You may be missing out on a great deal if you haven’t already started using Instagram for your business. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms globally that offers incredible opportunities for brands to reach their target audiences and drive sales. This unique photo-sharing platform offers numerous marketing channels that make it difficult to neglect. The purpose of writing this post is to show you all about Instagram brand marketing, how to use Instagram to improve sales and branding of your online business.
Does Instagram improve businesses?
The answer is definitely yes. Building your personal brand on Instagram can improve your business. According to a report from eMarketer, Instagram is estimated to have 1.074 billion global users as of 2021. Over 80% of Instagram users buy something based on what they see while browsing the app. As such, Instagram is among the easiest and most effective ways to gain visibility, generate traffic, engage audiences, build trust, and increase sales. It is the go-to app for start-ups and major brands.
How to boost your business and brand on Instagram
Not leveraging Instagram yet? No worries. We’ll walk you through twelve ways how to build the Instagram brand.
1. Complete the profile
The first step on how to market a brand on Instagram is to complete your Instagram profile. Your Instagram business profile is the gateway of your business hence it should make a great impression on potential customers. Completing your Instagram business profile can convert new customers into repeat buyers. Consider the following steps when setting up your Instagram business profile.
- Use your brand logo or a photo that depicts your brand as your profile photo.
- Draft a clear and concise description of your business that tells your audience who you are and what you offer.
- Providing clickable links to your shop is incredibly important. It is a great way to reroute traffic from Instagram to your online store.
2. Cooperate with KOLs
KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) are famous Instagram personalities who have established audiences who subscribe to their opinion about a product before buying. They are also called Instagram Influencers. As a retailer, you can contract an Influencer to promote your products. A good Instagram influencer can drive traffic to your business, increase engagement, and improve your sales volume. Statistics show that Instagram Influencers have a 37% higher retention rate than paid advertisements.
3. Avoid excessive marketing
To learn how to build a brand on Instagram, you must avoid excessive marketing. Instead of always pitching a sale to your audience, you want to create informational and educative posts that can assist them.
4. Use hashtags
Hashtags are the Holy Grail of Instagram marketing. They are used to target consumers to find your brand. When used correctly, hashtags can reach followers, attract customers, and increase brand awareness. Ensure to use the right mix of hashtags. How do you know the right combination of hashtags? It’s simple. Research your competitor’s hashtags or try out different hashtags to see which is ideal for your brand.
5. Run contests
Running Instagram contests is a sure way of building brand awareness on Instagram and attracting thousands of new followers. Check out some practical Instagram contest ideas:
- Ask users to like, comment, and follow your post/brand to join the contest.
- Users get an entry for each friend they tag in your contest post.
- UGC (user-generated content) is the most effective type of contest. Ask your audience to create unique posts and tag your brand or use a hashtag you created.
6. Create engaging content consistently
Before creating content for your Instagram profile, you want first to know what your audience likes that relates to what your brand offers. When you succeed, you can tailor your content to suit your audience. Here are some helpful tips:
- Create unique content
- Avoid long posts – let your post be concise
- Include keywords in your post to boost visibility on search engines
While you post engaging content, you want to do this consistently. A good practice would be to post once daily; you don’t want to overwhelm your Instagram followers. Tools like Sprout Social come in handy if you find it challenging to keep up with regular posting.
7. Post only compelling images
Since Instagram is a visual platform, users expect nothing short of beautiful, eye-catching images. Creating unique, creative, and high-quality images is a great way to strengthen your business on Instagram. You don’t need the latest Canon camera to create compelling images for your brand on Instagram; you are good to go with a smartphone. Here are a few things to take note of:
- Shoot at sunrise or sunset.
- Use natural light often.
- Use unique frames to create stunning photos.
- Take shots from different angles – lie down, on the floor, on the couch – feel free to explore.
- Avoid overexposure
- Use tools like Canva and VSCO to enhance your images.
8. Use emojis often
Wondering how to build fashion brand Instagram? Try using emojis. Internet users relate better with emojis. You can tell a million words with a picture, but emojis can communicate feelings. Sprinkle your Instagram posts with popular emojis to spark conversations from your audience.
9. Use Instagram ads
Advertising on Instagram can help you ward off the competition and increase your business reach. All you need is a solid Instagram ads campaign that will reach a new and targeted audience.
10. Leverage Instagram stories
Instagram stories are powerful, engagement tools. You can create behind-the-scenes actions on how your products are manufactured or how they are packaged, anything. Just make sure you use quality images that will attract viewers.
11. Use your links wisely
When marketing your brand on Instagram, remember not to abuse links. Instagram shuns links in a post, but there are two ways to add links on Instagram.
- Add links to Instagram stories: You can add links or relevant information about your brand and it will appear on the “swipe up” feature. Note: this feature is only available for accounts with 10,000 followers and above.
- Add links to bio: Add a link to your bio to connect users to the most prominent page of your store or site.
12. Take your time to respond to comments
Learn to like funny comments, reply comments, and answer questions addressed to your brand. Hiring a social media manager will be your best bet if you get thousands of comments.
Conclusion
Building a brand on Instagram isn’t rocket science; anyone can do it within a specific period. Retailers take advantage of Instagram because it provides ample opportunities to sell online. Implement all of these Instagram brand marketing tips to generate traffic and increase revenue for your brand.
