Many businesses are seeing the brunt of the pandemic through lost sales, customers and for some very unfortunate ones, closure. This has especially affected businesses that operate strictly in the physical world but have ignored the virtual world available through social media. Social media has several platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more recently, TikTok, which is making waves especially with generation z.
More customers and users are on social media which means the potential for businesses to capitalise on new customers on these platforms is growing by the day. With over 1 billion active monthly users, Instagram is one of the best social media platforms that businesses can use to create content and access several customers. This applies both to new businesses and already established ones looking to expand their horizons, and it happens on Instagram because it is very simple and easy to use, yet very effective. All you have to do is define your target audience and create a tactic for getting more followers. You can do this either organically or for starters you can buy your Instagram followers online, via some of the growth services such as Growthoid. The second step is creating quality content that will shoot you to the moon, but without the right know-how, that may be difficult. Here are some tips to guide you on your way.
Create a business profile
Setting up a business profile is as easy as ABC. If you have ever opened up an email or social media account, this will come almost like second nature to you so no need to worry. All you have to do is download the Instagram app and sign up using your own email or an administrator email for multiple users. The easiest way is to use your Facebook account to register. After choosing a username and password, you should fill out your profile info. Switching to a business account will require you to go to Settings and click the switch to professional account, tap account and choose business then the business category and add contact details.
A business profile will give you unique benefits you do not get on a personal account such as access to valuable analytics, leverage Instagram advertising, and more opportunities to increase website traffic.
Optimize your information
Imagine looking for a place on a trip and there are no clear signposts in sight to guide you there. That would make anybody frustrated. Similarly, your business profile should be filled out with important information that will help users identify your account and what it is all about in a matter of seconds. You can do this by adding your company logo as your profile photo, using your business name as your username and business name. Avoid any spaces in the business name. In the URL, add your business website which will help users find more information about your business products and services. Another important aspect of your account is the bio which is your opportunity to hype your business by adding your brand slogan or simply telling users what you do clearly. Instagram users want information that is easily understandable and accessible. Contact and location are also an important addition in case a customer wants to come to your store.
Know your audience, know your goal
Your primary goal is making sales and in order to do that, a business needs to understand its customers. on Instagram, this includes niches where a business is more likely to find them. There you can find the content that your customers enjoy and love to engage with that you can replicate on your page. Goals should follow the SMART acronym which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. If your goals are not SMART, you will be chasing the wind and delay our climb to making the most of Instagram. You should have the number of sales/followers a month you expect, the demographics you target, and what content works best.
Work on your content strategy
They are many types of content you can share to grow an Instagram following from sharing photos, videos, and text. So many video formats exist on Instagram such as Stories, Reels, and IGLive which all add value to your content. Since you have many other important things to do, you can use apps to schedule your Instagram posts so that they are uploaded automatically. These include Buffer, Sprout, and Sked Social.
Conclusion
Businesses that want to take advantage of Instagram and its numerous users need to understand their audience, have a content strategy and optimise their profile information. Great content coupled with a clear, simple, and attractive profile will go a long way toward drawing in the customers that the business will be glad to have.
