Instagram is a fantastic way to get in front of people and showcase your work visually. Millennials in particular love Instagram. Now that Instagram has unrolled its ad platform to small businesses and has integrated it with Facebook Ads it may be time to get going. Before you jump in, here are 3 rules of thumb to you get started on the right foot.
Dynamic Profile
Instagram is still mostly used by people looking to interact with other people rather than to brands. For that reason, if you are a small business, put personality into your bio so people will want to connect with you. Be creative in your bio description. Also, if you serve a local area be sure to put in your location.
Only one link allowed, so consider putting a link to something interesting and enticing, something that will excite viewers enough to want to click and learn more about your company and services. Be original, don’t just link to your website.
An example would be a link to a landing page where viewers can sign up to receive a free guide, perhaps something like “The Top Secret Guide to 10 Plants to Make Your Neighbors Jealous.” This is an example off the top of my head, but you get the idea. Not only will this help you get in front of prospects, it will also allow you to market to them with other offers once they are on your list.
Hashtags
People search relevant information by hashtags on social media, and especially on Instagram. Find popular hashtags that relate to your business and use them with your photo captions. You can search and monitor relevant hashtags on Tagboard or Top-hashtags. Use hashtags that describe your industry, location, materials, etc.
Content, Content, Content
You can’t expect people to start paying attention if you only post a photo or two. Start your account by posting as many as 30 photos, videos, inspirational sayings or anything with visual appeal that showcases your company’s work and values. DO NOT post them all at once. Wait a few hours in between posting and try for about three per day.
If your company performs a community service, post photos and videos of your team in action. Another good subject is a “behind the scenes” look into your business.
Finally, invite your clients to post and tag photos of the work you’ve done for them. Instruct them to use your company’s recognizable custom hashtag. Happy customers make great Instagram posts.
Over to you! Have you started on Instagram yet. If so, what things are working for you? Let me know at hannah@chatterboxsocialmedia.com.
