Are you using Instagram to promote your brand and engage with your target audience? If not, you should look at enhancing your Instagram presence. From Gatorade and Oreo to Whole Foods and Taco Bells, brands big and small use this photo-centric social site.
Regram Content
If you aren’t “regramming” content from other users, you are missing out on one of the easiest ways to diversify your profile with new content. Rather than create all the content yourself, you can find existing content posted by other users and regram it to your account. The hotel chain Hyatt, for instance, allows its followers to send pictures showing their experience. Hyatt then publishes these pictures to its Instagram account, showing the world how customers are enjoying its properties.
Identify (and use) Trending #Hashtags
If you keep up with our blog here at SimplificationServices, you are probably well aware of the importance of using #hashtags on social media. They help to categorize your content, making it easier for users to find. This same principle holds true for Instagram, so be sure to include relevant #hashtags with your posts. You can get ideas for trending #hashtags by searching for a single #hashtag that’s related to your niche. Next, scroll through the posts and see what other #hashtags are being used.
Engage With Users
When another Instagram user leaves a comment or asks a question, respond to him or her in a timely manner. It only takes a couple of minutes (if that) to say “thanks for the comment,” but doing so will go a long ways in establishing a relationship with your target audience, which in turn boosts visibility and drives traffic to your profile. You can even monitor your Instagram notifications for @mentions of your brand, responding directly to these users with an @mention of your own.
More than Just Photos
While photos are the driving force behind Instagram, you shouldn’t overlook video. In 2013, the social media network began allowing its users to upload pre-recorded video to their accounts. So in addition to photos, you can now upload video. Brands should take advantage of this feature by diversifying their content strategy with a mixture of both photos and videos.
Complete Your Profile
The very first thing you should do upon creating an Instagram account is complete your profile. I know this probably sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised to learn just how many profiles go untouched. Why is this a problem? Well, users often look a brand’s profile to learn more about it and what it offers. Failure to complete your profile could leave users with more questions than answers. Be sure to include a link to your website in your profile, so users may find out more about your business.
If you’d like help setting up and managing an Instagram account for your business, contact us at Kelly@SimplificationServices.com or call 512.779.5626.
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