Instagram wins my heart in 2016 not only because of its beautifully pleasing visuals but also for its large “human” factor — lots of people, few ads — and its high-engaging nature. From a business and organization perspective, Instagram needs to be in your arsenal and here are some guidelines and tips to help you do that:
Telling a visual story about your business.
If your product of business is highly visual in nature and you can tell a story with images and videos, then aim for Instagram. The caveat here is you need to have a repository of amazing images.
Consider hiring a photographer or getting better with taking images. You can also count on user-generated content to support your original images, but if you are thinking about using Instagram, make sure you have at least 50-70 images in your library.
You are targeting a younger, female demographic.
If your business is trying to reach a younger, female demographic, then this platform will be a solid choice. In fact, 55% of online adults ages 18 to 29 use Instagram. Additionally, online women continue to be more likely to be Instagram users than online men at 31% versus 24%.
Share a compelling and inspiring story.
Don’t use Instagram to only sell your business. Instead keep it inspiring, entertaining. Mix in your promotional messages but only after you have grown your loyal online following.
Experiment with Instagram ads.
Now available for small business, you can promote an Instagram posting right through the Ads Manager that Facebook offers. You can even combine your Facebook ads with Instagram ads. Why not experiment with ads on a platform while it’s not completely saturated yet like Facebook is. But before you do, make sure your creative is visually appealing to your audience and you are adhering to the natural aesthetics on the platform.
I encourage you to explore Instagram first as a user to get used to the nature of the platform. Start by following 20 to 30 people and see what they are posting. You can connect it to your Facebook profile. From there, you will start seeing the benefits of the channel for an organization.
Milena Regos is a principal at Out&About Marketing. Out&About Marketing is a social media consultancy with focus and experience in the fitness industry. For more information, visit outandaboutmarketing.com.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
