Level Up Instagram for your Business

Instagram has nearly 1.21 billion active monthly users, making up over 28% of internet users around the world. So, what does this mean for your business? This means opportunity. Now, with there being 1.2 billion mostly users, this does not mean that your business page will instantly “blow up” or for more traditional verbiage, gain followers and audience interaction, immediately. Instagram is a powerful tool within the Metaverse. Meta is a recently discovered technology conglomerate that was formerly Facebook, Inc and no this doesn’t mean that Facebook was renamed, just the corporation that runs Facebook. The Metaverse includes social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, Messenger, and more. 

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Now that you know a bit more about Instagram, let’s take a look into how you can leverage this free platform to generate brand identity and audience engagement. Instagram differs just a bit from Facebook on the business side, because Instagram is more of a tool to build awareness for your company. In this guide you’ll learn about engagement, content ideas, and overall management, which all build the foundation for your business page. 

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Engagement

This is where you should focus most of your attention. This is where you can use the voice of your company, develop a tone, and make your company stick in the minds of your target audience. I’ve come up with a few helpful categories to use when posting. 

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• Shareable/savable content. Brand awareness is one of the oldest tricks in the book and that’s what you should be planning to execute here. This content can include things such as giveaways, inspirational quotes (with your logo or brand identity on them), or something as simple as an attractive graphic. We want engagement and there isn’t a much better way than sharing. 

• Engaging stories. If you don’t know already, stories are something that is posted on your instagram and can be performed by clicking the “Your story” in the top left of your Instagram app. We want these to be engaging because they normally last a few seconds (they can be viewed over and over) and only last a total of 24 hours. A few ways you can make them engaging is by using the “sticker” icons. These can include things such as a “yes or no” poll or a link to your website or special you are running.

• Infographics / Carousels. THESE ARE HUGE! Depending on your business and what you are posting, infographics and carousels engage not only visible but can result in someone staying on your post longer, making them remember your name. Infographics can include things such as a guide to buying our product, a special that you are running or an overall promotion. Carousels are a series of pictures or graphics that flow from one to the other, without cutting. A professional designer, experienced marketer or a simple Youtube video can walk you through how to create a carousel. These are normally a walk through guide, a series of information or products. 

• Call To Action! You need your followers/audience to take action. Your calls to action can be listed in various ways from being on a story or a post or even in your caption, there are many ways you can include this information. A common, and my favorite is including a corresponding emoji to your website and phone number at the end of your caption. This is a great tactic because the individual will see the post, then the caption then roped in with the call to action! 

• Consistency. Last but certainly not least, consistency is crucial. Post at least 3 times a week with an occasional story post or even a live. This is shown to best suit Instagram’s algorithm. By doing so, you can also identify when your target audience is most engaging and post at those times/days. 

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With all this being said, you’re probably asking “how do I come up with what to post?” Whether social media is new or old to you, you can easily run out of content ideas. This is where a creative individual can be hired to run your socials or you can do the research and build the creativity on your own. Don’t worry, I have some tips for that too. 

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Content Ideas

The first and easiest way is to scroll your personal Instagram feed or check out others in your industry for ideas. You can also browse google for theme ideas as well as more inspiration. All your content will stem from your industry, but doesn’t have to follow the norm for that specific industry, this is where you build your voice and overall theme. Be creative. 

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Another great idea for content is using awareness days, because most people aren’t aware and they oftentimes attract a lot of engagement. These can include things such as National Dog Day or National Coffee Day. These can be paired with a clever caption to draw your audience into interacting with your post. 

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Finally, you can use Instagram insights. This tool is a bit complex for a first time user, but better to learn now than ever. The insights give you a look at your posts interaction, profiles reached, etc. For more help on exactly how to navigate to your insights, Instagram has some directions. 

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Now that you are generating some content ideas, you need to manage your post. You may be posting anywhere from 1 to 7 times a week, you can either have someone assist you with this or you can use a social media scheduling platform and schedule content in batches. 

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Content Management

This side of your Instagram is solely up to you. A good way to stay consistent is by posting in batches and on a monthly basis. There are many platforms you can use for batch posting content, one of the most popular is Hootsuite. In addition to being able to post on a monthly basis, Hootsuite also has insights and shows what times are best to post your content. 

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All in all, your Instagram is your place to show off your business, style, voice, theme, and overall expression. Be creative with your content, watch videos and pay attention to trends to differ or get ahead of everyone else. This process will take time so be patient. Your Instagram will always be a work in progress. Now, go create an Instagram and start posting. 

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