PW Media | September 28, 2022

How to Make Instagram Work for Your Business

Instagram is a powerful tool for your small business, but without goals and a strategy, you won’t benefit from it. Here’s how the platform can boost your business.

As the world of social media continues to grow, so do the opportunities for small businesses to connect with potential customers, build brand awareness, and boost sales. Using social media platforms, such as Instagram, can help with these goals. 


Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly users. 70% of shoppers look on Instagram for their next purchase, and 50% of users report being interested in a business when they see ads for it. Instagram offers businesses a unique way to reach out to customers and create a connection.


What Content Is Best on Instagram?

The answer to this question will be the content that gets you the most engagement for your business—depending on your audience and goals. However, you first need to publish content to understand what works best. Here are a few recommendations: 


Fresh, Relevant, & Scheduled Content 

While you may have to experiment a little to see what type of content works, fresh content routinely published is key. Here are a few quick overviews to get started:


  • Memes and inspirational quotes: Any type of quote or meme that can evoke emotion—a giggle, surprised gasp, or warm fuzzies—tend to get people coming back for more.

  • Good photography: Instagram is more than just filters and selfies, but if it’s a good photo, people will look. Whether it’s a human face, delectable food, a baby animal, or a breathtaking landscape, our eyes are attracted to bright colors, pretty things, and exciting patterns.


  • Behind-the-scenes / How-to videos: People love seeing the process of something being created, transformed, or fixed. People are naturally curious, so using Instagram as a keyhole they can peek into to see the process of something usually garners attention and engagement.

  • Scheduled, themed content: A predictably published series, such as a Tuesday’s trivia question or a Monday’s minute video, can be habit-forming to users. 



Use Video to Boost Your Engagement

Video catches the user's attention for longer than a static image, so ensure you’re capitalizing on this for your strategy. 


For your Instagram campaigns, try Stories, Reels, and even IGTV for longer videos to see which form of video works best for your viewership. Compared to carousel and image posts, video posts generate more comments—almost double, in fact, and receive more likes. Your business may not consider likes and comments as a goal versus conversions from a paying customer, but this type of engagement is important for growing your brand awareness on the platform.

Instagram is a great way to wow and engage with your audience through exciting videos and visuals. 

Here are some more specific Instagram video tools to boost your engagement:

  • Create How-To Videos
    If your business sells products, show your audience how to use them or the best ways to utilize them. Users want to feel informed about their potential purchases, and watching informative videos about using products is one way to achieve this. You may notice an increase in engagement and conversions due to video content.


  • Utilize All Video Formats
    Stories are a great way to add video content to your business account quickly, but they only last 24 hours for your audience to catch them and are visible mainly to your current following. Therefore, be sure to create and publish your video content in all formats: Stories, Reels, and IGTV to ensure you’re not limiting your reach to just your followers but are also reaching a larger audience with longer-lasting content.


  • Jump on Instagram Live
    The concept might sound nerve-wracking, but Instagram Live is an excellent way for your audience to catch your video content as it’s happening. When you go live, your account will show at the front of the Stories bar on your followers’ feeds, which means you’re the first account they can watch. Live videos are a great format for hosting workshops online, interviews with key stakeholders in your business, and even launching new products or services. Get as creative as you wish. 


Grow Your Instagram Following Through Hashtags 

You can create an Instagram campaign dedicated to growing your following through building brand awareness. However, you can follow other best practices to grow your audience, too. 


  • Leverage hashtags to reach new audiences. Adding relevant hashtags closely related to your business and the products or services you offer can better reach your target audience. Trending hashtags are another way to grow your following, but always ensure they’re relevant to avoid confusing your audience.


  • Post consistently. Accounts with little activity won’t attract more followers. Audiences respond to updated and relevant content that holds value to them. 


  • Engage with your audience. Respond to comments to show potential new followers you like interacting with your audience. Comment on other people’s posts to get your account and business name out there. By doing this, some users will hop from one post to your account to check you out and follow you if they like what they see.


How to Measure a Successful Instagram Campaign

Every business wants to run a successful campaign, but what makes an Instagram campaign successful? Consider metrics such as:


  • Likes
  • Comments
  • Mentions
  • Followers


It’s important to look at these combined metrics for each piece of media you post. Did one post get lots of likes but little to no comments? If so, consider this a visually successful post that requires improvements to make it more engaging to grow your comments. For example, could improvements be made to your call-to-action (CTA) in your caption? Are your hashtags relevant and helpful for finding this post?


Also, consider the timing of your posts. Are you posting at 9 a.m. daily because it’s convenient? Try different times of day to understand which time performs best. Your audience could be more active on Instagram at a time that you’re not, so finding out which time this is and scheduling posts for then is crucial to the success of your content.


Build Your Presence & Community

Using Instagram for your business is important because it is a platform with high engagement and strong visual communication and is where your customers are. With over 1 billion monthly users, Instagram is a powerful tool businesses should utilize to reach their target audiences. Take advantage of the opportunity to connect with your customers on this popular and effective social media platform.


Want to get started building your social media campaigns? PW Media can help. If you are looking for a reliable and effective digital marketing company, we have a proven track record of success and a team of experienced professionals passionate about helping our clients reach their goals. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you bolster your online presence through social media and much more! Contact us today!

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