How to Use Instagram for Business: A Full Marketing Guide
Instagram is no longer just a place to share photos. With more than 2 billion active users every month, it’s now a must-have marketing channel for businesses to connect with customers, show off their products, and make sales. If you want to grow your business, you need to know how to use Instagram effectively, whether you’re starting a new business or managing the social media accounts of an established one.
This in-depth guide looks at tried-and-true methods that successful businesses use to get the most out of their Instagram accounts. You’ll learn useful tips that can help you improve your brand’s social media presence, from setting up your business account to using advanced marketing strategies.
The key is to know how Instagram works and how different businesses change their plans to reach their own goals. Some people focus on getting people to know about their brand, while others focus on making direct sales. Many people use a mix of these methods for the best results.
How to Build a Strong Brand on Instagram
How to Start an Instagram Business Account
The first step to using social media for business is to make an Instagram business account. Business profiles give you access to analytics, advertising tools, and shopping features that are important for making money, unlike personal accounts.
You can either change an existing personal account into a business account on Instagram or start from scratch. A lot of businesses make their Instagram business account from their Facebook page. This makes setting it up easier and automatically connects your social media accounts.
Some of the main benefits of switching to a business account are:
- Access to Instagram’s analytics and insights
- Buttons for phone, email, and directions
- The ability to run ads on Instagram
- Tagging products and shopping features
- Access to Meta Business Suite for unified management
Making Your Business Profile Better
Your Instagram profile is like your online store. Every part should work together to show off your brand and get people to do something.
Checklist for optimizing your profile:
- Name: Pick something that is easy to remember and search for that fits your brand.
- Bio: Make it clear what you do and use keywords that are relevant.
- Profile picture: Use your logo or a picture of a well-known brand.
- How to get in touch: Make it simple for customers to get in touch with you
- Link in the bio: Send people directly to your website or current deals
The bio section is very important for search engine optimization (SEO). Use words that people might search for, but make sure the writing is natural and interesting.
Making a Good Content Strategy
Using Content Calendars to Plan
Businesses that do well don’t post at random times. They make detailed plans for their content that fit with their business goals and the interests of their audience. A well-organized content calendar helps you plan campaigns around important dates and events and makes sure you post regularly.
Important parts of a content calendar:
- How often to post: Most businesses post between three and seven times a week.
- Best time: Instagram Insights can help you figure out when your followers are most active.
- Themes for the content: To keep things interesting, switch up the types of posts you make.
- Seasonal content: Make plans for holidays and events that are specific to your industry.
Learning how to use different types of content
Instagram has a lot of different types of content, and each one is good for a different type of marketing. Knowing how to use each format well can greatly increase how many people interact with your posts.
Instagram marketing is still based on photos. High-quality pictures of your products, behind-the-scenes shots, and lifestyle shots help tell the story of your brand. You don’t always need professional photos. Real, well-lit photos often do better than photos that are too polished.
Instagram Stories let you interact with people in real time. To connect with your audience, use polls, questions, and quizzes. Stories are also a more relaxed way to show off the culture and daily work at a company.
Reels are now very important for reaching new people. These short videos often get more organic reach than posts that don’t move. Companies use Reels to show off their products, teach people how to use them, and show off their personality through trending content.
Longer videos and IGTV videos are good for interviews, educational content, and in-depth product demonstrations. Not every business needs to make a lot of long-form videos, but they can be helpful for showing that you know what you’re talking about.
Setting up Content Pillars
Content pillars are themes that you post about over and over again. Most successful businesses base their content on three to five main pillars that show what their brand stands for and what their customers are interested in.
Examples of common content pillars include:
- Content for learning: Advice, how-tos, and news from the industry
- Showcases of products: Use cases, benefits, and features
- Behind the scenes: Company values and ways of doing things
- Content made by users: photos and reviews from customers
- Community involvement: news from the industry and popular topics
Using strategies that work to get people involved
Encouraging content made by users
User-generated content (UGC) is some of the best marketing material you can get. When customers post pictures of themselves using your goods or services, it gives potential buyers real social proof that they can trust.
Ways to get more UGC:
- Make hashtags for your campaigns that are unique to your brand.
- Put photos of your customers on your profile
- Give people reasons to talk about their experiences with your brand.
- Let customers tag your business easily
Holding contests and giving things away
Contests and giveaways on Instagram can quickly boost your follower count and engagement rates. But the best campaigns are the ones that try to get high-quality followers who are really interested in what you have to offer.
Best practices for contests:
- Rules that are easy to understand: Make it easy to understand what you need to do to get in.
- Prizes that are relevant: Give out prizes that your target audience will like.
- Hashtags that are important: Use a mix of well-known and brand-specific hashtags.
- Follow-up engagement: Talk to new followers even after the contest is over.
Don’t make people jump through too many hoops to enter, as this could turn people off and break Instagram’s rules.
Getting the most out of Instagram Shopping Features
How to Set Up Your Instagram Store
Instagram Shopping turns your profile into a digital store where people can look at and buy things without leaving the app. This feature is especially useful for e-commerce brands and retail businesses.
Requirements for setup:
- A business account on Instagram that is active
- Facebook catalog that is linked
- Following Instagram’s rules for businesses
- Items that follow the rules of the platform
After you get approval, you can tag products in posts and stories. This makes it easier for customers to find out about prices and other information about the products.
Strategies for Tagging Products
Strategic product tagging can make a big difference in conversion rates. Instead of tagging everything in a picture, pick out the most important things that fit with the post’s topic.
Good ways to tag things:
- Photos of everyday life: Instead of showing products alone, show them in use.
- The main points of the story are: Make special highlights for each type of product.
- Campaigns for the seasons: Show off relevant products during busy shopping times
- Cross-selling: Tag products that go well with each other to raise the average order value
Using analytics and insights to your advantage
How to Understand Instagram Analytics
Instagram Insights gives you useful information about how your audience interacts with your content and how well it does. Regular analysis helps you improve your strategy and focus on tactics that work.
Important metrics to keep an eye on:
- Reach and impressions: How many people look at your content
- Rate of engagement: Likes, comments, and shares compared to how many people follow you
- Profile visits: How many times people look at your business profile
- Clicks on the website: Instagram sends traffic to your website.
How many people finish reading your story?
Keeping an eye on business goals
Successful businesses keep track of metrics that are relevant to their goals, not just vanity metrics like the number of followers. Businesses that sell things online might care more about conversion rates and sales attribution, while businesses that provide services might care more about getting new leads and booking consultations.
Metrics that are based on goals:
- Getting leads: sending direct messages and filling out contact forms
- Sales attribution: Revenue tracked back to campaigns on Instagram
- Brand awareness: Tracking the use of hashtags and mentions of brands
- Keeping customers: Engagement from current customers compared to new followers
Learning from Business Strategies That Work
Ways of running a service-based business
Instagram can be hard for service-based businesses because they can’t show off physical goods. Successful service providers focus on showing their expertise, sharing success stories from clients, and giving useful educational content.
Some good strategies are:
- Showcases of before and after: Proof of service results in pictures
- Content for learning: Advice and information that show you know what you’re talking about
- What clients say: Reviews and success stories are examples of social proof.
- Content from behind the scenes: Making the business more human and gaining trust
Online shopping Patterns of Success
Instagram gives online stores many chances to show off their products and make sales. The best e-commerce brands mix product ads with lifestyle content that helps people picture how they would use their products.
Winning strategies for e-commerce:
- Lifestyle shots of the product: Putting things in real-life situations
- Campaigns that use content made by users: Getting customers to post pictures
- Offers that are only good for a short time: Making people feel like they need to act quickly with special Instagram deals
- Influencer partnerships: Using collaborations to show social proof
Strategies for Local Businesses
Businesses in the area can use Instagram to connect with people in their community and get more customers. Local hashtags and location-based features help these businesses find potential customers in their area.
Best practices for local businesses:
- Location tagging: Helping customers find your business easily
- Being involved in the community means going to local events and talking to people.
- Local partnerships: Working with other businesses in the area
- Customer spotlights: Showcasing local customers and their stories
Keeping Up with Changes to the Platform
Getting used to changes in algorithms
Instagram’s algorithm changes all the time, which changes how users see and share content. Businesses that do well keep up with these changes and change their plans as needed.
Things to think about when using an algorithm:
- When to get involved: Posting when your audience is most likely to be online
- Different kinds of content: Using different formats to get the most people to see it
- Real engagement means putting more value on meaningful interactions than on vanity metrics.
- Consistency: sticking to a regular posting schedule
Getting used to new features
Instagram adds new features and tools all the time. Using relevant features early on can give you an edge over your competitors before they get too many business-related posts.
Ways to get people to use new features:
- Try things out slowly: Start with small campaigns to test out new features.
- Check on performance: Keep an eye on how well your new strategies work compared to the old ones.
- Feedback from the audience: Watch how your followers react to new types of content.
- Relevance to the industry: Check to see if the new features fit with your business goals.
Getting the Most Out of Your Instagram Business
To do well on Instagram, you need to put in the work every day, think ahead, and be willing to change. The best companies don’t just think about their Instagram presence as an afterthought; they make it a key part of their marketing plan
Keep in mind that it takes time to build a real presence on Instagram. Focus on giving your audience real value, keeping your brand voice real, and always making high-quality content that meets the needs and interests of your followers.
Businesses that do well on Instagram are the ones that really know their audience, make content that connects with them, and use the platform’s features in smart ways to help them reach their bigger business goals.
Want to change how your business looks on Instagram? Business Kiwi helps businesses come up with complete social media plans that really work. We know the ins and outs of Instagram marketing and can help you put the ideas in this guide into action. Call us today to talk about how we can help you improve your Instagram marketing and reach the right people.
