If you are a part of Instagram’s 1 billion community, then you would know how powerful this social marketing platform is!
Instagram is a hub for promoting products, connecting with customers, and reaching a new audience if and only if you have a viable marketing strategy in place.
Did you know?
7 out of 10 Instagram hashtags are branded hashtags.
Having just one hashtag can increase your engagement by up to 12.6%.
Want to know a magic trick?
Use 11-30 hashtags to boost your engagement.
To get these results, you need to know these six powerful Instagram marketing tips to make the most of this popular social media platform.
Grow your followers
The fact is that you won’t be able to generate sales without followers. So, you need to get loads of followers to get your posts seen.
Don’t worry! There are 73% of users who say they follow brands on social media since they are interested in the products and services the brands are offering.
How to do it?
- Hunt for existing customers, acknowledge them about your profile and ask them to follow you.
- Send messages to your email subscribers, and don’t forget to give them an incentive. Do it a few times a month and also introduce your products or services, discounts, promotions, quizzes, giveaways, etc.
- Promote your Instagram profile using different social media channels.
- Find followers with a common target audience, and they will help you to generate leads and drive sales in the long run.
You don’t need to steal followers from your competitors, instead look for someone who posts content related to your niche. It would be time-consuming, but you are going to get tons of new followers.
First impressions do matter!
The old saying, “The first impression is the last impression,” works well in the virtual world too. You have to create a first impression with an impressive profile picture, logo, biography, and likewise.
- Write a solid blog that grabs your audience’s attention and makes you sound professional and trustworthy at the same time.
- Work on your profile picture and biography that speaks who you are and what you do.
- A creative logo is likely to be remembered more than any random picture of a person or product.
- Do include a link to your landing page to encourage your users to visit it.
- Tag your location to make your business accessible both online and offline.
I love the way footwear giant Nike looks on Instagram. It is simple, subtle, and doesn’t make you run around the bush.
Source: https://www.instagram.com/nike/
Before you create a compelling profile picture, research what excites your audience.
I would recommend you to keep it short, simple and to the point. This makes your brand relevant and gives it credibility.
Consistency is the key
Stay consistent in making your brand recognizable by adding your profile picture’s thumbnail in all your Instagram engagements and interactions. Many people try to change the tone of their content or imagery and end up confusing their audience.
Be consistent in uploading an image, video, or posts several times a month and don’t overdo it or else you are going to miss on your valuable followers.
I prefer posting not more than once per day. If you have more to share, then add it to your Instagram story.
Study shows that top brands post 1.5 times each day on an average which comes to about 10-11 posts per week. The timing of uploading your posts should be taken into consideration too.
Lure the audience through post product teasers
Instagram is a great place to advertise your products, and there’s nothing wrong with uploading post product teasers. Don’t try to be too pushy or sound too salesy, or else you are going to scare your audience away.
In your teasers, casually talk about your product and create excitement by offering discounts or create a quiz.
Starbucks does it well.
They have already kicked off the holiday season with the debut of their four festive cup designs and the return of its seasonal beverages.
You don’t need to push them into buying anything. If you send off the right message, they are more likely to pull the trigger and buy it.
Just like this, don’t be afraid to show off your products, but let it be more gentle.
Partner up with influencers
This one is an effective tactic as 82% of people tend to follow recommendations made by micro-influencers, while 94% of consumers believe that influencers are highly knowledgeable.
Source: https://www.instagram.com/miettedierckx/
It’s considered to be the most cost-effective marketing strategy to promote your brand and get more sales.
I would suggest you look for influencers having 10k to 50k followers as they have more authentic interactions with their followers and have higher engagement rates.
Influencer campaigns have long-term benefits, along with direct sales and short-term gains. If you build a good relationship with all influencers, then it can enhance brand awareness.
Gather user-submitted photos
Through user-submitted photos, you can relieve yourself from the pain of creating content your own content for your Instagram. It gives you the power to leverage thousands of your audience to generate content for you.
Are you thinking about how to generate engaging content without being too pushy?
Just like you, your audience even wants to grow their number of followers. Simply, announce that you will be tagging followers who choose their photo to regram and appreciate them with some royalties consistently.
Source: https://www.instagram.com/gopro/
This brand named GoPro chooses a featured photographer every week, and you get a predetermined incentive. It’s a win-win situation for you and your audience.
If you are planning for such competitions, then kindly consider the following:
- Does the photo make justice with your brand image?
- How many followers does the participant have?
- Does the post cater to your current target audience?
This way, you’re increasing your followers, generating posts without much hard work, and growing engagement all in one.
I hope this article has encouraged you to create new marketing ideas. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Trial and error is a way of life. Happy Instagramming to you!
Deepa J. works as a marketing manager at e-Intelligence. He/she believes in providing digital marketing services for greater impact. e-Intelligence provides digital marketing and web design services in India. They are equipped with the right innovative strategy, technical knowledge, and a professional team to help achieve business goals.