Creating a great Instagram campaign is like any other Marketing Strategy. It always takes more effort than you think and needs to be well thought out before you start. With over 500 million users viewing Instagram stories every single day and 1 billion users logging in each month, can your business afford not to be using this platform? We’ve put together five simple steps step to gain the Instagram success your business deserves.
1) Plan:
A great profile starts with a great strategy. Far too often, brands think it’s fine to post a few photos or videos here and there and then sit back and wait for the business to come flooding in. Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case, instead, you must create a content strategy just like you would for any other marketing campaign.
2) Research:
Find the good, the bad and the ugly. Look for businesses who provide a similar service or products to you, do they use social media? If so, what platforms are they using and do they have a good following? Is their content engaging? Fun? Informative? Does it create emotion and explain why you should buy their product or service? Document your thoughts on each business you find (we would recommend basing this on 5 businesses).
3) Content:
Start to build your content. What do you want to communicate? How do you solve your customer’s problems and how can you communicate this? Customers buy from your business because you solve their problems, they like you and your team and the service they receive. So – tell more people, posting images of your team, share behind the scenes previews, what you are doing, your products (yummy food works particularly well…as well as pets!), where you are, what you are doing, or even a selfie! Storytelling is key, Be you and be personal: People buy from people, and people expect authenticity when they read and view your social media.
4) Images:
Pictures tell a thousand words, so invest in photography or editing software, beautiful photography will catch the user’s attention. The right size, style and use of colour in your Instagram pictures can play a huge factor in whether your profile is successful, so make sure your pictures fit perfectly into the 1080×1080 px space, building in your brand colours and including images of you and your team.
5) Consistency:
Be consistent and get involved; social media is not a sprint it’s a marathon. Be patient, stick to your strategy, keep posting and get involved in the conversation and with a bit of patience, you will start to reap the rewards.
We work with clients across industry sectors, from start ups to large corporations, providing expert marketing and social media support including training and management services. If you need support with your Instagram for business please get in touch with the team at Pick & Mix on – info@pickandmixms.co.uk