Instagram is all about photos and videos that captivate people and lure them in. That’s how Instagram can help your business. Brands have to utilize their accounts to sell the benefits of their products while establishing a connection with followers and customers alike.
It’s a best practice to have a photo or two posted to your account before you start following people. There isn’t much incentive for people to follow an account with no content. Find a couple of photos you think would be shareworthy.
Gaining followers is usually easy to do for free, but you have to do some work upfront, such as niche and competitor research to see how and where your brand and its products fit into the spectrum of things. Are you high-end or more affordable? Are you more rooted in science or rely on artistic vision and free expression? These are some questions to get you started so you can position your brand effectively.
Keep your caption brief and use appropriate hashtags. Hashtags are often used in a joking way, but they are also how millions of photos are found, and in turn, your content can be found. The most popular hashtags (#love, #happy, #tbt) range in the hundreds of millions of times used, so if you’re targeting a particular niche, consider using a more specific hashtag.
Also, keep the hashtags to a reasonable number. Followers don’t want to be spammed with dozens of hashtags per post.
Pro Tips for Instagram Business
- Keep captions brief and interesting.
- Incorporate a few hashtags. We recommend a maximum of three so that they don't detract from the simplicity of the post.
- Ask questions to engage people.
- Tag your location to reach more people in your area.
- Use time as a creative tool when sharing Instagram stories.
- Focus the attention on your subject to provide a clear message.
- Use good lighting by placing your subject near natural light or by adding artificial lighting.
- Experiment with different backgrounds that are colourful or have texture to add dimension and depth to your product shots.
- Use location tags and hashtags to find images and videos of your business that other people have posted, then like or comment on the posts.
- Interact with your community to develop relationships with your followers and potential customers.
