Businesses that invest in social media marketing may not initially consider Instagram to be a legitimate option for their brand; however, it actually is a great marketing tool when used correctly. Boasting more than 130 million active users every month, Instagram recently made infrastructure improvements geared towards businesses, so you might want to consider implementing the app into your social media marketing campaign.
Let Customers Get to Know Your Brand
The app is a great tool for E-commerce businesses, or for enterprises that want to share their fun company culture with followers. Known for being a quick, easy way to share photos and videos with your followers, Instagram offers helpful marketing strategies:
Visual branding. Instagram offers opportunities to quickly publicize your brand. Post photos of your logo, products, or shots around the office. Put a face to your company name. Keep within your company image and stay consistent.
Link your account to your existing blogs and pages. If you have a good SEO campaign, customers will be driven to your company page through Google searches. Linking Instagram to your existing pages gives them a way to explore your company further.
Use hashtags to expand. Hashtags are the best way to gain followers on Instagram. Using a few trending hashtags will cast a wide net, while using brand specific tags will cast a deep net. Location tags work well here.
Engage your fans. Your business will foster deeper relationships by engaging followers. Comment on photos, tag followers in posts, and respond to comments. Photo contests and giveaways are great for getting customers to share your brand.
This Just In – New, Clickable Links!
This is huge! Instagram just announced that clickable ads will be made available to companies. The app will employ a “carousel” of photos users can swipe through for information. For example, a picture shows up in the user’s feed, and by clicking “learn more,” the app redirects the user to a carousel that builds upon the first photo. This tool is particularly beneficial to E-commerce companies. For example, if a company posts a picture of a styled editorial product shot, the subsequent carousel photos will feature individual items stuffed with hashtags and information. Ultimately, the final shot will provide links to make purchases.
With Instagram, your company can grab, and retain, customer attention with everyone’s favorite medium: photos. It’s already been proven that blogs containing images get more views and higher retention rates, so why not add a photo sharing app to your bag of tricks? Staying consistent with your company image means your company can look forward to a lasting relationship with your customers.
You can follow SteerPoint on Instagram, and for more information on how SteerPoint can help you with your social media marketing, contact us today!