Unlock the Power of Instagram for Small Business: Four Tips to Take Your Instagram Marketing to the Next Level

Nowadays, the question isn’t whether or not small businesses should be using social media as a marketing tool, but rather how they pursue their marketing strategies across different social media platforms. While Twitter and Facebook still reign supreme, more and more companies are beginning to see the value in devising a strategy specifically for Instagram.

Instagram is designed to be a platform where users can post photos as they take them, sometimes adding a filter or effects to their various photo files. Along with the photos, users can add small amounts of texts and links. Celebrities use Instagram to promote their own personal brand and small businesses are wise to do the same. Here are four tips to help you find marketing success on Instagram.

Create Content With Value

The fastest way to alienate your followers and cause people to unfollow you on Instagram is by putting out worthless content. As any Miami website design professional would tell you, putting out junk content for the sake of putting out content is almost worse than putting out no content at all. Make sure that the images that you are uploading to your Instagram feed have actual value.

Don’t Ignore Trending Topics

Oftentimes, trending “hashtags” will pop up on Instagram and Twitter. It’s a good idea for companies to familiarize themselves with these hashtags and use them to their advantage. If “#FavoriteFallThings” is trending, then put up a photo of one of your best products for the autumn season. While you never want to force a hashtag, you definitely want to take advantages of the ones that are relevant to your company.

Hold Contests and Giveaways

Smart small business owners use their Facebook and Twitter pages to hold contests and giveaways. This is a great strategy on Instagram as well. Encourage your customers to publish photos of themselves using your product or service and offer a prize for the best photo. This is a great way to really connect on a personal level with your customers.

Treat Your Followers Like Individuals

The best marketing strategy for just about any social media platform is to talk with your customers, rather than to them. The same goes for Instagram. Spend some time scrolling through your customers’ Instagram pages, taking the time to make nice comments and “like” their photos. In the old days, entrepreneurs had to go to trade shows or industry events if they wanted to connect with their customers on a personal level. Nowadays, it’s as simple as logging into your social media accounts. Take advantage of this.

Instagram is a fun way for companies to market their product or service. Unlike other social media platforms, you don’t have to hire a writer or worry too much about SEO. Instead, you can say what you want with a photo. If you follow these tips, you can expand your audience with only a few photos a day. Remember to link your Instagram account to your Twitter and Facebook pages to ensure that all of your accounts are working in conjunction with one another.

Victor GonzalezUnlock the Power of Instagram for Small Business: Four Tips to Take Your Instagram Marketing to the Next Level