One of the most powerful marketing tools online marketers have today is social media. From Facebook posts to tweets on Twitter, sharing your product and services on social networks platforms is an excellent method to increase brand name awareness, engagement, sales and leads.
Numerous people are left scratching their heads when it comes to marketing with Instagram.
A number of us use Instagram as an individual account to publish images of our family, pals, trips and food - however how can it tie into company? And should it?
With the speed of which Instagram is growing, do not undervalue its worth to improve your brand and marketing efforts.
It has become an incredibly valuable marketing platform and although the 18-29 years of age's are still prevalent users, the higher age groups are capturing on and capturing up fast.
Some 2018 Instagram stats from Sprout Social are telling:
• 7 out of 10 hashtags on Instagram are branded
• 80% of users follow a company on Instagram
• 65% of top-performing Instagram posts feature items
If you feel the tug to explore Instagram as part of your social networks marketing method, check out these preliminary tips to assist you start:
1. Use Hashtags Wisely
You do not require to pack every hashtag you can think of in one post, however you do need at least a few.
A hashtag is the # sign followed by detailed words about your image as in this example, I utilized #marketing and #ctaconf, which was the conference I was going to at the time.
When a user clicks/taps on a hashtag or types a hashtag into the search box, it raises all images that use that hashtag. The user can even subscribe to continue to follow that hashtag.
The hope is the user will see your picture, head to your profile and best-case scenario, follow you and get engaged with more of your posts!
However, when hashtags are very popular, the competitors to show up in the outcomes is fierce. Similar to SEO keywords, the more popular a term is, the harder it is to stay at the top of the search results. Hence, my example of using #marketing actually was futile if I wished to get any traction from that post.
You want to make your hashtags pertinent to your business and location, but also engaging enough that a user would type them into Instagram's search box.
:
• Say you have a pizza joint in Vancouver. You publish a photo of your Pepperoni pizza with the hashtags #VancouversBestPizza #NicolosRestaurant #DeliciousDeepDish
• Or you're a Toronto wedding event organizer. You publish a picture of a bride and groom's very first dance with the hashtags #TorontoWeddingPlanner #LoveWins #WinterWedding
Vacations and special events are an excellent time to promote your service and gain Instagram fans. Whether it's a sale on Black Friday, a Thanksgiving-related use for your item or a product shout-out on National Dog Day, they are all perfect opportunities to showcase your company brand name in a non-salesy method.
2. Thank Your Audience for Showing Up
You don't just publish a bunch of images and hashtags and await the likes to roll in.
To gain Instagram fans, engage with your audience and grow sales or leads, you require to put in the time.
See an example here from video specialist Michele Moreno where she reacts back to each of the comments left on her video post.
So if someone leaves a remark or question on among your posts, put in the time to reply and thank them/answer their concern.
Take a look at their profile, and if you like what you see, follow them.
Companies often follow commenters first, in the hopes that they might return the favour.
You can likewise search for people who may be interested in your item, then talk about their pictures and/or follow them, but do not spam them with an ask to follow you right now.
3. Communicate with the Right Influencers
Influencers are Instagram users who can influence your target audience due to the fact that of their popularity and/or social media following.
Danielle Bernstein is a good example of an influencer who dealt with a brand. You may not recognize her name, however the 1.8 million fans of her Instagram account WeWoreWhat do.
Bernstein and FIJI Water collaborated to develop BodyWoreWhat, a marketing campaign offering 8-minute exercise videos with her and her individual trainer.
That might be an extreme example, and unless you have deep pockets you probably won't be able to draw in an influencer with almost two million followers.
However do not anguish. From mommy blog writers to local foodies, you can constantly find someone who your wayfair coupon code target market follows, likes or admires. Maybe they 'd be willing to review your product or take an image utilizing it - use your imagination!
4. Don't Just Shill Your Products
Instagram is not the place to merely share item shots all the time. Think of the experience individuals have utilizing what you're offering, or the benefits it provides people.
Even better, reveal real-examples. Asking for user-generated material from your audience is one method to do this. That means that users share their images using a hashtag you offer.
The online furnishings shop Wayfair.com does user-generated content extremely well. They have a user-generated project that lets customers share images of their stylish Wayfair-filled homes utilizing the hashtag #WayfairAtHome.
Make sure to let individuals understand that their images may be featured on your page and you can increase your Instagram content huge time - for free!
No matter how you utilize Instagram for your organization, be authentic and real to your brand. It's what the platform is everything about, and it's going to help you grow your organization, gain Instagram followers and attract sales or leads.