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Published On: Sat, Nov 23rd, 2019

9 Tips to Launch Your Business on Instagram

You’d have to be hiding under a rock to miss the fact that businesses everywhere are turning to Instagram for marketing purposes and building brand awareness. It’s easily one of the most prolific tools for everyday brands to connect with target audiences between the ages of 13 and 60. 

When you’ve decided your business can also enjoy the magic marketing potential of the fastest-growing social media platform, use these nine tips to get you started. 

photo/ Pete Linforth

  1. Set Up a Business Page and Make Your Bio 

Like Facebook, Instagram offers the option for a business page. If you want to take advantage of all that Instagram offers businesses, set one up. It will open up a lot of possibilities for making your account searchable and connecting you with targeted users. 

When setting up your business page, focus on your bio. This is where Instagram users will land when they’re considering following you or visiting your website. It primarily contains a short, descriptive sentence about your brand, a profile picture that reflects your brand, a link to your website, all the photos you’ve posted, and your Stories highlights reel. 

You only get one link on Instagram, so make it count. Switch your link out regularly to match your posts. It will help create better value for your customers and drive more content your way. 

  1. Focus on Followers 

Numbers matter to your followers. They’ll often check your bio to see how many followers you have before deciding to follow you. If you only have a few, they likely won’t care what you have to say. Additionally, the Instagram algorithm prioritizes posts from those with high-follower counts. 

A great way to build your following quickly and help your brand develop that social proof is to buy Instagram followers. This instantly boosts your numbers so that the algorithm gives your posts priority and consumers know that you’re worth listening to. 

  1. Create Lots of Content and Schedule It Out 

You’ll need a lot of content to drive engagement and gain followers. But coming up with that content day after day can be difficult. You might be busy some days or lack the creative vibe. 

So, create several weeks of content ahead of time. Then, create a content schedule to ensure you’re posting regularly. It’s much better to have quality content ready to go than it is to skip a day when you’re in a rut. Keep creating content to ensure you don’t run out. 

  1. Post Regularly 

The goal of Instagram is to gain engagement and followers for your brand. You’ll need to establish yourself as an authority in the industry, and you can’t do that if you’re sharing content just once a month. Consumers are likely to forget all about you. 

According to research on the subject, Instagrammers who post every day, multiple times per day, see higher rates of engagement than those who only post once a day or less. Establish a regular posting schedule and stick to it! 

  1. Develop a Personalized Voice 

Instagram users enjoy connecting with brands on the platform when they’re authentic and use a unique voice. Typically, the most successful account holders will be highly personable and relatable, appealing to a large portion of their target audience. 

One of the best ways to create that voice is to show the real, vulnerable side of your business. Everyone is going through something difficult, and when they find a brand that knows what it’s like, they’re more likely to see you as a personal friend, even if you’ve never spoken. 

  1. Know How to Use Hashtags

Hashtags are more than a clever way to string words together and add them to your post. They’re a highly useful tool that makes your posts searchable and increase your brand’s exposure. But you can’t just make up hashtags and throw them into your posts to achieve that effect. 

Research trending hashtags in your industry and use them to draw attention to your brand. These tags already have a devoted audience, and when you use these tags, relevant searches can connect interested Instagram users with your brand. 

You can also use branded hashtags to encourage your followers to post relevant content to your brand. When followers post with your branded hashtag, it will expose your brand to their followers, generating a massive reach. 

  1. Design an Instagram Aesthetic 

Most Instagram marketing campaigns direct consumers to a brand’s bio. According to ViralRace, when consumers make their way to your bio, you want it to make a lasting impression. A simple way to do that is to design a clear Instagram aesthetic. 

You might use similar colors in all of your photos, take each photo from a unique angle, use a specific filter, or make the subject similar in each image. When visitors view your bio, they’ll know it’s your page without reading the handle. 

  1. Make Instagram an Exclusive Privilege 

Create a sense of urgency to join your Instagram by making Instagram an exclusive privilege. While cross-promoting content on social media can be useful, it can drive more consumers to your page when you make it an exclusive privilege to be there. 

Share content to Instagram that’s only available to your followers there. You could also run special contests or have giveaways for your Instagram followers only. Use your other social media platforms to generate excitement about the extra value found only on your Instagram account. 

  1. Use Stories a Lot 

Stories and Instagram Live attracts more than 500 million viewers every month, and Instagram users love connecting with their favorite brands on the platform. It’s highly advantageous for businesses because your Stories are put into a reel that plays automatically. As they go through their Stories reel, your Stories will automatically show up. 

Posting multiple times per day can improve your exposure as well. The Stories reel showcases the most recent Stories first. Since the first Story in the reel is seen most often, it’s a great way to draw more attention to your brand and collect the resulting follows and likes!

Author: Allie Fisher

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- Outside contributors to the Dispatch are always welcome to offer their unique voices, contradictory opinions or presentation of information not included on the site.

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