10 Tips to Dominate Instagram as a Small Business

For some of our readers, when you think of Instagram in the context of business, you may well think of individuals that have managed to become celebrities through the picture-based social network. However, even more conventional companies — even those without a face — can leverage the network for more leads, better clients and a fantastic new point of interaction. However, Instagram is a competitive world, and the sheer amount of content means you only have a few fleeting seconds to make an impact. As with any social network, the audience matters and the following tips will get your numbers up and your chosen images in front of all the right people.

The best corporate approach to Instagram involves building a brand. The standard Instagram format, where your posts appear in feeds and then largely disappear into the ether is not really conducive to this. Instagram stories, on the other hand, are absolutely perfect. These stories also represent an opportunity to build a style and tone for the business. If you’re on Instagram, your customer base probably skews towards lower age ranges — although you should avoid any sense of immaturity or being something that you’re not. Indeed, as we make our way through these tips, you should always remember that no matter what we recommend, it is hugely important to remain genuine and honest.

While it would obviously be much easier, Instagram is not the kind of marketing channel where you can post your content and hope for the best. It relies on relationships and communication, and there is no better way to build your brand on the platform than to get yourself out there. As noted, you don’t necessarily need to be a ‘person’ and can stick to branding, but the more you like and comment on other posts, the faster your own following will grow.

In the early days of your Instagram account, you’ll probably get a warm feeling as the view numbers on your posts increase. However, you’ll soon come to realise that as good as that feels, it does nothing for your bottom line. Engagement is key, and while not everyone will convert to a paying customer, the numbers of likes and comments matter more. Every connection helps too, so try to take the time to interact directly with followers and always stay on top of any questions you may receive through the service.

Paid advertising may no longer be a marketing buzzword, but there is no doubt that the format is here to stay. If your product can benefit from laser-focused targeting, then social networks like Instagram and Facebook may well trump conventional search advertising on Google and Bing. While the repeated privacy issues are concerning, there is no getting away from the fact that social networks know more about your potential audience than anyone else, so you can ensure your paid content gets in front of the right people.

Instagram is not a blog, and you should never feel like you’ve worked your way into a posting schedule. If you have nothing meaningful to contribute, it is better to hold off until you do. This is a handy tip for individuals too, but in the context of businesses, poor-quality content can actually have a negative effect and cheapen your brand image.

You’ll reach a point where your Instagram profile no longer feels empty, and the pressing need to get something — anything — out there will soon pass. From there, you can focus on putting your Instagram posts to work. Most of the common online business goals can be achieved on Instagram, such as sending users to your website, gaining email signups or simply ensuring that your company is front and centre for potential customers. At the bare minimum, you should aim only to post pictures that can grow your follower count and engagement.

Love them or hate them, hashtags are not going anywhere any time soon, and you should always see them as an opportunity rather than an annoyance. Your choice of hashtags determines where your content appears and can even affect your brand perception. We always like to take a less is more approach rather than spamming hashtags to cover all the bases, but take a few moments with each post to decide which tags would be most appropriate.

Most people are naturally averse to taking the word of a company on how good their products are, but the public interactions on Instagram can be a great source of endorsement. If your customers or followers provide testimonials, photos or videos, you’ve immediately received third-party promotion and can double down through the fact that you no longer need to create something original for your next post.

You may have created your social presence because you felt like you should. Your website theme may have come with social icons, or every one of your competitors has one. It is crucial to get out of that mindset as quickly as you can and consider your Instagram account as the rock-solid marketing tool that it is. It will take time and effort, but the rewards can be huge.

If you’ve posted something on Instagram that you’re proud of, there’s no reason why it just has to stay there. Instagram posts can be embedded in other sites, carry ALT text and do all sorts of fancy things. If a post is relevant to a page on your website, use the image in a post — if nothing else, it may drive more traffic to your Instagram profile, and that often means greater engagement.

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