Running a business today isn't what it used to be. Instead of establishing a brick-and-mortar shop, businesses now rely on e-commerce platforms to launch their operations and social media to market their products & services to their target audiences.
One of these social media platforms is Instagram. More than 200 million businesses are on the app because it provides a platform to increase brand awareness, boost sales, and track audience engagement. Not to mention that there are 1.4 billion Instagram users as of July 2022, so businesses practically interact with customers where they already are.
If you're a new business owner, you should incorporate Instagram into your marketing strategy to reach your target market and fulfill your goals. This article provides everything you need to promote your business on Instagram.
Launched in 2010, Instagram primarily served as a social media app where users can post photos and videos to share with friends. While that purpose still holds today, Instagram has now optimized its platform for business. Here are reasons why Instagram can work in your brand's favor.
With billions of users on the app, Instagram is the perfect place to reach your target and potential markets. App features such as Likes, Comments, and Shares allow customers to provide feedback, make inquiries, and generally engage with your brand.
Thanks to geotags and hashtags, customers can now discover new brands with ease. For instance, when you look up "#onlineshopping" on Instagram, you'll instantly see small businesses marketing their products. You can even customize searches to your location to get a more narrow search.
You can directly sell products on Instagram through the Shop tab on the app's home deck. This new feature allows you to tag posts with links showing your product's description and price. The Shop tab provides potential customers with features to boost their shopping experience, like personalized recommendations, interactive videos, and new product collections.
Targeted marketing and advertising on Instagram are possible thanks to Instagram ads. This feature allows you to add up to 18 call-to-action button options, link to your website, and enable customers to interact with your product pages. Instagram ads also don't cost much; you can pay anywhere from $0.40–$0.70 per click or $0.01– 0.05 per engagement on your ads.
Data is essential in every brand's marketing strategy, which is why Instagram provides business insights. It allows you to track your posts' and ads' performance and understand your followers' behaviors. You can use this data to improve your marketing and advertising strategies and increase customer satisfaction.
Instagram is packed with many business features you can take advantage of. Here are things you can do on the app to boost your brand awareness and gain loyal customers.
Launched in 2021, Instagram's Professional Dashboard provides a convenient dashboard that allows you to:
While the features aren't new, the dashboard provides a digital space to manage your business account better.
Instagram allows you to tag product posts and Stories with links to your product and checkout pages. This feature streamlines the shopping experience for your customers and allows you to use user-generated content for marketing your offerings.
Livestreaming has become a popular way of marketing products, so much so that 78% of businesses use it to build deeper connections with their customers. Another 28% of companies livestream to convert customers at higher rates.
The popularity of livestreaming is why Instagram allows brands to use Live Rooms, allowing you to engage with customers and influencers, answer inquiries, and sell products.
Instagram stickers help create engaging and interactive content. Putting stickers such as questions, polls, and mentions in your Instagram Stories also allow your customers to interact with your brand.
Using Instagram for business is your opportunity to launch your brand without investing too much capital. Here are tips on how to start on this social media platform.
The first step to using Instagram for business is setting up your business account. Open the app, tap Settings > Account, then Switch to Professional Account. Pick your business category, then select Business.
You should also create a short profile bio with a link to your website so your customers know where to browse your catalog and buy your offerings. Using a business account allows you to access valuable insights about your posts, followers, and ads. If your business has a logo use it as a profile picture, or create a good logo and upload it for the profile picture.
Instagram Stories are helpful for understanding and interacting with customers in real-time. Use it to market your products and services, promote user-generated content, share content, run surveys, and gather feedback. You can also archive evergreen content
Archive your stories into categorized Highlights so your followers can check your evergreen content — frequently asked questions (FAQs), your menu or catalog, and customer feedback —anytime.
A 2020 study showed that 51% of marketers believe influencer marketing attracts better customers and results in recurring purchases and brand advocacy. It's why, whether you're partnering with micro and macro influencers, working with people with high engagement and values that align with your brand is key.
With Instagram doubling down on videos and reels in 2022, focus on publishing more video content to maintain your momentum on the app. Strategically schedule videos according to your followers' behavior on your page so your content can capture their attention.
Before social media marketing, marketers used exclusivity and scarcity to attract customers. Offering certain perks to loyal customers helps companies increase their brand value and interest in their products & services.
You can also apply this on Instagram. Offer discounts, free consultations, or other rewards to your followers so they'll be encouraged to engage with and remain loyal to your brand.
Because of its business tools and features, Instagram has become many brands' go-to social media platform. As you launch and run your brand, taking advantage of them will help you increase your brand awareness and attract loyal customers.
Instagram has numerous e-commerce features that can overwhelm you, especially while running your business. Investing in a virtual assistant for your e-commerce can also help take advantage of what having Instagram can offer your business.
