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Social networks allow you to reach potential customers from all over the world, and while there are many different social media platforms that you can use, Instagram is one that you’ll definitely want to add to your social media marketing campaign. The platform has hundreds of millions of active monthly users, which means each time you post, you have the ability to market to a huge audience.
How do you maximize your return on investment? What should businesses do in order to bolster their presence on the platform and gain a steady following? We’ve got you covered!
Keep reading for five of the best Instagram marketing tips that will allow your business to flourish.
1. Get to Know Your Audience
One of the first things you’ll need to do is to take the time to understand your audience. You can post the most amazing photos and use the trendiest hashtags, but if they don’t appeal to your target buyers, you’re going to fall short of meeting your goals.
In order to get the engagement that you seek, take time to research your audience. Think about who your potential buyers are, and then figure out what they like.
There are all sorts of tools you can use in order to learn more about your target audience. Start by looking at the data provided by Instagram Insights. This free tool shows all sorts of helpful metrics including:
- Number of unique accounts that have viewed a post
- How many times your content has been viewed
- How many of your posts have been saved
Insights also provide demographic data, which means you’ll have access to information about your Instagram followers’ age, gender, and where they come from. Using this data, you can pinpoint what kind of content your followers prefer, how often they’re on Instagram, and who is most interested in what you post.
In turn, you can appeal to your existing audience while also working to get new followers.
2. Interact With Followers
Businesses get social media marketing wrong when they use it as a platform to spam their followers with an overload of sales material. While you’ll want to use Instagram to showcase your products and to highlight their benefits, another key part of the equation is engagement.
It’s important that you talk with your followers as opposed to talking at them. By responding to comments and getting involved with the conversation, you’re able to make your company feel like less of a corporation. Instead, you can show the personal and human side of your brand.
Some of the best ways to encourage interaction are to hold contests, share your followers’ images, and respond to comments and questions that followers post on your feed.
3. Be Consistent
In the Instagram world, timing and consistency are everything. You need to find a happy medium between posting enough and posting too much. You want your brand to stay relevant, but at the same time, you don’t want to flood your followers’ feeds with your content. Posting too often can cause people to unfollow your account.
How do you know how often to post and when? It all depends on your target audience. Start by posting content twice a day and see how your followers respond. Use Instagram Insights to see which content gets the most views and likes.
With this data, you can pinpoint what time of the day your followers are most engaged. Play around with the timing and quantity of posts, and over time, you’ll find the sweet spot.
4. Cross-Promote Instagram Content
Just because you’re focusing on your Instagram strategy doesn’t mean that your content can’t or shouldn’t be shared elsewhere! If you want to quickly and easily get new Instagram followers that are already fans of your brand, all you have to do is cross-promote your content.
When you take a new Instagram photo or when you post a video, be sure to share it on all of your other social media profiles. By sharing content on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks, you’re giving fans another way to connect with your company.
Cross-posting content also ensures you’re engaging with your followers as much as possible. It also means you don’t have to buy Instagram followers to build your audience.
5. Use Interactive Hashtags
Instagram hosts millions upon millions of pieces of content, which means you need to do something to make yours stand out and easy to find. One of the best ways to do this is to use interactive hashtags that are relevant to your brand.
Using hashtags is a great way to market to a broader audience. Anytime a user posts content with that hashtag, they’re essentially exposing your brand to their social following. The more eyes that come across your business, the better!
When creating interactive hashtags, think of a phrase or slogan that your company uses that is catchy and unique. Make sure that no other brands are using the hashtag so you’re able to monopolize it.
Conclusion
Instagram is a great platform for businesses to use in order to grow their brands and to connect with new customers. With these five tips, you can more easily reach your social media marketing goals.
