Instagram For Business Basics: Grow Your Business in 2022
Instagram is a popular social media platform top businesses use such as Coca-Cola, Apple, and Amazon. This is because Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users and was the most downloaded social media app in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The reason top businesses around the globe use Instagram to promote their organizations is that it creases their reach. Find out how to use Instagram for business in this guide. You’ll learn how to set up an account and create popular posts to increase your engagement. Keep reading for more!
Why Instagram is Important for Business
Before social media, businesses used traditional forms of marketing such as billboards, leaflets, and TV advertising. But this form of marketing reached a limited audience that wasn’t necessarily who the company was targeting.
The reason it’s important to use Instagram for your business is that it has the potential to reach a larger audience that’s interested in your brand. Additionally, it provides valuable audience insights to improve your marketing goals.
Benefits Instagram Provides for a Business
Instagram has a variety of features that can benefit your company’s marketing endeavors. If you use the platform correctly, you can:
- Boost brand awareness
- Build and track your audience engagements
- Drive sales
- Learn what your customers like
- Drive website traffic
- Launch valuable advertising campaigns
- Promote changes in your business
Additionally, Instagram is an easy platform to operate that requires no extensive technical skills. You can add posts, reply to comments and edit your profile simply by clicking on the provided buttons.
How to Use Instagram for Business
Most companies aren’t familiar with Instagram. If you’re one of those businesses, then we’d like to assist you, so you can take your marketing goals to the next level. In this section, we’ve provided detailed information on how to create a winning Instagram business account.
Set Up Your Profile
Instagram has two options when you sign up. You can either create an Instagram for business account or a personal account. You’ll need to create a personal account first and then switch to a business profile. Follow these easy steps:
- Download the Instagram app on iOS or Android. Or visit the website on your Windows device.
- Once you have the app, tap on the “Sign Up” button.
- Enter your email address or sign up with your business Facebook account.
- Choose a username and password, then tap Next.
- On your profile, tap on the Hamburger menu in the right-hand corner of your screen.
- Tap on settings, then tap on the Account section.
- Switch to a professional account by taping the option
You now have a blank Instagram account that you can start promoting your business on. Next, you’ll need to add an image such as your company logo. You can also add a link to your company’s website.
Optimize Your Instagram Bio
The next step in creating your Instagram business account is to create a detailed bio, so users know what your business does at a glance. Furthermore, you can also learn how to promote on Instagram through your bio, such as:
- Adding links to your website
- Including links to current promotions
- Adding details about exclusive products
- Including a link to your Instagram shop
In your Instagram bio, add a concise write-up of who your company is and what you do. You can also add hashtags to your bio and your company’s address.
Create an Instagram Marketing Strategy
Before you start posting on Instagram, we recommend creating a strong marketing strategy first. A marketing strategy ensures you reach the correct people when promoting your company. You can then create relevant content that appeals to your audience.
Here are tips to help you create a marketing strategy for Instagram that works:
- Define your target audience: Who are you targeting and why? If you’re selling women’s clothing, then you may want to start following female-owned Instagram accounts. Follow accounts of your target audience and analyze the posts they engage with to give you an idea of the ideal content to create.
- Set goals: What do you want to achieve through marketing on Instagram? Do you want to drive more traffic to your website or boost sales? By setting goals, you’ll create relevant content that will provide the results you’re looking for.
- Create a content calendar: By developing a schedule, you can strategically post content at specific times of the day. Professional marketers suggest that you can reach more people if you post at certain times. However, it will depend on your location.
- Schedule posts: Instagram has a feature where you can schedule to publish your posts automatically. This saves you time and improves productivity.
- Track metrics: Always track the performance of your posts, so you can see what content has the most engagements. Use posts that have the best metrics for inspiration on future content.
Add Various Types of Posts
Instagram allows you to publish various types of posts, such as:
- Single and carousel Images posts
- Videos
- Reels
- Live videos
- Instagram stories
The most popular types of posts on Instagram are videos. 91% of Instagram users report watching videos on the platform regularly. Ensure you create professional videos of your business, products, or processes to post on your business profile.
Next to videos, images are the most popular type of post on Instagram. You can add multiple pictures to a single post (up to 10), and users can swipe through them. This is called a carousel post. Adding several images to a single post is a great way to show off different products, services, or aspects of your business.
You can also add short video clips to your posts. These are called Instagram Stories. You can add text, stickers, and filters to your stories to make them more engaging. Stories only last for 24 hours, so they’re a great way to share timely information with your followers.
Create Enticing Instagram Captions
If you want your Instagram posts to reach a wider audience, then we suggest adding short, optimized captions to your content. Add a brief description of what the post is about, and add hashtags relevant to your content.
Instagram captions can be long and detailed, but we recommend creating short, catchy sentences that entice your viewers to engage with your posts.
Find Ways to Grow Your Instagram Business Account
The purpose of creating a business Instagram account is, so you can reach more people and boost sales. But you can’t do that if you don’t find ways to grow your Instagram account. Here are tips to assist you:
- One of the best ways to grow your account is by creating Instagram ads. This allows you to boost your posts, so they reach people who aren’t following you yet.
- You must post consistently on Instagram to get your profile noticed. We recommend posting 3 to 4 times a day on your business account to keep engagements flowing.
- Adding hashtags to your posts is the same as adding keywords. When you add relevant hashtags to your posts, you’ll reach your audience when they click on the magnifying glass icon on the app.
- Collaborate with micro-influencers. Statistics show that micro-influencers increase your average engagement rate by 3.86%.
- Don’t simply post images to your timeline. Publishing a variety of posts to your stories will potentially boost profile visibility. Ensure you edit your Instagram images, so your profile remains professional.
- Follow profiles of people in your target audience and engage with their posts by commenting or liking their content.
By following these tips, you can increase your Instagram following quicker, so you can improve your sales and grow your business.
Useful Instagram Tools to Assist You
You can make using Instagram for your business effortless if you use the right tools for your marketing goals. Here are some tools that will help you get your Instagram account the following you need to grow your business.
Hootsuite is a social media scheduler. With this tool, you can schedule and publish your posts at specific times of the day. Videos, images, and stories can be published automatically, saving you time and optimizing your workflow.
To ensure that your Instagram marketing efforts are working, you need an analytics tool to help you keep track of your posts. Iconosquare provides data on important metrics. You’ll then be able to make decisions on what type of posts are ideal for your business account based on the data shown on your profile.
Optimize all your Instagram posts with trending hashtags. You can find a list of valuable hashtags using Keyhole. Track the right keywords and hashtags relevant to your posts to see which ones provide the best conversions. You can get data on hashtags as far back as 6 months in a matter of minutes.
Create professional Instagram ads that convert your viewers into paying customers using tools such as Adview. This platform allows you to track and respond to any messages sent by followers in response to your ads.
Make dynamic and engaging Instagram stories using Movavi’s video editing software. With this tool, you can edit videos to create posts that stand out from the rest. Add filters, effects, transitions, and stickers with ease.
OpenShot is a free and open-source video editor that’s perfect for creating quick Instagram videos. It has all the features you need to create high-quality content without spending a dime. Remove backgrounds, animate objects, and use 3D titles.
ClipChamp is an online video editor that’s perfect for creating short videos for Instagram. It has a wide range of editing features and is very user-friendly. You can use built-in templates or create your own video from scratch.
Fotor is a powerful online photo editor that can be used to create stunning visuals for your Instagram account. With this tool, you can easily edit photos and create graphics that are sure to capture the attention of your followers.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, Instagram is extremely valuable for companies, whether you have a small or large business. Additionally, marketing on Instagram is suitable for all industries, whether you have an eCommerce business or a graphic design company. Use the tips in this article to start using Instagram to your advantage, so you can become a key player in your industry.
