Understanding Social Media: Instagram
Posted by Gina
on 09/12/17
Instagram: the social media equivalent of a photo album that other people can see, comment on, and “heart.” We’ve talked about the other major players in the social media sphere (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), and now it’s time to shed some light on Instagram.
What You Need to Know About Instagram
1. Create a Proper Account
Much like we’ve discussed in our previous blog posts, portraying your business on social media means including the right details (a brief yet informative bio and the link to your website) and logo for your account. It’s also a really good idea to connect your Instagram account to your other social media accounts. Not only does this mean you can push all your channels to your other followers, but you can also post content on various sites simultaneously.
2. How to Hashtag
“Hashtaging” is the way of the future. It’s a new language and one that must be learned in order to stay relevant in this mobile world. But don’t stress because it’s quite easy to understand: Add a # to all keywords/phrases in your caption (or by commenting on your photo if you don’t want to clutter your caption). The benefit of these guys is that users can search for hashtags, and when they search for one that you’ve used on a photo, they’ll stumble upon your account!
3. How to Create Relevant, Engaging Content
We’ve talked about creating content for Facebook, and two things are the same for Instagram: Less is more, and consistency is key. Posting once a day is usually best practice. Another rule of thumb for Instagram (as well as any social media site) is posting what your audience wants, which you can easily monitor by seeing what photos and videos are receiving the most comments and likes. As this article perfectly states, “Your stream should deliver value in visual content that followers can’t get anywhere else.” Consider posting behind-the-scene shots and funny photos in addition to product/service information; it’s a great method to portray your brand’s vibe to potential customers.
What You Can Do
1. Embrace Video
Instagram has a feature ties together photos and videos into a “story” that will only be up for 24 hours. If you don’t want to bombard your followers with a bunch of posts, which we definitely discourage, use this feature to show a cool event or behind-the-scenes moment. Some larger brands tend to work with influencers (i.e. celebrities), and they allow these people to “take over” their stories for the day with the intention of grabbing more followers and a wider audience. Instead of a photo, you could also post a short (15 seconds) video, which is great for marketing a product release.
2. Engage with the Comments
Engaging with your followers and commenters is simply good marketing. Trust us, followers love when their favorite businesses/celebrities respond to their comments. Go on a follow spree once in a while. Show your customers that there are people behind the logo.
3. Research Ads
Every social media site has the option of creating an advertisement. If you think your business’ biggest reach comes from Instagram, consider investing in an ad.
4. Host Contests
Who doesn’t love to win things? If you’ve launched a new product or service, consider hosting a contest. Typical rules include following the brand and sharing the contest information with a friend (which increases your followers). Maybe have contestants post a photo of them with something related to your brand. Have fun with it!
If you’re curious how other businesses portray themselves on social media channels, give Boost by Design a follow!
