After Facebook Instagram acquired in 2012 for $1 trillion, Instagram seems to have transformed from a "storyboard community" to a powerful marketing platform.
While companies spend huge amounts of money on Facebook and Twitter campaigns, they are mostly still a bit hesitant to invest in Instagram. Unjustifiably so, as the opportunities to put your company, product or brand on the map seem to be at Instagram infinite and more effective than ever.
The beauty industry is one of the first to know how to use the power of Instagram. Beauty bloggers sometimes charge as much as €15,000 for one photo showcasing a particular brand, item of clothing or beauty product - testament to the huge reach and effectiveness of the platform.
However, you don't have to be in the Beauty industry to take advantage of this popular social media platform. Here are some tips, tricks & tools that you can use to ensure that Instagram becomes a key to success for you too.
Here's how to make the most of Instagram success
When you start using Instagram as a business, it is essential to first clearly define your strategy and objectives determine. In doing so, you need to take a number of useful tools to consider that will help implement your strategy effectively. Once you are fully settled on the platform, it's time for the real thing: your Instagram story. We explain step by step how to make the most of Instagram.
The right Instagram Strategy
Set targets
Setting targets allows you to measure the effectiveness of your efforts, keep motivation high and ensure consistency within your campaign. Don't expect to have a successful account within a month; set realistic targets - for example, x number of extra followers per month - to work towards.
Set your goal
What is the purpose of having an account? Are you trying to attract more visitors to your website or get greater brand awareness? Do you want to communicate with your customers in a different way or are you looking for an interesting way to launch products? Think about what the main purpose of your account is and adjust your activities accordingly.
Be loyal to your brand identity
Take a unified approach to branding. Stick to your image and what you want to portray. Don't suddenly take a different path on Instagram, but be loyal to your brand identity. This is consistent and it exudes trust. In addition, it ensures instant recognition within all your marketing communications, which will benefit your brand awareness.
Tell a story
Don't post some photos, images or videos at random. This will not grab the attention of your target audience and certainly not hold it. Strive to tell a story with your posts and build a connection with your (potential) customers.
Keep your account up-to-date
Keep your account up-to-date and be consistent with posting content. An account on which something is posted only once every fortnight looks unprofessional, resulting in the loss of followers and customers.
Useful tools for Instagram
- Social Insight: This analytics tool helps you better understand your target audience and also provides insights into how your account is growing and what the interactions are per post.
- Later.com: This tool helps you make a good schedule - and stick to it - in terms of posting content.
- Iconosquare: When you post something, you prefer to do so at a time when your followers are online, to increase your reach. With Iconosquare, you get clear insight into which days and times your visitors are most active on Instagram, so you can adjust your content calendar accordingly.
This is how to create effective Instagram Content
Your instagram story
As mentioned earlier, it is very important to tell a story through your posts. Today, with the introduction of Image & Video series, you can tell a story in a chronological manner, instead of just posting random photos or videos. But what does such a story entail?
Behind the scenes
How about a look behind the scenes? Post a picture of a different team member every day or post a picture of a meeting or lunch. This will make your customers feel much more connected to the company. Take pictures of the latest products in the shop or a report in the factory, to show how a particular product is made.
A competition
Devise a riddle and post a picture or image every day with certain clues and reward the followers, who come up with the correct solution, with one of your latest products or another interesting prize.
Product launch
Are you about to launch a product? Post snapshots of your latest product to create buzz around the launch within various Social Media.
Live updates
Are you working on an event? Post regular live updates of the build-up, the event itself and behind-the-scenes footage. Be creative and keep people involved.
Make the best use of hashtags
The hashtag was made big and famous by Twitter, but Instagram has since taken over. Choosing the right hashtag will ensure your post is visible to the right audience. Choose only hashtags that are relevant and don't get too enthusiastic with your hashtag usage. If you use a hundred hashtags, your posts will soon be seen as spam.
Summary
Instagram has rapidly developed into a hugely powerful marketing platform. As a business, it is therefore important to review your online marketing efforts and examine how you can take advantage of the power of Instagram. It is important to set clear goals and targets, to work towards the desired results in a targeted and effective way. Make use of some useful tools to optimise your activities on Instagram and achieve your goals. Create interesting content that tells a story and keeps your followers engaged. To increase your reach and keep growing your account and number of followers, you should use relevant Hashtags that reach your target audience. If you set up and maintain your Instagram in the right way, this hugely popular platform can be a key to success in your business.
What are your experiences with Instagram? How has Instagram contributed to the success within your business? Let us know in a comment.
Are you in the process of setting up an Instagram account and campaign, but could use some additional insights and/or help? Take contact with The Fully Bookers and together we will look at what is the best Instagram strategy for you.
