Instagram today is no longer about selfies and food. With over 1.074 billion users, it is a platform and social network with enormous reach. Thus, it provides immense opportunities for advertisers and businesses to build their brands and reach potential customers from all corners of the world.
Whether you’re a company dealing with TV packages such as Spectrum TV or a restaurateur who is constantly enhancing the food menu, businesses today cannot overlook the impact Instagram has on the consumer. According to a survey, 60% of Instagram users said they discovered new services and products via Instagram marketing and more than 75% of them said they took action owing to the discovery. So, if you haven’t fully utilized Instagram as a marketing tool to build brand recognition, it’s time to do that now. Here’s how:
1#. Make Use of Free Instagram Tools
Instagram business accounts are all the rage. Just like Facebook business profiles, Instagram allows users the contact option so that they have complete freedom to call, text or email a business. Besides, the business profiles on Insta have access to analytics or ‘Insights’ as you call them. This feature allows users to get a breakdown of profile views, impressions, clicks and reach. Besides it also provides demographic and activity information about the audience. Business profiles also let the user schedule posts and set up an Instagram shop.
So, if you have a personal account, consider changing it to a business one. It’s free and it allows you to better understand how users are reacting and interacting with your content. This puts you in a stronger position to create relevant content and hence improve your interaction and consequently brand recognition.
2#. Promote Insta Posts on Other Social Media Channels
To increase awareness regarding your brand, you need to constantly attract new followers. At times your fans may not be aware of your Instagram posts because they’re not using their accounts regularly. If that is the case, you should post across other social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter to ensure they follow you on Instagram as well. If they’re already following you on other channels, it means they are interested in what you have to offer. So give them another way to be socially connected to your brand. Your followers/fans should be connected to as many of your social profiles as possible; this would increase your reach per post.
3#. Establish Your Brand’s Look
The presentation and aesthetics of your brand play a pivotal role in attracting the audience towards it. It’s the look of a brand that makes it stand out and help people recognize it instantly. This is why it’s extremely important to have an Instagram look that’s consistent across your posts so that the followers can easily recognize it when it appears on their feeds.
A consistent look, feel and color scheme can be achieved by making use of Lightroom presets. If you come across a creator on Instagram whose look appeals to you, you can check if they are offering their presets for sale.
4#. Interact with Followers
Social media is all about interaction. So, if you’re not giving your followers the attention that it requires to build a loyal customer base, then you’re not doing enough to promote your brand. If someone comments on your posts, you must reply promptly and thank them for their feedback or suggestions. This simple gesture or engagement will go a long way in promoting your brand. Not only this, you should also come up with ideas to get your followers to interact with your posts. An example in this regard would be “tag three friends who would love to try this.” Such a post would put your brand in front of a larger audience and hence attract new followers.
5#. Use Hashtags Wisely
A very wise way to increase brand visibility is the use of hashtags. You can use up to 30 hashtags in one Insta post but that’s not always possible or even recommended. Ideally, you should use between five and nine hashtags per post. Excessive use of them would look like stuffing or even worse a spammy tactic which would put off the followers. Also, using repetitive or irrelevant hashtags would make your followers block content for that tag. So to get the most out of hashtags, use those which are relevant and particular to your niche.