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Latest Instagram For Business Marketing Tricks |
There
are more than 400 million active users on
Instagram every month, and every day 3.5 billion photos are liked. Use Instagram for business purposes
in the right way, and you could have an instant viral marketing success. Use it
wrong, and your efforts on the site could be a big empty fail.
You can
use Instagram to tell a visual story about your brand, instantly engage with
your followers wherever they are, and even get very real user-generated content
through hashtag photo contests.
Setting Up Your Instagram Account
2. Make a business username -
Use your business name as your username. If it is taken, choose a username that
is instantly recognized with your brand.
3. Complete your profile - Include a cool,
branded photo, a short informative bio, and a link to your website.
4. Connect your account to Facebook -
Instagram is owned by Facebook. Connect these two very powerful social media
sites to boost your marketing efforts.
5. Pick a scheduling platform for your content - A
personal favorite of mine is Later, which makes it super easy to upload and schedule the content
I'm planning to post.
6.Create a brand specific strategy -
Keep your Instagram content strategy focused on your brand’s unique way of
seeing the world. Instagram is a photo (and now video) sharing site. Connect
your business with your ‘tribe’ on Instagram in a consistent and particular
visual way
Using Hashtags
7. Use hashtags (#’s) in your updates -
Hashtags are a major part of Instagram. It’s a big way of how users can find
you through their mobile Instagram searches. Unlike on other sites (such as
Twitter), you’re not limited by character count. Include a few tags (but not
too many - or you’ll look desperate) in your posts to get connected.
8. Use brand specific hashtags -
Include your business name in some of your post hashtags. Also, use unique tags
for particular marketing campaigns you run. For example, if you’re hosting
a photo
contest on Instagram, make a unique tag just for that campaign. This tactic both
promotes your contest, and it gives your consumers a distinct tag to connect
with others participants (so they can see their competition!).
Here’s how Dry Soda uses a brand specific hashtag,
#fridayDRYday to engage their community, and show off fan photos of the week.
9. Use general hashtags’s - Include general tags on your posts, to
be found for your products or lifestyle posts. For example, if your business is
a coffee shop, and you post an image of your scrumptious latte, include tags
like #latte or even #coffee.
10. Use trending hashtags - Trends on
Instagram can happen at lightning speed - and they are often even quicker to
go. If you spot a trend, and it fits with your brand, use it. Your post could
literally be seen by thousands of interested consumers in a matter a minutes.
11. Run an Instagram Hashtag Contest -
A hashtag contest allows your fans and followers to upload photos under a
certain hashtag. All submissions are then displayed in a voting gallery on you
Facebook Page, website, etc.
12. Monitor your brand hashtags -
Your consumers are using your tags to connect with you. Be sure to keep
checking your Instagram hashtags’s, just like you would your Facebook Page and
Twitter mentions. Respond to comments and concerns quickly, and you’ll build
happy customer relationships.
Focusing on Your Customers
13. Make your followers famous -
Share follower's photos on your social sites. Show your customers you
appreciate them by acknowledging their cool photos, and share them with your
Facebook fan or Twitter followers. NOTE: be sure to ask permission to use their
photo first!
14. Embed
followers’ photos -
Instagram now enables you to embed Instagram photos on your website and other
sites. Use this, like Starbucks, to show cool images of your brand and product
from your Instagram followers by embedding the entire post. Make sure you tell
them you’re showcasing their image, to make them feel appreciated, and to get
their permission to use it.
15. Like your Follower’s photos -
Acknowledge your customers’ awesomeness by liking their photos - particularly
if they include your product, or emulate your brand.
16. Comment on Followers’ photos -
Engage with your consumers by commenting on cool product related photos they
post.
17. Respond to comments on all your posts -
If someone comments on your posts, respond to them. This is particularly true
when then comment is a question, or even something negative about your brand.
18. @mention your customers - @mentioning is
another huge part of Instagram. @mention your followers, your customers, and
any other user with great photos of your products. You show appreciation for
them, and you get to engage with your market
19. @mention celebrities and other related industry leaders -
If your images are about celebs - let them know. They may just appreciate it
enough to share it with their followers!
20. Focus on engaging your customer -
Post images with your customer in mind. Post about more than your product. Make
your business Instagram about
lifestyle, and authentically connecting with your customers.