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Sales are the lifeblood of business. It is impossible to sustain a company without them. And in our rapidly-evolving world full of ever more advanced technology, social media has become a vital tool in the hunt for sales.
Instagram has become the biggest platform of all. Seemingly every business has a profile these days. And if you are not on there and grabbing your own slice of the profits to be gained from Instagram, then you are missing out.
The thing is, you can’t just put your brand on Instagram and expect sales. Selling to people doesn’t work that way. We are so much more particular about what we buy in today’s age, especially with the information available to us. If you are hoping to grow your Instagram following to help you sell your products or services, you need to have a clear strategy.
Instagram expert Ela Duys recommends the following:
Be Authentic
Work hard to build trust with your following. Initially they are strangers who potentially could become really good clients, so everything you do on Instagram should either educate, provide value, or entertain them, all while remaining true to yourself and your principles.
It is also important to get to know the people who engage with your posts and learn what they are interested in and what’s important to them. Remember, there is no point in growing your account if your current followers aren’t actively engaged with you yet. Work on that first.
Post Video Content
Part of building trust is introducing yourself and your product/service to the world. Video is a great way to do this because it enables you to speak directly to your audience. They can see your body language and hear your tone of voice, which will allow them to get to know you more quickly and trust what you are offering.
Instagram offers one-minute videos on the grid, thirty-second reels, and IGTV’s. Aim to do video content as much as possible to improve engagement and increase your reach and impressions.
Nail Your Content
Make sure all of your captions are either valuable, educational, or entertaining. Gone are the days of one-liners that mean nothing about your brand. You have 15 seconds to capture someone’s attention, so make sure your starting line is enough to make someone stop and read the rest.
If you are unsure what to say, then write from the heart. Share something you believe in. It does not matter whether it is a thought, a philosophy, an opinion or an anecdote. If what you share is interesting and authentically you, then your followers will keep coming back to see what you share next.
Use Your Geotags
Instagram users are savvy, and we use location tags to explore what is around us. If your business is virtual or product-based with a delivery option, make sure you use your geo-tag to place yourself wherever your ideal client is.
Keywords
Instagram gives us the opportunity to use keywords to help us with organic reach. Use them in your Instagram name (bolded title), in your guides and in your hashtags.
Nurture Your Following
If you start following the five steps above, you will begin to see growth. Remember, bigger numbers doesn’t always mean a higher ROI. Really take care of the following you have, and the sales will take care of themselves.
It takes strategy, dedication, and an understanding of the app to get the most out of Instagram for your business. If you are lacking in any of these areas, follow Ela on Instagram and send her a DM. She would love to help.
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