Why your business needs to be #Insta-ntly on Instagram
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Instagram was the star medium of 2015. It is one of the fastest growing social media with endless benefits for businesses and skyrocketing rates of customer engagement. In September the social media platform recorded 400 million active users per month recording faster growth than all time top social media, Facebook.
Payfort blog had released an infographic arguing why your brand needs to be on Instagram.
They stated that Facebook is not as influential as it once was and it is now using Instagram to further its reach. Instagram does not have the same filters as Facebook, thus ensures you reach 100% of your target audience.
32 percent of Facebook users engage with brands while 68 percent are engaging on Instagram that's 58 times more engagement per follower.
Image via Shutterstock/AliceNoir
While Facebook is highly competitive for Business now Instagram offers more penetration for less money and as a business you still have a chance to be an early adopter; only 36% of marketers are active on Instagram versus 93% on Facebook.
However, to achieve the best results you have to understand the medium and how to use it properly for your advantage, here are some tips to help you start:
1- Instagram 101:
Stay authentic and creative. Don't over do it, posting everyday or many times per day is definitely not the best idea. You end up saturating your followers feed and they might unfollow you. Learn how to use hashtags the right way and don't overuse that either, using the trending, simple and general hashtags that describe your brand but can be picked up easily by followers.
2- Introduce yourself:
Feature the story of your brand, pictures of the employees, owners and how the business goes. Build anticipation before your events and include coverage of the event with photos and videos. A good strategy is to mix business posts with fun ones, show your employees having a good time or how you chill together, show your community as a business. Don't be too serious, keep the posts balanced it makes you more interesting.
3- A happy customer is a returning one:
It's all about the customer. Engage with your followers through hashtag and photo competitions and promotion or discount codes. Put a spotlight on your best followers, show the images they share with you, let them show their experience with your product, show how they enjoy your brand, celebrate their loyalty as a customer's perspective is more authentic.
Like and comment your followers posts, mention them (even if they were celebrities) and always always reply to the comments they leave on yours.
4- Partnerships:
Partnerships with other business are an excellent way to promote each other's brands. Find a partner that complements you or a cause that corresponds with your brand and values. If you organize events it's a good idea to partner with a fashion designer, caterer or a decoration company. If your product is food, partner with a healthy-eating lifestyle campaign.
5- Integrate to penetrate:
Optimal market penetration requires the maximum degree of integration between your social media platform, connect your Instagram to your Facebook account to get the best of both worlds!
Payfort blog had released an infographic arguing why your brand needs to be on Instagram.
They stated that Facebook is not as influential as it once was and it is now using Instagram to further its reach. Instagram does not have the same filters as Facebook, thus ensures you reach 100% of your target audience.
32 percent of Facebook users engage with brands while 68 percent are engaging on Instagram that's 58 times more engagement per follower.
Image via Shutterstock/AliceNoir
While Facebook is highly competitive for Business now Instagram offers more penetration for less money and as a business you still have a chance to be an early adopter; only 36% of marketers are active on Instagram versus 93% on Facebook.
However, to achieve the best results you have to understand the medium and how to use it properly for your advantage, here are some tips to help you start:
1- Instagram 101:
Stay authentic and creative. Don't over do it, posting everyday or many times per day is definitely not the best idea. You end up saturating your followers feed and they might unfollow you. Learn how to use hashtags the right way and don't overuse that either, using the trending, simple and general hashtags that describe your brand but can be picked up easily by followers.
2- Introduce yourself:
Feature the story of your brand, pictures of the employees, owners and how the business goes. Build anticipation before your events and include coverage of the event with photos and videos. A good strategy is to mix business posts with fun ones, show your employees having a good time or how you chill together, show your community as a business. Don't be too serious, keep the posts balanced it makes you more interesting.
3- A happy customer is a returning one:
It's all about the customer. Engage with your followers through hashtag and photo competitions and promotion or discount codes. Put a spotlight on your best followers, show the images they share with you, let them show their experience with your product, show how they enjoy your brand, celebrate their loyalty as a customer's perspective is more authentic.
Like and comment your followers posts, mention them (even if they were celebrities) and always always reply to the comments they leave on yours.
4- Partnerships:
Partnerships with other business are an excellent way to promote each other's brands. Find a partner that complements you or a cause that corresponds with your brand and values. If you organize events it's a good idea to partner with a fashion designer, caterer or a decoration company. If your product is food, partner with a healthy-eating lifestyle campaign.
5- Integrate to penetrate:
Optimal market penetration requires the maximum degree of integration between your social media platform, connect your Instagram to your Facebook account to get the best of both worlds!