Instagram marketing is definitely one of the catchphrases thrown around in business promotion ideas as of late. While Instagram can be a great outlet for branding and reaching out to your target audience, it can also have the opposite effects of what you wish. So how, as a business owner, can you strike out the balance that will help you reach your goals? Keep reading to find out.
Why Instagram could make your business vulnerable
Maintaining an active presence on Instagram, and the like is a good way to expose your business and keep your fans up-to-date. But you’re also putting yourself in a vulnerable position by using these tools, and with great power comes great responsibility.
It’s very important to make sure whoever is in charge of your Instagram profile is qualified and level-headed. It’s easy to get dragged down a slippery slope of pointless arguments and tireless rants behind the mask of a computer screen. Your company must remain poised in this dangerous environment. Just look at all the celebrities in 2012 alone who were forced to close their accounts over scandalous posts. Don’t let this happen to your brand.
Is it possible to overuse Instagram?
Overuse is also very possible. Some companies will find that they are so wrapped up in the number of followers their profile has and how much interaction they are receiving from their target audience that they post to excess. When you are putting this much effort into Instagram you may be making the mistake of not diversifying your marketing efforts.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the common ways in which companies can be harmed by their Instagram efforts:
- Oversharing – if you post too often it seems like spam and can potentially lead to a loss of followers.
- Posting/sharing the wrong content – if you are sharing content that is irrelevant you will lose followers because they do not feel connected with what you are sharing with them. Also, too much of buying Instagram likes and followers from unreliable sources may harm your account – click here if you want to find a reliable source.
How to prevent it?
- The best idea is to get to know your target demographic, know what drives them and their interests – you should have done this in your business plan prior to startup. After you’ve done that, steer your posts so that they reflect those interests but also relate to your business or industry. For example, if you run a shoe store, you probably shouldn’t share recipes in order to gain followers. In order to get an idea as to how much is enough, and what to share, check out the Instagram of competitors and others in your industry. The larger the business the better as it is usually guaranteed that their Instagram activity is controlled by a professional.
- For those of you who are still feeling like you don’t really understand, or if you just don’t have time, you need not write off Instagram just yet. Digital advertising agencies are in the business of helping companies devise effective Instagram campaigns. An online marketing agency will help you create an Instagram marketing strategy and then will take care of the posting and sourcing of content. By leaving this task to professionals you will also be freeing yourself up to deal with other areas of the business that may need your attention.
