Social Media

  • How to Grow Your Business on Instagram

    Instagram has over five hundred million daily active users who use the platform to check in on friends, discover interesting and inspiring people and also many entrepreneurs grow their business on Instagram.

    As of October 2021, more than half of Instagram users, 52 percent, were male and 48.4 percent were female. As of July 2021, more than 30 percent of Instagram users in the United States were between 25 and 34 years old according to Statista.

    You can find anything on Instagram from product reviews, tutorials, and even cool recipes. That is why this platform is so popular.

    Here are the top reasons people choose Instagram for their business.

    Instagram is free and easy to use

    Instagram has a simple user interface that is intuitive and efficient. The social network requires little input from users; it’s only necessary to post pictures and videos every now and then, which is what makes it so convenient.

    However, if you are using it for business you may want to build an effective marketing strategy.

    It helps you to connect with your customers

    When your customers trust you, they are more likely to buy from you. Instagram is a visual platform that allows customers to see your products in detail.

    When potential customers can see what they are paying for, it builds that “know”, “like”, and “trust factor” with your customer. This simplifies communication when the customer has questions about your product.

    Building rapport will increase sales when done correctly. Be genuine when communicating with your customers on social media so they know there is a human connected to the sales process.

    Use hashtags on Instagram

    Using hashtags will help people find your page and see what you’re posting about. On Instagram, you can use up to thirty hashtags in one post and ten on Stories.

    When choosing what hashtag to use, make sure you use keywords that are relevant to your company.  It is also helpful to identify popular hashtags that are being used by other companies in your field.  

    This will help grow your follower base and increase the number of likes on posts.

    It helps to build brand awareness

    Instagram is critical in generating brand awareness. Nine out of ten Instagram users in the United States were aware of a specific brand in the last three months and seventy-five percent of millennials say that social media influences their buying decisions.

    Brands can take advantage of this by advertising their products and services to potential customers who are already engaged within the social network.

    The social network also has a mobile app available for iOS and Android, meaning you can use the platform on-the-go and access it from any location at any time.

    Use the platform to promote your business

    Instagram, for many companies, is the perfect photo-based social media platform. When it comes to photo editing, everything is available with just a touch of your finger – no need for any elaborate editing software package.

    Although platforms like Canva do have a really nice integration for Instagram and other social platforms.

    With features like “Shop Now” buttons and “Follow” banners that display when people scroll down their feed, Instagram offers businesses easy access to potential customers.

    Use of third-party apps

    Worried you won’t be able to keep up with your engagement? There are many third-party apps that will help you grow your following quickly without spending hours each day on the app.

    These tools are designed for businesses looking to increase their reach on social media in order to generate more sales leads or brand awareness.

    You can use a tool like Iconosquare to track how many followers you have gained over time, where they come from, and which posts get the most engagement.

    In conclusion, keep in mind when using Instagram that it doesn’t matter if some posts don’t work out – just keep going! The key is trying new things and giving your audience something, they want.

    Experiment with several types of posts, post at various times, use hashtags differently, etc. This way you can find what’s most appealing for them which will lead to more followers on the platform as well as increased sales from advertising or marketing campaigns.

    Need help with your social media marketing? Contact us, we’d be glad to help.

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  • How to Create Instagram Guides

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Instagram has a lot of clever ways for you to share content and Instagram Guides are just one the ways to for you to draw attention to your brand.

    In this video, you will see that I share a blog post from Jillian Warren from blog.later.com/blog/instagram-guides on the features and at the 4.10 mark I’ve created a tutorial for you so you can see how to make your own Instagram Guide.

    It’s a great way to share, curate and repurpose some of your existing content and get discovered for your expertise.

    Be sure to follow us on YouTube.

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  • Use Your Marketing to Stay in Contact with Your Tribe

    Part of your marketing effort is sharing your philosophy and style with your followers in the hopes that they will get to know, like, and trust you enough to become a client or purchase your product or service (marketing in a nutshell). As with any comprehensive marketing plan, it needs to be in constant motion, continuously bringing prospects into your sales funnel with the hope of turning them into customers or clients.

    What do you suppose happens to those prospects when you go silent, either on social media, your blog, or your email list?

    • Do you think they will search you out to be sure you’re OK?
    • Do you think they will just patiently wait for your next email explaining why you were absent for so long? Will they even remember your name after a long absence?
    • Or will they find another expert who is more consistent with their communication and offers to help?

    Your marketing goal is to collect followers on social media, readers of your blog, and those interested in your emails. Sometimes those groups will overlap but essentially, you are gathering your ideal clients across numerous platforms. You’re growing your tribe and they deserve to be treated like gold, especially if they are giving up their email addresses and investing their time with you.

    Avoid Silence; Schedule Daily Interactions

    The only way to prevent your followers from forgetting your name is to consistently put your name in front of them. Don’t spam them with offers but post on social media daily; send regular emails; and write a blog post. The emails and blog posts can easily alternate, but the social media needs to be daily. Enlist the help of a social media manager or a virtual assistant if these tasks take too much time away from your paying clients.

    Outsourcing is a wonderful thing but your interactions with your tribe still need your personal touch. One way to do this is by answering questions and leaving comments on social media. This engagement with your tribe is always welcome, especially if a good discussion is happening. Cross promote your social media links to your email list and vice versa. Always have your social links on your blog so your readers can find you on other platforms. Promote your blog posts via email and on social media but mix those posts with fun, education, and be engaging so people will comment. Share snippets of your real life to show your tribe that you have the same issues they do or to just link a human face with your company name.

    Mix Things Up and Use Different Media to Communicate

    I’m a big believer in stick to what works but that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment in the hopes of attracting new people. Examine your media outlets on a regular basis and try mixing it up a little. Search for podcasts where you can be a guest (or even a guest host, if you’re bold!); hold a webinar, do Facebook Lives, or start recording videos for those who prefer the live video connection. You might just be surprised at how well-received these are from your audience. If one or all of these rocket your number of followers, consider adding them into your regular marketing plan.

    Another Way to Connect with Your Tribe

    A very profitable way to connect with your tribe is to create an online course or webinar. What better way to showcase your expertise and increase your credibility among this very savvy group of followers. Need help with creating your online course or webinar reach out to us. We’ve been creating online education since 2005.

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