Companies are frequently starting to take greater advantage of social media, and one of the best platforms used to boost sales and engage with clients is Instagram. Instagram is unique and engaging because it’s primarily a visual platform, allowing you to post pictures about the products and services you sell. Instagram is relatively simple to use but there are some tips and techniques which will help you take your social media game to the next level.
- Make sure you’re using a business profile
- Utilize the visual nature of the platform
- Keep people focused on your brand and post often
Switch To A Business Profile
Instagram is also unique in that it lets businesses sign up for a business account, as opposed to an ordinary individual account. All you have to do to access this account is go to Settings and click on “switch to business profile.” Once you’ve done this, your account will be labelled as a business profile, which will provide you with several benefits.
First, users will be able to get in touch more easily with your business by clicking a button associated with your account. You’ll also have access to a greater set of analytical tools which Instagram provides for businesses who use their platform.
These perks can help you engage with customers and track the success of your profile easily and are absolutely worth using. Before you even develop a plan, switch your profile to a business profile.
Focus On Your Brand
It’s a rule of thumb for any business and any social media platform. No matter how you use your platform, you’ll want to stay on brand and create an inherent synergy with other characteristics of your profile and company. In other words, you want a nice and visible consistency within the layout and design of your page, one which is naturally associated with your brand offline.
You should post images and make captions which people naturally associate with your brand, building upon your image with each and every post you choose to make on Instagram.
This synergy is an incredibly important part of your Instagram strategy, and your strategy for any other social media platform you’re currently using or will use in the future. It can be fun to post sporadically and focus on individual stories which aren’t associated with your brand but posting about your company is a great way to increase sales and keep people properly focused.
Post Product Teasers
Instagram allows its users to post what they call “teasers.” These are images and videos which show the products in action and provide links to purchase the products for each user who sees and engages with the teaser. These teasers have proven to be extremely useful to an array of companies, boosting sales and improving margins for companies who rely on them to sell additional units.
While you should absolutely utilize teasers to help sell your products, make sure not to be too heavy handed with what you say and post. Users who feel that companies are “trying too hard” to sell to them usually dissociate themselves with said brands. Just be careful and try to maintain a degree of subtlety when utilizing teasers and posting your products.
Make Your Content Visually Pleasing
As stated above, Instagram is unique in that each and every post has a visual component to it. This visual nature of the platform makes it easier to engage customers and get eyeballs on your content, without sacrificing information and persuasion when engaging with users.
While this visual nature of the platform is great for garnering attention, it can also be a double-edged sword. Your photographs and videos which you post to the platform need to be sharp and look professional.
While you don’t need to hire professional photographers and buy the highest end cameras on the market, you should post pictures and videos which display your products in a positive light.
The most engaging and viewed posts often revolve around behind-the-scenes interactions, quotes overlayed on images, and instructional posts, where users learn how to use your product the right way. Videos are ever popular as well. No matter what sort of posts you make regularly, make sure they look good and will help you sell in an organic and naturalistic way.
Engage Early And Often
Companies are often scared to engage with their users when it comes to their social media accounts, but there’s no reason for this fear. Fans of your business and users of the platform love interacting with brands and will often engage with you if you initiate the conversation.
There are several updates you can give to your customers and users, so be sure to post often to give these individuals the 4-1-1 on what’s happening at your company; everybody loves an inside scoop. Posting actively and often also shows users that you know what’s trending and are on the ball culturally, which builds trust and helps you sell.
Social media is all about building up intimacy and a relationship with users and posting routinely is a great way to do this in a fun and easy manner.