07 Sep What does it take to be an Instagram influencer?
According to Pew Research Center, half of young adults 18-29, who use the Internet use Instagram. Even more staggering, half of these users engage with Instagram on a daily basis. If you want to reach millennials, you can’t afford to overlook the value of Instagram. This social media platform is mainly for photos, but don’t feel limited. Using Instagram is a bit different than Facebook or Twitter, and here are some tips for getting the most out of your business account and reaching your customers.
Know Your Followers on Instagram
Instagram has different demographics than Facebook or Twitter. It’s important to know who you’re reaching through this social network platform. Instagram is more popular with teens and young adults, who love visual information. If your product isn’t relevant to them, you could have one million followers that don’t convert into sales.
Do Your Research
Begin your Instagram approach by getting a personal account and using it. Look at your competitors and other businesses that have a large following to see what they’re doing right. Figure out how to tie Instagram marketing into your overall business plan. Make sure you can commit to regular posts to engage your followers. One to three posts every day is fairly common among businesses. Although you won’t alienate your followers if you post more often, they may not pay attention if you post less. Learn how Instagram uses hashtags, to find out what’s trending, gain new followers, and to stay relevant.
Be Authentic
Instagram is very visual, and because it’s growing in popularity, your message has to be creative and true to your business. Comment on other photos that you find relevant and engaging, even if they aren’t your followers. Just as when you’re dealing with customers in your store, you may have to make the first move. Watch coming across as gimmicky and unprofessional, because you’ll lose followers.
Take Advantage of Technology
Use the analytics of Instagram to find out which of your posts get the most engagement. The technology is there to help you use the platform to your benefit. There are programs that let you schedule posts, which means you don’t have to remember it each day. If you post from your smartphone, use a watermark program to protect your photos and identify them. Take advantage of different software that makes it much easier to use Instagram.
How Do You Measure Success?
With any social media network, you only get what you put into it. Know the goals of using Instagram and have a way to measure your success. If you don’t get the results you want at first, look at what you’ve been doing. See which of your posts get the most likes and comments and analyze your photos. Tweak your campaign to see if things improve. If you aren’t getting the results you desire, maybe Instagram isn’t your market, but don’t give up right away.
If you are a business owner in any of these genres, financial, photographers, dentists, hotels, restaurants, construction, HVAC, hardware stores, real estate, or any business owner and want more information on Instagram or Social Media Marketing, please contact Blast Creative today!