Complete Guide to Instagram for Business for 2021
Instagram for Business. Sound like a daunting task? It’s not as hard as you might think! You just need to know what you are doing and where to look. The key is understanding the Instagram algorithm, how it works, and which strategies will work best for your business goals. In this guide, we’ll go over all of that information in detail so that you can start using Instagram to grow your business today!
Why do we need Instagram for business?
As a business, you have the opportunity to take advantage of Instagram in two ways:
- By using it as an advertising tool and
- By integrating your brand into your content.
Social media is more popular than ever before, and that’s because people are looking for authenticity. Your followers want to see what life looks like behind-the-scenes at work , and they want to feel like you are a present, credible source.
Using Instagram as an Advertising Tool
When you’re using Instagram for business as an advertising tool, the key is to be strategic. This includes understanding how your followers react to certain types of content and what they will want from brands that interact with them on this platform .
There are three primary ways you can use Instagram for business: Promoting a product or service, promoting your brand identity, and providing customer service .
Promoting a Product or Service
Products are the most popular type of content on Instagram. However, you need to be careful with how often you post about your product offerings – people will start to get annoyed if they feel like they’re being sold too much! To make sure that doesn’t happen, it’s best to only post about your products once or twice a day.
Promoting Your Brand Identity
When you’re promoting your brand, it’s best to focus on posting lifestyle photos that show what life is like in the office and including hashtags related to your industry . This will help differentiate yourself from other companies who are sharing these same types of images.
Providing Customer Service
When providing customer service, it’s important to make sure you are responding to comments and questions in a timely manner . You also want to set up a separate Instagram account that is dedicated entirely to this type of content – people will be more likely to trust your business when they know that there is no crossover between your advertising and customer service .
Using Instagram To integrate your brand into your content.
This strategy focuses on the content you post and how it makes your brand more approachable .
The key to this method is having a strong visual identity which will help people find what they are looking for and stay around long enough to engage with other aspects of your business. One way that you can do this is by using consistent branding throughout each post, which will help people remember your company.
In addition to this, you want to be sure that your posts are part of a cohesive story . You can do this by posting regularly and telling a narrative through images rather than words.
Also read: 10 Strategies to get more followers on Instagram
Convert a personal Instagram profile to a Instagram for business profile:
- To convert your personal account to a business profile, you’ll want to go to the “Profile” tab in settings . Next
- Select “Switch to Business Account” at the bottom of the page.
Instagram terminology
Various instagram for business terminologies include
1) Bio:
The bio is the first thing you see when someone searches for your account. It’s a description of who you are and what your account is about .
2) Direct Messages (DMs):
The messages you send to other users on instagram are called direct messages. These allow you to communicate with one or more people privately without posting anything publicly, which is what happens when you comment on someone else’s post . Direct Messages can be sent from the app as well as through the website interface.
3) Filters :
Instagram filters are used to change the look of a photo by applying different styles or colors . Filters can be applied in-app, but they can also be adjusted through your phone’s camera app. Instagram offers personalized recommendations for which filter is best suited for what you’re trying to capture based on popular themes and tones shared with the community.
4) Reels:
A reel is a video that consists of multiple clips combined into one. They can range in length, but most are less than 15 seconds long . Reels might be used for showcasing your products or to promote an event on Instagram.
5) IG Stories:
IG Stories is a feature on the Instagram app that allows you to post videos or photos and have them appear as a slideshow for 24 hours. This video can be up to 15 seconds long (or shorter) and can include other features such as stickers, emojis, filters, music , drawing tools and text .
6) Follower:
An instagram follower is someone who has chosen to follow your account and see the posts you are putting out. A person can be a follower of one or more accounts .
7) Highlights:
Highlights are a compilation of your posts from the past week that you can share on Instagram . They’re an easy way to show off recent work and they create anticipation for what’s ahead.
8) Hashtags:
Hashtags are keywords that you can add to a post on instagram. Adding hashtags will help other users find your content and follow what you’re doing . You want to include hashtags related to the theme of your post as well as relevant ones – this way, when someone who is interested in those topics sees the hashtag, they’ll click on it and be able to see your content .
9) Biolinks:
Biolinks are links that you can include in your bio on instagram. These allow people who click through to the link to learn more about what you do . You might use these when promoting a product, displaying specific information or sending followers into a site where they can find out more details.
10) Tag People:
When you tag someone on instagram, it means that their name and photo will show up when people view the post. This can be used to highlight a particular person or as an acknowledgement of them being involved in your content.
11) Sponsored Content:
Sponsored content is when you, the business, partner with another company and use their product or service to create content for instagram . Some benefits of this are that it helps promote the other company while driving traffic to your account.
12) Geotags:
Geotags are used by businesses who want to promote themselves locally . It is a way for them to tag their post with the city, state or country it was taken so that when someone looks at posts from those areas they’ll be able to find yours.
13) Hashtags Search:
This is a way for people to search through posts by using hashtags that relate to their interests . You can use this when you have multiple accounts with different themes, or if you want to find something specific on instagram but don’t know which account it’ll be on.
Getting Most Out of Instagram
To get the most out of Instagram for business it is important that you have an account setup before diving in!
- First, choose a profile name that is relevant to your company or brand’s identity
- Choose an appropriate username for the account
- Create unique content by posting on a regular basis
- Consider using hashtags in each post (more on this later)
- Add links from time-to-time
- Engage with your followers by liking, commenting on and sharing their posts.
- Mentioning users in a post is also another way to start building relationships with potential clients!
Instagram Features
Instagram for business has some features that can help you grow your business including the following:
- Sharing Posts From Your Other Accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr)
- Instagram Stories: You can share short videos or images with your followers that will disappear after 24 hours. (Note: It is always best to still post on Instagram as well if you want the content to live beyond a day!)
- Hashtags: These make it easier for people to find and follow specific topics, which can help your business grow
- Liking And Commenting: Interacting with other users on Instagram is a good way to get noticed by them and it will also encourage them to interact back. Engagement like this helps you build relationships that might lead to more followers in the future!
Instagram Strategies
These are some of the instagram for business strategies that you should be using to grow your business on Instagram:
- Posting Consistently
- Sharing Quality Content With Relevant Hashtags
- Using Stories To Share Behind The Scene Moments In Your Business Life And Show A More Personal Side Of Your Workday. (Note: It is always good practice to still post on Instagram if you want the content to last beyond a day!)
- Engaging With Followers And Following Other Businesses: Interacting with other users is one way that you can be noticed by them and it will also encourage them to interact back. Engagement like this helps build relationships which might lead to more followers in the future!
- Mentioning The Right Users In Your Posts: This is a good way to start building relationships with potential clients.
Instagram Algorithm
The Instagram algorithm is important to understand because it can change the way in which posts are displayed. Knowing how the algorithm works can help you understand how to create your content. It can have a major effect on your business if you don’t know what’s going on! You want to do everything that you can for new followers so they’ll stay engaged with your account, but the algorithm might not show them your posts. Here are few factors that affect Instagram’s algorithm:
Frequency
Instagram will favor posts that are posted more frequently over ones that are not.
Engagement
Instagram favors content with a higher level of engagement from followers. The best way to get good engagement is by posting quality, relevant content and using hashtags!
Design
Posts with an aesthetically pleasing design (images or videos) will have better engagement.
Following
Instagram favors accounts that are followed by many users. So if you want to increase your engagement on Instagram it is important that you follow other accounts.
Time
Instagram algorithms are designed to show fresher posts that might be more relevant to the current user. Posts with more time spent viewing them will have better engagement than ones that are quickly viewed and then ignored.
User Time Spent
The more time that a user spends on Instagram the higher chance they have of seeing your post.
Interest
The more interest that a user has in your post the higher chance they have of seeing it.
Relationship
Instagram’s algorithm takes into consideration who you interacted with, and the likelihood that they will want to see your posts in the future.
Concluson
It’s time to take your Instagram for business account seriously. With the right strategy and a little guidance, you can turn it into a powerful marketing tool that will help grow your company exponentially. Contact us if you wish to optimize your instagram profile or want more information about how we can help guide your social media efforts for success!
