Social Media Marketing: Instagram & Your Business

Why Use Instagram For Business?

Introduced in 2010, Instagram remains one of the most popular social media platforms (1 Billion monthly active) today. With visual posts producing 650 percent higher engagements than text-only posts, it’s easy to see why using Instagram for businesses should be a priority during the recession.

Instagram continues to grow and innovate after it was purchased by Facebook in 2012. Reels and Stories are two similar features from similar platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat, although the advantage of being connected to the Facebook community allows your reach of viewers to expand with ease across all ages. Instagram for business continues to be one of the most popular social media platforms and has the potential to transform your business, even during an economic recession.

Instagram Marketing Best Practices

Here are some Instagram business tips to help you use Instagram for your business efficiently.

• 92% of buyers state visuals as their primary reason for a purchasing decision. High-quality visuals in your brand’s colors to make it more recognizable to your audience.

• Leverage audience engagement to understand what your audience wants. Post content that encourages audience participation, such as posting user-generated content, polls or holding frequent contests.

• Videos generate tons of engagement for your brand. When running Instagram stories for business, aim to keep videos to 15-30 seconds at most. Instagram feed videos can go up to 60 seconds long if you, although shorter content is better absorbed.

• Using Hashtags allows you to gain exposure to your products or services, bringing new customers in from around the world who have similar interests.

• When promoting a product, it’s best to be as personable and open as you can. Remove the typical “sales speak” from your content, focusing on telling a story that resonates with your audience.

• Instagram ads can reach users that don’t follow you to boost your presence on the platform. There are three ways to use ads: the Instagram feed, the Instagram Explore tab and Instagram Stories. Keep the following best practices in mind: (1) square images work better across multiple channels, (2) make sure ad copy matches the image and (3) have a dedicated click to action landing page at the end for carousel ads and offering your audience a way to buy.

Influencers & Your Instagram Marketing Strategy

Pre Covid-19, investments in the influencer industry were on track to grow to $15 billion by 2022. As the global pandemic hit, analysts started adjusting their forecasts as they braced for impact; with people at home and interacting with social media, usage increased by 32%, just as the world was about to enter a recession – and brands have capitalized on this growing trend. Dollar Shave Club and Swiffer Pets are two great examples.

Dollar Shave Club doubled down on its marketing efforts to stand out from the quieter competitors and leveraged influencers and their families to gain massive engagements from followers. Swiffer Pets amplified their brand voice by partnering with pet influencers whose videos have garnered over 1.5 million views, 1 million likes and 3.4 percent engagement.

Working with influencers, like working with a digital marketing company, can do wonders for your business. As an Instagram marketing service, influencers leverage their massive followings and high engagement numbers to boost brand awareness. Their word acts as social proof, which influences followers to make a purchasing decision. It's understably questionable how much business an influencer can bring to your business. The goal is consistent content for your audience; influencers help you create contented focused for your business, also introducing their ever growing audience of their own from other businesses/companies they work with. Businesses work with influencers in multiple ways: posting a few photos/videos a week, posting 24 hr stories, doing a live stream from your business promoting a product or giving a tour, showcasing products sent/gifted to them on their own profiles again showcasing across audiences.