Using Instagram for your business; helpful tips!
Do you want to use Instagram for your business soon? Then there are many advantages to that! Instagram’s popularity is still continuing and we see more and more Facebook users switching to this platform. At most, therefore, time to educate yourself about it.
In this blog, we will delve into the benefits of an Instagram page for businesses, discuss how to convert those followers into potential buyers and have some handy tips for you.
Why have an Instagram account for businesses?
Instagram is not only a very nice platform when you want to interact more with your customers, the account also makes you more visible online. Today, the connection between the company and its customers is increasingly important, and companies that are socially approachable are increasingly preferred. Asking a question via Instagram by a customer is easily done, while sending an email creates a more difficult obstacle. Especially with a young audience, fewer and fewer emails are sent and more and more questions are asked via social media.
In the process, many people use social media as a search engine. Instead of Googling a restaurant, many people search for the business through a social media platform like Instagram. This way, they have an instant visual of what to expect, and have all the information (such as reviews and location) in one convenient place.
Having Instagram for your business also ensures that new users can become interested in your business every day. So it actually gives you additional leads from all over the country that you otherwise would not have been able to reach easily.
The final nameable benefit of Instagram for businesses is that the platform gives you valuable additional information. Through Instagram Analytics, you can see exactly what your target audience finds interesting, where they are and what part of your business they find most interesting.
Instagram business account creation
To create an Instagram business account, you don’t have to go through much trouble.
- Download the Instagram app from Google Play or App Store
- Open the app and click register; you can do this with the business email address or by logging in through Facebook (this is practical when you want to advertise later)
- Now choose a business account and create a password for the account
- Click done! You can now get started with your Instagram business account
After you have created an account, it is important that you arrange your profile properly. This starts with a good sharp profile picture. Many businesses choose a logo here, but if you have a sole proprietorship, you can also choose to set up a professional photo of yourself.
It is also good to write an engaging bio. This bio should clearly tell users coming to your account for the first time who you are and what you do. It is helpful to keep this bio short and to the point, writing, for example, 4 short lines under each other. This is also a good time to add the website link to your profile right away, it will appear directly below your bio.
To make your Instagram business account complete, add “Highlights” right away as well. Below your bio and link you will see a circle with a plus sign, click on this to create it. Highlights are vertical photos (or illustrations created in Canva) that you would like to highlight on your profile. Think highlights such as; reviews, about us, staff and mission.
To get inspiration for your account, it’s also best to take a peek at the competition. As long as you do not copy them literally, there is nothing wrong with that at all.
Instagram business tips you shouldn’t miss
Now that your account is all set to go, it’s time to get started with your content and audience. After all, Instagram is not just about posting photos and videos, but also about building a connection with your followers. The following tips will give you a hand in growing your Instagram business account.
Post photos that invite comments
Try to post as many authentic photos on your Instagram account as possible. Often, ad-like images get few comments or likes because Instagram users simply do not want additional advertising. Because of the little interaction, the Instagram algorithm will think no one finds your content interesting, causing your posts to show up somewhere at the bottom of followers’ timelines. This way you will never achieve a high range.
So step out of your comfort zone and deliver your message in an original way. Also consider the 80/20 rule here. It’s fine to focus 80% of your content on sales (through authentic photos, reviews and products), but keep 20% for fun entertaining content.
Don’t forget video material
Currently, video is gaining traction on social media. A whopping 91% of marketers say they consider video more important than ever. By doing so, you will take your Instagram account to the next level and make sure you really stand out. You can do this not only by using Instagram Reels, but also definitely normal videos you share on the timeline.
Of course, make sure your videos look professional. Poor image quality causes viewers to click away quickly, causing the Instagram algorithm to think that the content is not interesting enough, and the content is shown less to others.
More followers on your Instagram business account
There are several methods you can employ to get more followers on your Instagram business account. First of all, using the right hashtags is super important. Do proper research on this and place the right number of hashtags with each timeline post, Instagram Story and Instagram Reel. These hashtags make it easier for your content to be linked to the right audience.
You can also choose to run a win promotion in the beginning, so that your account immediately gets more life. You can choose to give away your own products, but any other fun prize is also a good idea. Then, of course, hang conditions on this that participants must follow you.
Finally, you can choose to buy fake followers. This gets your account kickstarted, and looks much more attractive than an account with fewer followers. Just make sure you get your fake followers from a good website like Likes-kopen, so you can be sure you are not being scammed and you are dealing with quality followers that are hard to distinguish from real ones.
Want more tips on getting more followers on Instagram? Then also check out this blog!
Converting followers into buyers
Once you’ve built up some followers, it’s time to convert them into buyers. Because although followers may find your Instagram business account interesting, this does not mean that they actually want to purchase a product or service from you.
A good way to do this is to send a personal message to your followers one by one. First of all, thank them for the “follow” and let them know that when they have a question they can always come to you. Do they respond to this? Then you can always take the conversation further by asking, for example, if they’ve tried any of your products before. It is important not to come across as too pushy; this can only put people off.
Do you have too many followers to address everyone personally? Then select followers who fit within your target audience based solely on profile photos.
Handy tip from us: do you sell higher-end services? Then look at an appointment setter. This is a person who will work with your followers to schedule as many appointments as possible.
Advertising on Instagram
Many businesses choose an Instagram business account because it makes it easy to advertise. This process is done through Facebook (Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012), so you must first link your Instagram and Facebook account.
After you have done this, you can decide what budget you want to spend on the ads. With Instagram ads, you only pay for the number of views and clicks your ad generates. The cost for this depends on the objective and type of ad you have chosen, but often fluctuates between €1.25 and €6.30 per 1,000 views.
To get the most out of your ads, it is important that you only place ads that are attractive to your target audience. In doing so, make sure it looks as little like an advertisement as possible and use striking colors that immediately attract you, such as yellow.
After reading this blog, you will have gained enough knowledge to get started with your Instagram business account. Would you like to learn more about the Instagram platform? Try our secret tools now! Then be sure to check out this blog, where we explain how to set up a good Instagram marketing strategy.
