If you’re a complete beginner to Instagram and want to know how to promote your business or what is happening with the most popular app, you have come to the right place.
We’re going to show you how to use Instagram for business so you can increase your online visibility and generate more business, more leads, and hopefully, make more money.
Throughout this article, you will learn:
- How to set up a business account on Instagram
- How to grow your business
- How to take excellent photos
- How to get more followers
Let’s find out in more detail!
Instagram Business Accounts
So first, let’s make sense of why you’re struggling with developing and growing on Instagram.
Like everything else, every social media platform will go through a life cycle.
Therefore, it will begin with the following:
- Starting out
- Growth
- Monetization, when it is at its peak
You might hear a lot of comments such as “Instagram is not what it used to be.”
During the growth phase, about five years ago, there was a lot of engagement on Instagram, and you could have gained followers quickly.
This would have been an effortless time to grow if you were a business or a creator on Instagram at that time.
Now Instagram is different. They really care about making money. Therefore, they are collaborating with advertisers to sell users their attention. But for more of that, we will discuss it after.
Now let’s discuss how to open an Instagram business profile.
Before we get started, there are a couple of things you need to do. Firstly, download the Instagram app on your phone and create an account. If you have already done that, then skip this step and go directly to switch to a business account.
- Go to your profile and tap in the top right-hand corner, then tap Settings
- Tap Account
- Tap Switch to a Business account and Continue
- Select your business category and select Done
After that, if you’d like, you can connect your company’s Facebook Page to your business account.
This optional step will make it easier to use all of the features that the Facebook family of apps offers to businesses. Remember that only one Facebook Page can be linked to your business account at this time.
How to Grow Your Business Using Instagram
Why is my Instagram dead? That is the most frequently asked question among entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses right now.
Pro Tip: Don’t take it personally if you’ve noticed a decrease in engagement or your follower count. Everyone is definitely experiencing it. Instagram is just very competitive right now.
However, you can take specific actions to stand out from the crowd.
In order to to do that, I will walk you through each step if you want to promote your business and make some money.
Goal Setting
Set goals and keep your followers on the platform.
If you produce content that no one else has ever seen, you will assist Instagram in achieving its objectives, and they will assist you in achieving your own.
The first rule for creating content that makes people want to scroll is to avoid posting bland product images. Although white-background product shots are fantastic, they should only be used on your online store’s product page.
If you post images of products like these on Instagram, it will be hard for you to stand out.
In sharp contrast, consider how you can still showcase your products in a fun, original, and creative manner.
Content Planning
The following advice is to maintain consistency. Although I’m sure you have heard this advice before, it’s essential because it shows Instagram that you are reliable and trustworthy by being consistent.
As a result, if you struggle with consistency and motivation, I know it happens to all of us. Here are a few really useful hints for you.
Utilize a scheduling tool first, then. Publer will help you plan content easily and reach your goals while resting.
This way, you won’t post a lot when you’re motivated and completely stop when things get busy. Also, it lets you schedule at a time when your audience is online.
As we discussed, the current growth on Instagram will not occur overnight. Just create content, trust the process, schedule, and enjoy. Success will come naturally to you if you are persistent, patient, and committed to expanding your business.
Optimize Your Instagram Business Profile
You can accomplish a lot with a small space in an Instagram business profile. It’s where Instagram users go to find out more about your company, visit your website, or even schedule an appointment.
Write an excellent bio. Your Instagram bio should showcase your brand voice and describe your brand in no more than 150 characters, especially if it is not immediately apparent. Here are some quick tips for creating an effective business Instagram bio:
- Short and to the point. The goal is to be brief and to the point.
- Use line breaks. Line breaks are a good way to organize bios with a variety of information.
- Use emojis. The right emoji can save space, add personality, support a point, or bring attention to crucial information.
- Include a call to action. Do you want people to visit your link? Explain to them the need for it.
Optimize your profile picture. Most businesses use their logo as a profile picture when using Instagram for business. Keep your picture consistent across all of them to make it easier to find you on social media. You should upload it in 320 x 320 pixels size.
Link in bio. Make good use of the one link in your bio because this is the only place on Instagram where you can post an organic link that people can click on. Include one! Link to a special Instagram landing page, your most recent blog post, a campaign, or your website.
Include relevant contact information. If you’re using Instagram for business, you should make it easy for people to get in touch with you from your profile. Add your email address, telephone number, or actual location. Instagram creates corresponding buttons for your profile, such as “Call, Text, Email, or Get Directions,” when you add contact information.
Using action buttons, customers can book or reserve appointments on Instagram business accounts.
How to Take Excellent Photos for Instagram
You know, when you take a photo outside, you’re excited to post it, only to realize later that it’s totally overexposed. It can happen to all of us!
One of our favorite photography hacks: underexpose your camera!
Rule number two: don’t be boring. Crazy advice, but what I’m trying to say is to have whatever is going on in your content be super active and be super dynamic. Make content that no one has ever seen before.
Now, it happens to all of us if you’re stuck for ideas. I recommend you hop over to Tiktok and see what people are doing on that platform because it’s super creative.
And then just bring that content over to Instagram, but make sure that you’re putting your own spin on it.
Understanding the Instagram Algorithm
When Instagram switched from a chronological feed to a ranked timeline, many users were initially terrified. However, the average post is now seen by 50% more followers thanks to the change. Thus, disregard figuring out how to beat the Instagram calculation. Instead, put your attention on learning how to make the system work for you.
What appears in each person’s timeline is determined by six factors: interest, relevance, connection, regularity, usage, and following.
A brief explanation of what each of those factors means is as follows.
- Interest: How much Instagram thinks a person will like the post based on previous activity
- Timeliness: How recent the post is
- Relationship: Accounts a person engages with on a regular basis
- Frequency: How often a person uses the Instagram app
- Following: Posts from the accounts a person follows
- Usage: How much time a person spends on Instagram
The algorithm for Instagram aims to show each user the best content. The best thing you can do is consistently produce high-quality content, even though six distinct factors may appear to be a lot to worry about.
Find Your Brand Voice
Also, don’t try to be perfect. I know this one’s a bit of a hard one, but perfection is 100% expected on Instagram.
To be different and to make content that people have never seen before, try adding a human element.
So instead, embrace the human element with your photos and with your videos.
You can for example take videos with your smartphone instead of taking out the camera and giving a speech already prepared. This will add spontaneity to your video and make the experience much more fun and interesting for your followers.
Also, use the Explore Page feature on Instagram to really create your brand identity and engage more and more followers.
Write Amazing Captions
Instagram captions are great for keeping people’s attention. You can provide additional context or details about the picture or video you’re sharing with captions.
In addition, using keywords in captions can help you appear in the app’s search results.
Captions on Instagram can be as long as 2,200 characters. Naturally, not all captions should read like blog posts. Experiment with various lengths. While some photos look great with a snappy, emoji-filled caption, others might benefit from something longer and more reflective.
Although the average length of Instagram captions is increasing, the majority of brands still stick to the 2,200 character limit.
Use Hashtags Effectively
Hashtags are essential if you want more Instagram followers. When people tap on the same hashtag from another post, it makes your content searchable or filterable.
You can even follow your favorite hashtags to see the most popular posts that use that hashtag in your Instagram timeline.
Collaborations
Another strategy for expanding your Instagram following is influencer marketing. Assuming that you have a financial plan, you can pay content makers to advance your image.
However, micro-influencers with 1000–10000 followers can have a significant impact if you want to keep things simple and on a budget. In fact, micro-influencer content has a higher rate of engagement than content from larger accounts.
You can collaborate with micro-influencers or simply re-share user-generated content (UGC).
Giveaways
Instagram giveaways are used by big and small businesses alike to spread the word about new product lines, gain new fans, and increase their social media followings.
Some of the prizes are amazing, while others may be… a little disappointing. Still, Instagram giveaways can be a great way to generate some buzz and attract potential new fans, no matter what you’re giving away or trying to win.
So if you did it or never thought of doing it, maybe it’s time to consider it!
Key Takeaways
Instagram may not be what it was five years ago, but with the right strategies and tools, you can get the most out of it.
- If you’ve noticed a decrease in engagement or your follower count. Everyone is definitely experiencing it. Instagram is just very competitive right now.
- If you produce content that no one else has ever seen, you will assist Instagram in achieving its objectives, and they will assist you in achieving your own.
- Make good use of the one link in your bio because this is the only place on Instagram where you can post an organic link that people can click on. See how Publer can help you with that.
- Using keywords in captions can help you appear in the app’s search results.
- Hashtags are essential if you want more Instagram followers.
Denisa Lamaj
