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Creating a great brand online matters and there is no better way to do it than via Instagram. It’s a wonderful visual medium that truly allows you the chance to really show what your brand is about. So, here are some tips to do so.
1. Create an Instagram Business Profile
If you are thinking about marketing on Instagram but haven’t yet created an Instagram account for your business, then you are doing it all wrong. When it comes to marketing on Instagram, the first thing you need to do is create an account for your business.
If you already have a personal account on Instagram, the good thing is that you can switch it into a business account by clicking on the “Switch to Business Profile” option in settings.
Having an Instagram business account allows you to take advantage of the different marketing opportunities the platform has to offer. For example, it makes it easier for your audience/customer base to get in touch with you whenever they have questions or need to learn more about a product or service you offer.
Apart from that, Instagram allows business account holders to create and publish Instagram ads without having to use Facebook advertising tools. The platform also gives you access to its analytics and insight tools, which give you the statistics about post impressions and reach. Such tools can prove handy especially when it comes to understanding your audience and when tracking your posts’ metrics.
2. Buying Instagram Likes and Follows
One of the most established ways to really kick start your brand on Instagram is to buy likes, shares and follows.
There is a two fold benefit here. Purchasing likes on Instagram is of notable benefit as it helps your page within the algorithm and also makes your page and brand look popular. Remember that nothing succeeds like success and this is more true on social media than anywhere else.
Buying likes and shares gives your brand a successful look and in turn this means more people will trust your brand to follow it. It’s a no brainer.
The quality of the signals matters and choosing a good provider such as Social Plus can make all the difference.
3. Post Product Teasers
A type of post that gathers lots of attention on Instagram is post product teasers. These posts allow businesses to market and sell their products better on the platform.
Of all social networks, Instagram is one of the best platforms for advertising products. However, as a business owner, you must be careful when marketing on the network to avoid scaring away your audience. One mistake you need to avoid is posting too many ads. Being pushy with advertisements could lead to you losing followers.
The interesting thing though is that product teasers can also help increase post engagement, followers, etc., which promoting what you have to offer without being too pushy. One of the main reasons product teasers work is because they’re laid back – they are not too assertive.
Regardless of which industry you’re in, product teasers can prove to be very effective especially when it comes to marketing on Instagram. Most people will typically end up buying a product they were teased with as long as they don’t feel coerced or pushed into buying it. Even if they don’t buy it, chances are they’ll still like your post and interact with it.
4. Create Sponsored Ads
Instagram Ads are quite common and are relatively easy to set up. The platform also allows you to set a budget for easier spend management. Using the carousel feature, you can opt to run several ads at a go or just one. Such flexibility makes audience targeting a lot easier. The good thing about sponsored posts is that more people, even those not following you as a business or brand, get to see your posts. This was not possible before sponsored ads.
One benefit of sponsored posts is that brands now have the opportunity to promote their products to their target market, helping increase their influence.
When running sponsored ads on Instagram, always make sure that your content is appealing and engages your target audience. Another benefit of using Instagram to market your brand or products is that the platform allows you to convert all of your recent posts to sponsored advertisements. With this option, you get the opportunity to convert well-performing posts into ads. These are what you send to prospects and potential customers as sponsored posts.
To improve your posts’ engagement and effectiveness, consider running multiple sponsored advertisements simultaneously to different target audiences.
5. Take Advantage of Instagram Stories
When the company introduced Instagram Stories, the option quickly became a blessing for brands and businesses as it helps a lot with lead generation.
Instagram stories are quite different from Instagram posts with the main differences being they only last for 24 hours and are only viewed in the form of a slideshow. Stories can also be saved on any device for later use. Another major difference between the two is that Stories don’t appear under the platform’s news feed but in a dedicated spot right above the news feed.
Brands and businesses can benefit from Stories in various ways. For instance, they appear in a part of the platform’s interface that Instagram users see every day, making them the perfect tool to show behind-the-scene, insider posts.
When it comes to Instagram Stories, you don’t have to think about posting specific types of content. You’re free to experiment with different types of content from live videos to boomerangs to short videos to rewind videos or even photos.
6. Collaborate with Influencers
One of the quickest ways to reach a large audience within a short period on Instagram (or any other social media platform) is by engaging or collaborating with influencers. An influencer is anyone with a large number of followers that are loyal to them and who willingly engage with their posts. Influencer marketing is quickly becoming an important part of the marketing mix and is one of the best ways to market a brand or product on any social network today. Since an influencer’s followers trust him or her, they are more likely to patronize services or buy products that he or she recommends to them.
So, if you intend to reach a lot of people in a short period, consider finding and working with an Instagram influencer that’s right for your target audience, brand, and industry.
However, keep in mind that not all people with a large following or influencers are the right fit for you. Before engaging an influencer, you need to think about the people you are targeting and the demographics of your influencer’s audience based on your service and product to ensure they’re the right person for you.
Working with an influencer provides several short-term gains especially in terms of making more direct sales and boosting marketing campaigns. And that’s not all. There are also long-term benefits to be enjoyed if you manage to develop a lasting relationship with an influencer – the longer you continue working together, the longer you get to create brand awareness amongst the influencer’s ever-growing followers and the more customers will trust your business
7. Use Interactive Branded Hashtags
If you’re looking for ways to grow your brand or image on Instagram, then chances are you’re also looking for instant engagement. A good way to attain this is by using something known as an interactive hashtag – this is a type of hashtag that allows Instagram users to find posts that include a specific hashtag through a quick Instagram search.
Users can also post their content for your business, brand, or product using your hashtag. Such content can be easily found since it features your hashtag. The good thing is that you could even repost some of your follower’s content on your brand or business page.
When creating a branded hashtag, make sure that it is easy for users to search and find. When used the right way, hashtags can turn out to be free advertisements. Every time someone makes a post featuring your business’ hashtag, they are giving you exposure, making you visible to more potential followers.
Creating an interactive hashtag for your business or brand on Instagram is relatively easy; all you need is a bit of creativity. For instance, you can turn a slogan or phrase you use as a brand into a branded hashtag.
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