5 Tips For Using Instagram To Grow Your Business
Instagram happens to be one of the best platforms to connect with your customers and followers and it is my go-to platform to share what is going on in my business and personal life. At this point, it is no secret that Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms with over 700 million active users. So, how can we harness all of that potential to better our business?
Today I am going to share 5 basic tips with you to help you get your toes wet in the Instagram pond, but I do want to encourage you to tailor these tips to fit what suits your needs best.
Amazing Photos
Instagram is a visual social media platform, it was actually originally designed for photographers and artists to use, so you want to make sure your posts have amazing photos. Make sure your photos are consistent and stay true to your brand. You do not need to be a professional photographer, 80% of Instagram photos are taken on a smartphone.
A few things you could do to make sure your photos are amazing is to make sure you have plenty of time, that way if you need to take more than one photo you are not in a rush. Use natural light, the natural light really makes the best photos. Instagram has options to edit your photo on the app when you are uploading your photo, be sure to play around with it so your photo can be as beautiful as possible.
Find Your Optimal Posting Times
This will take some trial and error. The best time for posting is different from page to page. For mine, the best time to post is between 10am-1pm or 7:30pm-10pm. I try to schedule all of my posts during these time frames. Try posting a few different times a day for a week or so and see what does consistently better.
Post At Least Once A Day
Consistency is key when it comes to Instagram. Post at least once a day (2-4 times a day is even better) and you will see an increase in your post engagement and followers. One thing to keep in mind is that you do not want to seem spammy, make sure the content you are putting out is something your followers would enjoy and find useful.
Use All Of The Hashtags
Instagram lets you use up 30 hashtags in one post. Use as many of those as you can, I always strive to use at least 20. This is how people will find you and discover your awesome content.
Build A Community
Remember that the key to social platforms is to be social. Posting your photos and never looking back at it will not help you get very far. If you want to grow a loyal audience (if you don't you should) work on building a community through your Instagram page. Go back and respond or react to comments left on your posts. Then go and interact with other peoples posts. Be friendly, open so that they feel like they know you and will want to come back and pay you a visit.