point. Take the opportunity to learn how to effectively use Instagram for business purposes, which involves creating a business account step by step and evaluating the outcomes.
Whether you are a company seeking to communicate your message directly or an authentic influencer aiming to increase your followers and interactions, Business Profiles on Instagram ultimately offer an enhanced marketing experience.
Ways To Promote Your Instagram Business Page
Convert Your Instagram Profile To A Business Account
In order to plan your Instagram marketing strategy, it is important to have an Instagram Business Account. Switching your existing profile to a business account can be done easily.
Start by accessing your preferences and choosing the option to Switch to a Business Profile. The benefits of having a business profile are quite clear.
On your Instagram page, followers have the option to directly contact you, similar to your website, through the contact icon. Furthermore, having a well-known brand will earn you more respect from your audience. It is possible to create and display Instagram ads using a business profile without relying on Meta’s advertising choices.
You also have the availability of Instagram’s Insights analytics tools, which allow you to assess the statistics related to the impressions, demographic data, top-performing posts, engagement, and performance of your content.
Learn how to open a business account on Instagram by following a step-by-step process.
To begin, download and install the Instagram application on either your Windows, iOS, or Android device.
Proceed to step 2 by launching the app and subsequently choosing the option to Sign up.
Step 3: If you want to connect your Instagram business account to your Facebook Page, you can either enter your email or select the option to log in with Facebook.
Proceed to Step 4 by selecting a username and password, and subsequently providing the necessary profile information to complete the process.
Proceed to open Instagram Business Tools as the fifth step.
Step 6: Make sure to keep your business contact information, bio, and website details up to date.
Step 7: Begin to track individuals and share content.
Design Your Content Strategy
After enhancing your profile by transitioning to a Business Account, the next step is to establish a content plan. This plan will serve as your content strategy, enabling you to determine the what and how of your posts.
Your product photographs and videos will have a significant impact on your Instagram content marketing strategy. Instagram is a platform built for visual content, so although captions are important, the visually appealing posts are what attract people’s attention.
Create a content map by carefully considering each step.
By utilizing social media management tools such as Statusbrew and Creator Studio, planning your content and engaging with your community becomes effortless. You can easily fill out your social media calendars on a monthly basis, assigning tasks to different individuals and incorporating a scheduling process that necessitates the last approval.
There is no need to open Instagram at a specific time every day to make a post because these tools will automatically publish your scheduled post for you. To ensure a good mix of stories, reels, and posts, you can visualize your content as a calendar and assess its overall balance.
You have the ability to automate publishing workflows or create custom workflows tailored to your needs with platforms like Statusbrew. It enables you to effectively manage and streamline your marketing campaign by providing a visual representation of all content across various social platforms.
Choose The Right Time To Post
Posting frequently and consistently on Instagram is crucial, but if you don’t publish at the right times, your efforts to promote your account will be ineffective. It is important to be aware of this because the “ideal time” differs based on factors such as your target market, type of business, occasions, competition, and global timing.
If your main audience consists of IT professionals, the most suitable time to make a post could be immediately after work, roughly at 7 PM, or during their morning travel to work.
If the majority of your audience is comprised of mothers with young children, the optimal time to reach them is likely late morning, once they have finished dropping off their children at school. Every thriving brand on social media utilizes a posting plan backed by data to determine the most suitable time to make posts.
Collaborate With Influencers To Expand Your Reach
The most efficient way to locate potential clients on Instagram is by partnering with influencers who already have a large audience and following. A rising number of consumers rely on the content posted by these influential individuals they follow to make purchasing decisions, as they trust their opinions.
Incorporating influencer marketing into your strategy has a high likelihood of being effective, considering that Instagram is the most popular platform for showcasing influencer campaigns.
The popularity of influencer marketing skyrocketed when many thought it would just be a passing trend. According to Big Commerce, businesses allocate $100,000 – $500,000 of their yearly marketing budget towards influencer marketing programs.
Instagram Content Formats
When using graphics to promote your small business on Instagram, there are different recommended sizes for each type of post. This ensures that your image or video looks its best and is optimized for maximum impact.
Post
On Instagram, you have the option to upload an image and include up to 2,200 words in the caption. However, it’s important to note that excessive text may result in decreased engagement rates. The caption should effectively describe the image and include a clear call-to-action. Different brands adopt various strategies, with some opting for a concise sentence or two, while others utilize a longer paragraph. Moreover, caption length can also vary from one post to another.
Carousel post
On the platform Carousel, you have the ability to post up to 10 pictures and videos. Viewers can swipe left to view the subsequent slide as it acts as a slideshow for posts and videos that your audience can interact with. In contrast to stories, which automatically transition to the next slide, carousel posts require manual swiping or clicking. As a result, carousel posts generally experience increased rates of engagement.
Stories
Instagram stories are located at the top of the app and only remain visible for 24 hours, unless they are added to highlights. To view a story, the user needs to tap on your profile image. Each story has a duration of only 15 seconds. You have the option to create a story in real time using the camera, or to upload a video or picture.
Instagram provides a range of options for stickers in its stories.
- Caption. Automatically transcribes video audio
- Countdown. Set a date and time (perfect for announcements and product launches) and have a countdown, and everyone who turned on reminders will be notified when the countdown ends
- Current time. Displays current local time
- Current weather. Display current local weather
- Donation. Create a custom fundraiser and raise money for select nonprofits
- GIF. Add a trending GIF to your story.
- Mention. Tag another account in your story (great for cross-promotion)
- Music. Choose a part of a song to play on your story
- Poll. Ask a question and see what options are most popular among your followers (an opportunity for free market research)
- Emoji slider. Encourage interaction with a sliding emoji reaction.
- Product. Tag your product or store
- Questions. Ask a question and let your followers reply with their answers (a chance to interact and get customer opinions)
- Quiz. Create your own multiple-choice quiz
- Selfie. Take a selfie and add it to your stories as a sticker.
Interact With your Followers
When users interact with companies on social media, a majority of them, specifically over 80%, anticipate a response. Therefore, it is crucial to promptly reply when someone comments, tags your business, or sends a direct message. By engaging with brands on Instagram, individuals perceive it as a display of concern and care from the brand, ultimately leading to enhanced brand loyalty.
Here are some suggestions on how to engage with your followers on Instagram effectively.
- Respond as quickly as possible to comments and messages
- Like and comment on posts that you’re tagged in
- Ask questions in your captions and stories
- Repost content featuring your business
- Use story stickers like Poll or Question and share your favorite answers
Cross Promote
Even though each social media platform has its unique features, you can enhance your other social media channels by incorporating your Instagram marketing strategy. The differences in demographics across platforms are significant. Thus, if you share the same image on Instagram and LinkedIn, it is probable that it will reach distinct audiences.
Although not all of the content you post on Instagram may be suitable for your other social media channels, cross-promoting strategically can maximize the benefits of each graphic and idea. It is important to tailor the captions for each platform due to their varying post lengths.
Track Your Progress
Instagram Insights provides businesses with a convenient method to monitor their progress and assess the effectiveness of their strategies. Within the Insights Overview, one can view the number of accounts reached (the number of individuals who saw the content), engaged (the number of people who interacted with it), and the quantity of new followers acquired within the specified time period.
Important Instagram insights
By following a systematic approach, arrange your posts, stories, and reels based on their performance and assess various metrics to determine the most frequent and engaging content for your target audience. Additionally, in Insights, you can monitor the progress of your running ads and make necessary modifications.
- Content interactions. Likes, saves, shares, comments
- Profile activity. Website taps, profile visits, follows, email/address button taps
- Audience demographics. Gender, age range, top locations
- Impressions. From profile, hashtags, home, or other
- Reels. Comments, likes, save, reach, plays, shares, reel interactions
- Stories. Exited, follows, next story, impressions, link clicks, back/forward, profile visit, reach, replies, shares, website taps, story interactions
Get Help from an Instagram Expert
Are you prepared to begin promoting your business on Instagram? Although you may enjoy browsing Instagram on a daily basis, developing a strategy for your business can pose difficulties. Upwork offers the assistance of an Instagram expert at any point in the process, whether it be outlining your plan, scheduling posts, or attending to comments.
Upwork has independent professionals who have aided brands of all sizes in increasing their Instagram followers. These professionals are prepared to immediately begin working on your project. You have the flexibility to develop and execute an Instagram social media strategy and determine your level of involvement while also specifying the areas in which you require assistance from these skilled freelancers.
