People are visual. Most people think and dream in pictures. So how can you tap into that to effectively market your business? Instagram is a phenomenal tool to connect to an audience through visuals alone. Communication through photos is not only simple but it also makes a huge impact. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?
At it’s most basic level, Instagram is a fun way to share photos (and now video) instantly with the people who follow you. That being said, there are many ways to maximize Instagram for your business.
- For starters, visually promote new services and offers creatively. This can be through a graphic coupon available exclusively to your Instagram followers, or a slick picture promoting an event. You want to give people a reason to follow you on different social media channels, so take advantage of the visual only aspect of Instagram to creatively communicate.
- Next, remember that your social media accounts are not about you. I know that sounds weird, but social media is about communicating with others and actively listening to your followers. Feature your customers and other businesses as much as possible to gain new followers and inspire loyalty to your existing ones. Celebrities and companies that feature other peoples work not only bring exposure to the person featured, but they also give themselves good exposure as well.
- Also, share behind the scene photos. Customers like knowing that they have the inside track on your business and there is no better way to give the people what they want then to share as many work photos as possible. This gives your customers the transparency and intimacy they crave from businesses. Additionally, it personalizes your company and employees, further encouraging customers to do business with you.
- You can also use hashtags and understand what tags connect to your customer base. There are many websites that track trending hashtags and Instagram itself allows you to search posts by tag. This can be a tremendous help when keeping up with the image of your brand or industry on Instagram.
- Lastly, run photo based contests to get your fan base sharing and talking about your business. Again, using hashtags and username tags, your customers can interact with you personally and give you exposure for no cost. Feature your followers photos and give them a shout out for mentioning your business or product.
Remember, customer engagement is your priority and social media is the key, so get out there and propose to your audience today.