Businesses using Instagram to promote their products, services and offers now have an even greater opportunity to market their wares to a super targeted audience. With the backing of Facebook, Instagram has recently launched its advertising platform that integrates with Facebook’s amazing targeting capabilities and businesses are taking full advantage. Businesses know that users are watching their news feed. As a result, Instagrammers are 2.5 times more likely to click on newsfeed ads than ads on any other social media platform. So running Instagram ads for your business open up a world of opportunity.
Mobile advertising has surpassed newspaper advertising for the first time in history and large and small businesses alike are achieving measurable results with social media advertising. Instagram advertising has already generated more than half a billion in revenue and is projected to double within a year, which is proof that many business owners are putting their money where their mouth is.
More importantly Instagram’s ad platform is easy to use, it’s fun and bubbling over with passionate and enthusiastic users. It has excellent metrics and is still affordable for small businesses. If you are already advertising your product with social media ads or trying to build your list then integrating Instagram ads into your marketing mix is essential using instagram stories.
Here are five tips to consider before running an ad on Instagram to grow your business brand reach, engage your followers, or attract your target audience to your offer.
1. Get the basics right. Make sure to fill out your business profile and bio on your business Instagram account. Make sure to use a clear, crisp version of your company logo as your profile picture.
2. Tell users WHY you are on Instagram. Since this is your business account, keep it business, not personal. Help users identify with your brand and just make sure not to be too salesey.
3. Start with a plan. Strategize your Instagram (and all your social media) promotions by planning them out. Create a calendar for implementation that leads to your goal. Not having a plan is the main reason why businesses fail on social media, so do this before you start posting randomly or paying for traffic!
4. Don’t let your hashtags be your voice. Instead, lend your business voice to your hashtags. Customize hashtags for branding purposes and for everyday posting, keep them relevant and searchable. It’s great to use hashtags, just make sure to not lose control and generate too many in one post – deliver quality over quantity.
5. Upgrade your look. Images are everything on Instagram so make sure your images and video look GREAT. Savvy Instagram users want to see “beautiful” or read “funny” or relate to something meaningful. Use apps and other image/video tools to upgrade the look and feel of everything you post on Instagram.
Those are just a few tips to consider when using Instagram to market your business online. If you need more ideas about how to add your own flair to your Instagram posts without having to be a designer or photographer – check out my 6 Instagram Hacks for Small Businesses. There’s a link provided below.