Instagram is one of the main social media platforms available today. The aim of this social media platform is to connect with other users and share photos and videos. In the process, your videos and photos will end up generating likes. But it is not just individuals who are benefiting from using the app. These days, brands are turning to it as an innovative way of tapping into a new, unexploited market. Since it was started, it has gained a reputation as one of the most powerful marketing tool for companies looking to grow their presence and product visibility.
If you are a business owner and it’s not on Instagram, then you are missing out a lot. Stats show that this platform has more than 800 million active users, with 80 percent of those millions being outside the US. That means if your making use of it, you can tap into a market that consists of millions of potential customers.
Benefits for business
Reach new markets
It is an amazing platform that helps you discover new people, new businesses and new photos. The easiest way to find people and businesses on Instagram is by using hashtags, Forbes reports. For example, your marketing team can include hashtags with words like sales, promotion, gifts, etc so that people who are searching for these keywords can see your business. If a company such as Starbucks uses a hashtag like #StarbucksMiami, it can be discovered in Miami and attract local clients.
The opportunity to engage with your customers
In today’s digital world, social media platforms such are a great way to connect with customers. For your business to remain competitive, you need to devise a way to retain your customers. It has millions of active users, which makes it a great platform for connecting with customers. According to a study done by Forrester Research, Instagram gets 120 times more engaging than Twitter. This makes the app a wonderful platform for engaging with customers, listening to customer feedback and building customer relationships. Remember that the more likes you get, the more visible your brand will be to customers. Many even buy likes, according to Social Media Daily, where you can expand the reach of your posts in which you can save time and effort.
Keep a watchful eye on your competitors
To stay ahead of the competitors, you need to keep a watchful eye on them. This will help you know the strategies they are using to attract customers and remain competitive. Businesses can use Instagram as an avenue to spy on their competitors and how they interact with customers. You can watch the number of times and what your competitors are posting, and how they are interacting with customers. This can help you devise your own effective strategy, which you can use to engage and attract new followers.
You can work with influencers
Instagram is a platform that consists of regular viewers and influencers. Regular viewers are active users that share, comment and like your posts. On the other hand, influencers are like online celebrities who promote a product or brand so that it can go mainstream. When you work with a reputable and dependable influencer, your business can enjoy the benefits of increased sales as you can penetrate into new demographics which you have never tapped into before.
Use stories to be more relatable
The good thing about this particular social media platform is that its app has many great features which an individual or business can use effectively. These days customers want to know more about your company and not just the product or services it offers. If you want your brand to be more relatable, you can use Instagram stories to show the other side of your company. With the live story feature, you can show videos on how products are made or how employees are working behind the scene.
Ways to grow your business
Many businesses want their brands and products to be seen and known by many people, but they don’t know where to start. If this is you, then you can use the app to grow your following, generate more likes, and relate with customers. It has hundreds of millions of active users, which you can greatly use for promotions. Unlike other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, Instagrammers are known to be shoppers. If you want to increase your sales, you can post the right image and let your customers absorb the marketing message without pitching to them.
The following are ways you can grow your business using Instagram:
1. Create posts that generate likes and share
It is known to be a platform for sharing pictures and videos. You have probably heard of the saying that a picture is worth more than a thousand words. If you want your posts to generate more engagement, including likes and share, you can use posts that contain relevant images. For example, you can post product images if you are looking to generate more sales.
2. Showcase your products more often
The main reason people follow brands on social media platform is to learn more about their products and services. While it is good to give promotions and incentives to followers, research shows that showcasing your products is more important. According to stats, 65 percent of the best performing Instagram posts featured a product. However, make sure you don’t oversell on the app by showcasing your products more than you should.
3. Buy likes
Instagram likes can really take your company to the next level in terms of increasing its exposure. This can help you generate more sales and increase customer loyalty. If you are new to the app, it can be difficult to generate likes no matter how great your posts are. Buying likes can increase the reach of your posts. When your posts have many likes, it makes it easier for your brand to attract more followers.
There are many ways Instagram can help your business grow. Collaborating with social influencers is a great strategy. If you have money to spend, you can run ads on the app which can help you generate more leads and sales. It gives you the option to choose different ad formats such as photo ads, video ads, store ads, and carousel ads. These ads can be appealing to different audiences and help generate brand awareness, grow your followers, and increase sales. All in all, having an active presence on it is vital if you want to grow your brand.
