Everybody is taking pictures they can share on Instagram. But, something that started as a photo-sharing app is now a popular social networking site. And, businesses can no longer ignore it. In fact, some businesses are buying followers to boost their Instagram presence, you can check out HowSociable. That’s because followers are a major popularity metric.
An account that’s followed by more people is considered popular. A message that is shared via such an account also reaches a larger audience. Thus, a brand with many followers can easily promote its products. But, capturing the attention of more individuals to start following an Instagram profile or account is not easy. That’s why you need these tips and ideas to master the platform for business growth.
Work on Business Profile First
You won’t do much on this platform if you don’t have a properly fine-tuned profile. Therefore, work on the business profile first. That means including a great profile photo, account name, website, business bio, and username. Be creative when working on your business profile. Also, provide relevant details that will make people interested in following your brand on this social network.
Use Instagram Stories
You probably know that the lifetime of Instagram Stories is 25 hours. However, you can have them added to the profile in the form of highlights that show up after the disappearance of the original story. Using Instagram stories is beneficial for varied reasons.
- Instagram features Stories more prominently at the top of the followers’ timelines.
- You can use Stories to capture content that’s considered behind-the-scenes even if its quality is not similar to that of regular posts.
- Experimenting with stories is easier when you want to evaluate the performance of short videos, images, and GIF-like pictures.
- Stories are more discoverable due to locations and hashtags.
- You can edit pictures on-the-go using stickers and face filters among other fun features.
Stories remain available on the Instagram application online. What’s more, they can be sent to DM directly.
Use Niche Hashtags
Hashtags are an important Instagram search function. They are used to find specific brands, influencers, or followers. This makes them crucial for enterprises and brands. Therefore, use relevant hashtags in your niche to boost your discoverability. Using specific hashtags in your niches will enable your audience to easily discover you through searches.
It’s crucial to note that some hashtags are for broader searches. Therefore, research wisely to identify specific hashtags that will make your content or profile more discoverable.
Offer Discounts
Maybe you run a small eCommerce store. In that case, consider offering discounts via Instagram to get followers while keeping the current ones. For instance, you can make discounts exclusive to Instagram followers.
Come up with an impressive graphic showing the discount code and discount percentage. Explain how your followers can use the shared code to get the discount in the caption. Essentially, you just need to be creative to determine the best way to give followers discounts on what you’re selling.
Use IGTV
Instagram IGTV lets you to upload relatively longer videos. The length of these videos provides a chance to come up with engaging and fresh content. You can also use this option to share fun content.
With this option, you can share videos that will run up to 60 minutes. Thus, IGTV is more of another platform that you can use to showcase content like reviews and testimonials. And, you can have the videos incorporate into your newsfeed with short previews.
Followers can comment on your IGTV videos, thereby making them visible to the other users. This can act as the social proof that some people need to decide to do business with a brand.
Share Behind-the-Scenes
Most individuals want to know what happens behind the scenes. This is a natural curiosity. Use your business Instagram account to share the behind-the-scenes. For instance, you can use this platform to share information about your product packaging. This can work if your business specializes in Fairtrade or even environmentally friendly products.
You can use beautiful images to show the process of manufacturing the products. Take your prospects through the production of raw materials, production, and eventual packaging and distribution.
Even notes, whiteboards, and sketches are worth sharing. Sit with your business partners to brainstorm ideas. This can be the best story that you will ever share on the platform. It can also be the post that will make more individuals interested in following your brand on the platform.
Collaborate with Others
Instagram is a great social network when it comes to highlighting collaborators. It’s also an awesome platform to share the success stories of your customers. Maybe you’re yet to start partnering with non-profit organizations. But, you might be participating in fundraisers or giving to charity once in a while.
This is good provided that the cause is aligned with the mission and values of your brand. Not everybody will watch or monitor the hashtags that you on this platform. Therefore, tagging the accounts of your collaborators can enhance your chances of getting noticed.
Share Quality Pictures
If not possible, don’t hire a professional photographer. However, make sure that you have a good camera for your Instagram photos. You can even use a Smartphone camera to take quality Instagram photos. You just need a few photography tips to capture awesome photos.
For instance, take photos in natural light when shooting outdoors. If shooting indoors, open the windows to allow the natural light in. Also, use the back Smartphone camera because it produces pictures with a higher resolution. Additionally, edit pictures before sharing. And, don’t use Instagram default filters to do this. Instead, get a good editing app online. Adjust your photos to ensure that they look professional before sharing.
Final Thoughts
If you’re yet to start using Instagram to grow your business, it’s not too late. You still can master the platform and use it for the benefit of your enterprise. The effort you invest in Instagram will correspond to the outcome that your business will get from it. Therefore, be ready to invest in your account to get your desired results. Follow these tips and ideas to start and keep your business Instagram account growing.
