It’s a foregone conclusion that your business should be using social media. But which social media platform is best for you? We don’t know the answer to that for you. What we do know is that Instagram in the last two years jumped from 800 million to one billion active users.
That’s a lot of eyeballs and tons of engagement. Brands are jumping at the chance to get noticed but it takes a solid, specific strategy to win users and build a following. Here are some ideas to make sure your Instagram game is, as the kids say, lit.
See What’s Out There
Do your due diligence and see what other brands are doing. All it takes is a simple Google search. Or, you know what, here…Jumper Media did it for you already: 33 of the Best Brands on Instagram Right Now. Getting to know both what your competition is doing and how top brands utilize their social media is key. You don’t need an outlandish budget to produce creative work. This can give you a direction in what to pursue (or avoid) in your strategic thinking.
Be Current
This dovetails into the first note. You need to be up on trends, hashtags, and whatever’s getting the most attention. This also pertains to features. Because Instagram modifies their app on occasion, it might behoove you to take advantage of their add-ons, like Instagram Stories.
Use Beautiful Visuals
Quite obviously, Instagram is a visual medium. You need to be using high-quality photography or video in your posts. Take a gander at Airbnb’s account. Every photo is a postcard. And the best part? They’re more often than not user or host photos. With all those users and all that content, the more eye-catching your visuals, the better chance someone will stop scrolling and linger.
Tell a Story
Storytelling in marketing is one of your biggest assets. Your photos and videos are perfect for telling your brand’s story. Whether it’s launching a product or an event, illustrating the lifestyle surrounding your brand, tips, tricks, and how-tos…this is your moment to engage with potential customers and create a bond through a visual story.
Talk to Your Users
The instant nature of social media gives companies a platform to really connect with whoever is engaging with your content. And you should! If people are commenting, make sure to start a conversation with them. If there’s an issue with your product or service and someone decides that Instagram is the right place to air their grievances, well, make sure to de-escalate and move to the proper channels.
Hold Contests/Give Rewards
Incentivizing followers is a great way to win brand loyalty. You can run contests through social media and boost engagement. Brands like American Express do this very well by offering backstage passes to events that interest the follower, like fashion shows, sports events, and concerts. And by utilizing the #hashtags and tagging friends for entrance “fees”, your business is able to expand their reach and get more users to engage inside Instagram rather than having to fill out a form on an adjacent webpage.