10 Instagram Marketing Tips to Grow Your Sales
Introduction
Most internet marketers agree that Instagram is the bulwark of social media marketing, considering that 13% of Smartphone users in the world have an account with this channel. Even a more impressive stat is that 80% of these account holders admit to following brands. The social media site also boasts a 4% engagement rate, which outstrips that of Twitter and Facebook.
Given the many ways it allows users to showcase their brands, Instagram has become a game-changer as far as online marketing is concerned. On the flip side, these many options can make the platform quite intimidating. But worry not. with a good marketing agency like followers.io on your side, you can be sure to make your brand stand out from the crowd with instant views. Here are 10 best practices for marketing your brand on Instagram.
Instagram Marketing Best Practices
1. Posting consistently
There is nothing as bad as your account appearing on the feeds of users who then wonder: “who's this?’ the best thing to avoid this is by setting up a posting schedule and then sticking to it.
Experts recommend that you post once or twice per day consistently if you want to get the best results. This way, your feed will be kept relevant and steadily refreshed, and at the same time, not clog up your users’ feeds. And when it comes to the most appropriate time of the day to post, there is no rule of thumb here. Stick with what works best for you. You may need a bit of trial and error before you hit the sweet spot. Look at your Instagram analytics and insights for times when your post generates the most engagements and aim to post at those times.
2. Watch How Many Posts you Share Per Day
Many people make the mistake of sharing several photos as individual posts. Posting like this can be irritating for some users as individual images will appear on their feeds. Your users will be left wondering why you decided against posting them all at once. Stick to sharing only 1-2 posts per day, and think first before you post.
3. Stick to quality content relevant to your brand
Instagram is one of those places where quality is better than quantity. Before you post, give it careful thought and be sure you have a reason for posting. Some of the questions you want to ask yourself include: what role does this post serve for my business? Will my fans engage and like it? Using your Instagram analytics, you can see the content that performs best for your audience.
4. Tell stories
Although Instagram has become so big, it is still relatively easy to tell if a brand or user posts to pitch for sale instead of sharing a genuine message with followers. Some of the ways to tell your story include using text, images, and videos. When you manage to make your followers be emotionally connected with your content, they will be more likely to react to your post and even be turned into your faithful followers.
5. Know your brand
Unless you know your brand like the back of your hand, you are not going to sell it successfully. Just like any social media application, Instagram also has etiquette and culture that you need to observe. You should identify how your brand aligns with this culture.
6. Be visually consistent
Having visual consistency every time a user clicks on the page of your brand goes a long way into cementing your place as a professional account. But consistency does not mean making your Instagram ads look the same as your advertisement. It means having a consistent vibe or look on your profile. This can be natural, moody, or bright. Whatever vibe you choose, make sure aligns with your company branding. This will make it instantly recognizable for your followers.
7. Choose Hashtags Carefully
The hashtag you choose can be the reason your post appears at the top of a feed and is buried in other posts. That’s why you must identify the hashtags that work best for your brand. Hashtags that are overly common or generic like #fashion or #holiday can easily make your posts obsolete as they have to compete with tens of thousands of other similar posts. The best hashtags are brand or industry-specific ones.
These are easily discoverable by your users and are also unique enough to stand out from a crowded field. Also, limit the number of hashtags you use in a post to seven or eight. Although Instagram limits it to 30, using that many hashtags can make you appear unprofessional and desperate.
8. Make Full Use of UGC
UGC stands for user-generated content and is the dream of every marketer. It gives you an opportunity for engagement and also lowers business costs. User-generated content also shows your followers that your brand values and listens to customers.
Another tip is to try to come up with a branded hashtag so our followers can use it to submit content. After that, repost appropriate and relevant content to your business page so that all can see it.
9. Take Advantage of Instagram Stories
Ever since being invented, Instagram stories have continued to be a great place for showing your brand’s personality side. It also offers the perfect place to showcase personal tidbits or day-to-day information about your business. Stories are short-lasting, disappearing from your profile after 24 hours. They can include photos or even video images, GIFs, text, or music.
10. Use Instagram to boost your website traffic
The social media channel allows users to include one link in your profile, which means that users can be led to your website right from your profile. Additionally, you can put a link that has a call to action in Instagram Stories provided you have amassed 10,000 followers and above. Also, Instagram ads purchased have links to your website.
Conclusion
Instagram may only have been invented recently but it has grown to become one of the most important social media sites for marketers. If used correctly, it can garner you instant views and propel your business to uncrated territories. That means sticking to the tips above. If you don’t have the time or are not willing to put in the effort, the shortcut is to hire a professional marketing agency like followers.io. These companies usually have skilled personnel and unlimited resources to generate near-instant results.