If you want your business to succeed on social, pull out a notepad and start taking notes because today, we're going to be throwing out seven solid Instagram marketing tricks that every business should use if they're looking to be successful today and in the future.
Instagram is home to more than one billion monthly active users who are logging in and checking their feed for updates from friends, favorite brands, news updates and more. Which gives you the perfect opportunity to dive in deep and get your company name out there.
And if you're wondering whether it's worth it during the current Pandemic, the answer is YES. Everyone else is taking it slow. Businesses are afraid to spend money on advertising, they're drawing lines and are refusing to cross them for fear that they'll find themselves in a deep hole.
However, what they don't realize is that while everyone else is pulling away, they have the perfect opportunity to jump in and monopolize the situation as the only business without fear who is taking the opportunity to get some real results while the competition is at an all time low. THIS IS THE TIME to ramp up your marketing efforts so that when all of the other businesses come back into the game, you're already making touchdowns.
So what are you waiting for? Are you ready to take notes on the seven solid tricks you can use to bolster your Instagram efforts? Let's jump in and get started!
With Great Content Comes Great Results✅
Your creative is one of the most important aspects of your brand. It has to be relevant, eye-catching, memorable and informative, among other things.
You also want to make sure you're staying short and sweet in terms of your content. Too long and it won't be memorable, (though if it is, it won't be the kind you're hoping for).
Last year at S3, (the largest social media marketing conference in the south!) our favorite video expert, Conrad Martin came to speak to the crowds about the ways you can capture your audience with the magic of video on social. He made an excellent point that we want to share with you, which was "Don't make sixty second videos if you can't hold their attention for sixty seconds."
If you're like me, you probably wanted to read that sentence a couple of times just to let it soak in, because there is so much truth buried in there.
If your content isn't going to capture your audience, hold their attention long enough to get your message across and leave them walking away with something, it's time to rethink your content strategy.
Utilize the Right Hashtags#️⃣
This is a basic trick, but one that isn't talked about enough. After all, if it was everyone would know how to use them, yes?🙃
You can go more in-depth on this particular subject #HERE.
When it comes to hashtags, less is more. The key is not the number of hashtags you use, but the way in which you use them as well as the kind you're using.
You'll want to shoot for 1-2 branded hashtags, as well as the hashtags that directly relate to your business.
And if and when you can, in every possible circumstance, stick with EVERGREEN hashtags! You want your hashtags to be relevant, yes, but you also want your hashtags to STAY relevant, and shooting for evergreen is the #1 way to do that. (See what we did there? 😉
Take Advantage of the Stories Feature📚
No, seriously. There's at least a million people using Instagram Stories every. single. day. Which means you can really gain some significant traction and traffic (haha) if you use this tool wisely.
In a study done by the analysts at Digital Trends, they found that 1 in 5 Instagram stories had the effect of the viewer leaving a DM for the company/brand/product that had created the video.
Instagram Stories is such a powerful tool because it gives your audience a chance to feel more involved and get more involved. By utilizing this feature, you'll be able to take advantage of the story insights, which will help you find out what you audience REALLY wants from you and even take advantage of the "LIVE" features which have their own host of benefits, including real-time interaction with your audience and feedback!
A few FAQ we can help you with before we move on:
How long do stories stick around? 24 hours. However, you can also add story highlights to your profile.
Can I get a story back that disappeared? You can retrieve videos that have already disappeared from your "archives" located in your Instagram settings.
What's the best thing to put on my story? Announcements, behind-the-scenes footage, tours, FAQ, anything goes as long as you're staying industry relevant!
Put Effort Into Growing Your Organic Following 📈
Don't worry, it's easier than it sounds.
A couple of things you should DEFINITELY do to grow your following organically would include: posting consistently (we'd suggest once a day) videos, live and regular stories and animated graphics, using quality hashtags, promoting UGC, collaborating with other brands and influencers when possible, (and specifically within your industry) posting at the times that best fit your brand (tools like Sprout Social will give you some pretty good hints at what times are best for your industry), using analytics and insights to find out how you can improve, engaging your fans in comments and with your content and even hosting contests and giveaways!
Where Possible, Make it Shoppable.🛍
Instagram has made it easier than ever for eCommerce to work seamlessly on their platform. By removing steps that customers have to make to purchase things on the platform, (including your products and services!) Instagram is removing friction that can often lead to abandoned carts, disinterest and more which leads to MORE SALES!
So if there's anything you can do to make your business efforts more successful on Instagram, it's making it shoppable where possible.😃
Always. Analyze. The Data.🔬
Audience insights and analytics are extremely powerful for knowing on what and where you need to be making improvements.
If you're not paying attention to these stats on a regular basis, you won't know you're throwing money down the drain for a poorly performing ad, or spending time, money and effort to keep pushing ineffective creatives.
Think about your audience insights as a crystal ball that gives you a pretty good picture of what you can expect and what you should focus on going forward. This will allow you to make the most of you money, time and effort and get the most bang for your buck.
That's The Game.⚾
As you continue to learn more and more about what works and what doesn't for your brand online, it's important to, above all, pay attention to the voice of your audience. Make sure they know you're listening and make them feel as valuable as they are to your business.
Remember: without customers, you don't have a business at all. So it's vitally important that you put this goal at the forefront of your strategy and stick to it. You're here for them and you want to communicate that effectively in your campaign.
Instagram Marketing: Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I do affiliate marketing on Instagram?
A: The short answer is yes! While you can’t drop a clickable link into a feed post on Instagram, there are three places you can put affiliate links. The first is your bio. When you post something to your feed, you would then direct your followers to the “link in bio.” You can also include links in the descriptions of IGTV videos, perhaps for a long-form ad. Finally, you can put links in stories. There used to be a minimum follower requirement, but Instagram has been expanding the feature to be available to all users, regardless of follower count.
Q: How do businesses use Instagram for marketing?
A: To quote poet Elizabeth Browning: let me count the ways. Effective use of hashtags and geotagging are two free options. Posts associated with those tags can show up in other users’ feeds and increase your follower count organically. Reels are also a valuable and no-cost way to get your account in front of users who don’t already follow you.
If you have an ad budget, businesses can sponsor and boost normal photo posts as well as videos and carousels (posts that reveal a series of photos as users swipe through). Instagram is also a primary platform for influencer marketing. Businesses can partner with an influencer to be a representative of the brand. Influencers then recommend the product or service to their followers on Instagram and usually offer a special discount code or perk. This is not free, as businesses compensate the influencer and absorb the cost of the discount or perk, but the costs are not paid to Instagram.
Q: How much does Instagram marketing cost?
A: Instagram’s ad manager ends up with an average cost per click (CPC) between $.40-$.70. This figure is based on not only link clicks but also likes, comments, and shares. If you look at clicks to a destination URL only, the average is slightly higher: about $.50-$.95.
Q: How can I market an event on Instagram?
A: While Facebook is known for its event pages that make marketing things like concerts, galas, art shows, and other activities easy, Instagram can also be a great tool for event marketing. Boost feed posts about the event with a “link in bio” CTA to build interest and put ticket or RSVP links in your stories for easy click-through. Whatever types of posts you choose, remember that Instagram is a platform all about visuals, so make sure your images are high-quality and on-brand.
Q: Is Instagram marketing worth it?
A: In 2020, Instagram brought in nearly 17.5 billion dollars in ad revenue, and those figures are projected to only increase over the next two years. Based on these figures, it seems that many businesses do think it’s worth it. There are also numerous case studies available that show how creative marketing on Instagram can be a game-changer for businesses. Whether it’s Adidas’ use of a trending hashtag or Walmart’s influencer campaign, Instagram has proved its worth as a marketing platform.
Q: Is Instagram a good marketing tool?
A: Like any tool, Instagram works when it’s used correctly. Curated, creative imagery is the key to a strong Instagram campaign. It’s also important to understand the algorithm, best times to post, hashtags, targeting, and the correct application of each kind of post on the platform. If you’re overwhelmed by it all, Sociallyin is available to help. Shoot us a note to see how we can maximize your marketing impact on Instagram and other social media platforms!
If you're ready to jump into the world of Instagram marketing, we're ready to help YOU succeed with thumb-stopping Instagram content and next-generation strategy. What are you waiting for?? Contact our team TODAY.
Do you have any Instagram marketing secrets up your sleeve you can't wait to share? We want to hear all the details!
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