How to Utilize Instagram


Instagram is fast becoming one of the most important social media platforms for both consumers and businesses. With 300 million active users taking to the app daily, it’s seen to be taking over the role as main social news feed.

 

But businesses have been slow to adopt Instagram into their social media toolkit. A belief held by many was that whilst it was a popular platform for photo enthusiasts, it’s not really suited for business application. This belief simply doesn’t hold true, with companies all over the world now adopting an Instagram strategy into their marketing mix and seeing fantastic returns.

 

It’s true that the benefits for companies who use Instagram aren’t quite as black and white as the benefits of say Facebook or Twitter, but if used correctly brands can harness the power of images to create an avid following of brand advocates.

 

How to use Instagram for your business?

You may be forgiven for thinking that Instagram would only work for companies selling photogenic products, but this is again another untrue myth. Sure companies like NIKE are able to utilize Instagram to publish eye catching images of their new products, but service companies are also able to benefit by displaying a side to their company that otherwise would be hidden behind impersonal tweets and Facebook posts.

 

Identify Your Goals

It’s important to identify what kind of images you want to publish that will best convey a chosen message or goal of your business. Whilst this doesn’t have to align with your overall business goal (and in most cases it won’t) you should choose images that help your followers connect to an aspect of your brand.

 

If, for example, you are a small swimming school, you could use images of your weekly class to entertain and inform your following. (Important to point out here that images displaying anyone other than yourself, should be done only with prior consent from that individual or their parent)

 

Promote Your Competitions

Like Twitter and Facebook, Instagram is a great network for promoting your competitions. Images are an effective way to promote your competition by being able to visually stimulate your audience into entering.

 

Stay on trend

Make the most of seasonal trends and public holidays by showing how your company celebrates. Photograph your Christmas or Halloween parties or dress up your facilities and invite your followers to comment.

 

Create a company #tag

Leverage user generated content by promoting a company hash tag and ask your followers to use it. Facilitating an outlet for consumers to engage with you is a great way for you to promote engagement with your followers.

 

Offer A Backstage Pass

You could also use Instagram to give backroom access to your followers, showing them the work that’s involved in running your business. This can be incredibly effective in promoting a real world face to your company that other people can relate too.

 

Whatever you decide to choose as a theme for your Instagram account, you can use a combination of the techniques above to make Instagram work for you.

 

Here’s some examples of companies who have made Instagram work for them:

At KalliKids we use Instagram to promote our company mascot the KalliKids bear and photograph him as he makes his way around the UK participating in family events and various activities. This theme fits in with our mission of connecting children and families with quality activities and services throughout the UK.

 

We use the hash tag #wheresmybear to get our followers to engage with us by showing us their pictures of family teddy bears.

 

Why not follow us and find out what the bear gets up to on a daily basis.


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