Instagram still reigns as one of the most powerful and provocative platforms for social media content marketing.

But why? 

Well, Instagram allows you to build your brand image through pictures and videos, far more effectively than Facebook or Twitter. Its clean interface makes it attractive to us Digital Marketers. It has already been proven to enhance customer engagement. 

Instagram also offers plenty of creative possibilities, targeting opportunities, and personalization potential. The visual-centric site offers plenty of ways to connect with high-profile tastemakers, break through the competitive noise, and build active, engaged communities.

So I guess you’re wondering, “how can I make the most out of my Instagram?”

Well, that’s simple! Here are 10 tips and tricks that will help to strengthen your Instagram business. 

Are you ready? Let’s go!

ESTABLISH AND ACTIVATE YOUR INSTAGRAM STRATEGY

For this first tip, you need to give some serious thought to how your Instagram activities can drive your strategic marketing goals.

For example, if lead generation is a top goal for your video content then you need to be aware that Instagram doesn’t offer clickable links as Twitter or Facebook do. Only if you have a verified or business account with at least 10,000 followers.

So, you need to optimize your bio content for lead-gen purposes and choose the link wisely. You can also drive additional leads by including a relevant and enticing call to action on your bio page.

Here’s a prime example from Insta-famous pup Brussels.Sprout, which draws fans towards its merch page with a CTA that promotes his favourite “pet projects”:

In this case, you should ensure that your strategy meshes well with Instagram as a whole. If you want to create your own social media marketing plan, then head to this article!

SET UP A VERIFIED BUSINESS ACCOUNT 

In the screenshot above, you can see that little blue checkmark that verifies Sprout’s status as an influential public figure. This little blue tick is a badge of honour that comes with some useful marketing perks such as: deeper insights on followers, performance analytics for posts, advertising tools, and additional promotion options within the Instagram app.

Anyone on your content team could set up a personal profile and post on your business’s behalf. So, it would be better to build an official business account for your brand’s content activities. Once you satisfy the platform’s eligibility requirements, you can request a verification badge.

ADD PLANNING EFFICIENCY WITH NATIVE SCHEDULING TOOLS

A handy trick that makes an Instagram business account worth maintaining is the ability to schedule posts. In the past, this function only was available through third-party tools. Nonetheless, Instagram corrected this oversight earlier this year with the launch of its content publishing API, which allows businesses to schedule up to 25 photos and video posts within 24 hours.

It isn’t a drastic upgrade, but still significant. This tool can make your content campaigns easier to manage and remove some time constraints required of your social media team. Also, the added bandwidth can be reallocated to monitoring and responding to comments your audience shares about your post, or potentially taking part in other relevant social trends, memes, and cultural conversations that may arise unexpectedly. 

For example, Coca-Cola. They are the masters at this!

For additional ideas on how to position your Instagram efforts to achieve your content marketing goals, check out Ann Smarty’s post on ways to increase organic clicks and leads from Instagram.

CRAFT YOUR CREATIVITY WITH CARE 

It’s all about the visuals on Instagram! So, show off your most aesthetically pleasing brand imagery and supply descriptions that draw viewers deeper into your brand experience. Also, make sure to consider all of the senses (sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell). This can drastically heighten the experience for your audience.  Fortunately, any business with a signature aesthetic can be successful with Instagram by using stylized imagery and sharing its perspectives and attributes in a unique way.

A great example of this is Apple, which make you want to experiment with your iPhone’s black-and-white photography settings!

If you need to trigger a flow of creativity for your Instagram content, then head over to our brainstorming article! Now go and share your captivating content with the world!

PUT YOUR BRAND VALUE AND VISION ON DISPLAY 

Even if your content team is photo-phobic, Instagram has a lot of other creative options. For instance, SaaS business Atlassian uses a simple, static graphic to take a stand on an issue and drive traffic to its latest podcast episode along the way.

As well as this, text-centric messages offer designers a chance to flex their font-related creative expertise. Olga Rabo shares nine expert-level font hacks, including a way to incorporate animation to help bring more visibility to your Instagram stories.

So, don’t feel limited to one creative avenue. There is a multitude of paths for you to explore on Instagram.

PLACE FOCUS ON YOUR FOLLOWERS 

No matter what content media and design techniques you choose, Instagram works best when you appeal to the interests of your target audience members. It’s their community sandbox, after all.

It is essential that you form a connection with your audience, in order to give them a personal reason as to why they should choose your business over your competitors. This may be a particular ethos that you hold in high regard. Or, it could be an upcoming event within the community. The aim is to find something which you know your audience will be actively excited about, and respond to.

These community-building tips crafted by Monina are extremely beneficial in helping you with this task. 

EXPLORE INSTAGRAMS NEWEST FEATURES 

Even the most captivating experiences on social media can start to feel a little stale. So Instagram takes user fatigue to heart, and continually introduces new products and features, refreshing its old programming to capitalize on new trends. As well as strengthening its value for marketers and creators, like you. 

So I guess you’re wondering, “how can I use these new features to my advantage?”

Well, it’s easy! Here are a few of the latest developments. There are a few which fall right in line with the company’s plans to pivot toward video, entertainment, and creator services:

Text translations and captions: 

Instagram recently launched a panel. This tool enables text overlays and captions to be instantly translated from the original language to the user’s preferred language. In particular, it is useful for brands that target multicultural audiences or operate across multiple global markets.

Extended access to insights:

 Instagram has also announced that it would be doubling its timeframe for tracking and analysing performance data (from 30 to 60 days). 

As well as this, it also released a calendar tool in Insights which enables businesses to choose custom dates for their account metrics.

 

Highlighting diverse accounts and stopping abusive messaging:

 In June, Instagram enabled Black-owned U.S. businesses to self-identify and amplify that distinction with a badge on their profile and product pages. 

Earlier in the year, Instagram also issued an update on how they are going to discourage and penalize users who send abusive or harassing messages through DMs or post as comments.

Helpful, right!

Video remixes: 

Instagram has also launched a Remix function for its short, entertaining video content shared as Reels. This tool gives users the ability to include other people’s content within their videos, similar to TikTok’s popular Duets feature.

I bet you’re gonna give that a try now!

Live Rooms: 

Earlier in March, IG opened up an additional creative option which was the ability to collaborate with up to three additional accounts on a livestreaming video. This is an ideal feature for hosting live Q&A interviews, putting on a show, or even providing a behind-the-scenes view of how your remote teams operate in real time.

So, what will you be live streaming next?

New professional dashboards: 

In January, all creator and business accounts were provided with a centralized dashboard. Here you can discover trends and insights, track content performance, and access additional brand-building tools and products that can improve the impact of their efforts.

 

DISTRIBUTE AND CONQUER 

Even if only a small percentage of Instagram’s billion monthly users regularly post updates and stories, your brand still needs to battle through a lot of content clutter. Because of this, promoting your posts on Instagram is as important as it is anywhere else in your marketing mix.

So, how can you ensure that your Instagram business is seen by your audience?

Well, it’s simple! Follow these steps: 

 

HASHTAGS:

In Robert Katai’s article on Instagram marketing, he outlines the two types of hashtags you can use in your Instagram campaigns:

• Branded hashtags: These feature your company name,. This makes it easier for people to be aware of your company, to discover your content, and to learn more about you.
• Community hashtags: These are more organic to the conversations happening. They help users follow broader topics, specific areas of interest, or other unifying themes.
• Budgeting towards performance: Paid promotions are another great way to boost your brand’s reach and engagement.  You can purchase promoted posts and display ads within Instagram’s regular content feed. Or, you can promote your content by placing ads within Instagram Stories. These display your campaigns between image focussed and video-centric stories which users will click to view.

 

ENLIST POWER PLAYERS 

Where would content marketing on Instagram be without recommendations from its swarm of influencers? Influencers are the leading voices, the brand ambassadors who have already earned the trust and attention of your target audience.

An example of this is are Instagram story takeovers. This is where an influencer of your choice takes over your brand account, and produces exclusive content for a designated time (typically a few hours or a day at most). 

This is a brilliant technique since the influencer’s audience isn’t urged to follow your brand, but rather they are encouraged by the influencer to see what he or she is doing on your brand’s account. This subtle promotion is more effective to increase reach and drive traffic from Instagram Stories to your site or special offers.

For more information on how to utilize your own Instagram stories, then head over to this article for further guidance!

 

STAY OUT OF SOCIAL HOT WATER 

Sharing is always caring, but posting someone else’s creative property without securing permission is never cool. Potentially, it could put your business in legal jeopardy. If you want to mitigate your brand’s risk then you need an understanding of copyrights and the terms for fair use. It’s vital that you know this!

Read more about social media legal ins-and-outs in this article by Allen Murabayashi, which includes tips to help keep your content on the right side of the law.

Overall, whether you share sumptuous photos to livestream your most memorable moments. Or, you want to inspire viewers with fun remixing activities. Instagram is a great platform for putting your brand’s best content assets on display. How are you using the channel to connect with your audience? Paint your picture of Instagram success in the comments.

 

Congratulations! You have just been taught ten detailed Byter tips and tricks on transforming your Instagram business. Now it’s time to put these tips and tricks to the test, and get your Instagram growing as much as it can. Don’t forget to let your family and friends know about your newfound skills from a London Digital Marketing Agency. Also, be sure to let us know how you do on you Instagram business path. We’d love to hear about it!

 

If you want to strengthen your content marketing skills, then explore more of our detailed articles! We want you to be the best you can be!