10 Reasons why marketing on Instagram is essential for your Business.

It doesn’t matter what you do or where you come from, everyone is on a social media platform in one way or another. Instagram is fast becoming the leading social media platform and is packed full of visual inspiration. On Instagram, imagery is far more important than words which is a great way to showcase your products or services.

1. Build a following of fans who are just as passionate about your brand as you are.
You can also build a following or audience who are relevant to your business. They want to see your content so it is super important to keep the content flowing so long as it is relevant to your business and audience. 

2. It doesn’t cost a penny to be able to engage with your followers and future customers.
Once you have posted your content you’re able to interact with the people who engage with your posts. This is a great way to build a relationship with your following and add brownie points to your brand reputation. 
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Picture this, someone comes to your store - you hear a comment based on your product and you just walk away. It wouldn’t or at least it shouldn’t happen. So don’t let those engagements go without some form of a response. People love to know that there are real personalities behind the brand and they love to know that their voice is being heard, so be sure to keep your notifications switched on so you don’t miss a beat. 

3. Go viral or at the very least, reach new audiences who need to know all about what you do.
There are also many viral marketing opportunities you could get involved in but you need to be active in that social platform to know what’s occurring and when. Trends don’t last forever so it’s important to get involved with these opportunities - so long as they’re relevant to your brand voice and audience of course. 

4. Show them what you’ve got! (on a budget that suits you) 
Instagram offers many opportunities to market your business. You could feature photos of your products, show your audience how to use your products or give an example of one of the services you provide. It is a great way to demonstrate to your audience, why they should invest in your brand. Get people talking! Remember, they may be following you but they also may have a great following of their own. Make the most of user-generated content, people love it when you feature their photos on your feeds or react to their posts - influencers in particular.

5. Generate a buzz with contests and giveaways.
Contests and giveaways work really well on Instagram. Post your prize with instructions on how to enter and get your audience to share or tag their friends. It’s a great way to build a hype and you could also share news of the winner through a live video or through your instagram stories. Don’t forget to use hashtags so you can keep track of the reach of your contest or giveaway. In some respects, you’re getting your audience to market your product for you and it is a great way to get some user-generated content for your feed. 

6. Check out your competition. (in a non-creepy way)
One of the most important aspects of building your brand is competitive and customer research. Instagram is a great tool to find out who is using your product already and search out what your competitors are up to. You may be able to find a gap in the market or find opportunities to connect with current or prospective customers. 
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Plus there are many free tools on Instagram at your disposal so you can learn more about your customers and what they think of your products, brand or services. It is surprising how few businesses out there are using these tools to their advantage. By having a business profile on Instagram you’re able to run Sticker Polls for example. This a feature available through Instagram stories where you’re able to get instant feedback on your products or services. It gets your audience engaging with your brand and could provide valuable insights into your customers. 

7. Spread the word further than ever before with promotions and sponsored adverts.
To increase your reach and brand awareness you could also sponsor your posts to promote your product, service, event or offer. This could encourage more profile visits and link clicks. With promoted posts, the call to actions are really clear with the option to add a button to drive more traffic to your website or profile. 
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Though the targeting options are not as comprehensive as the Facebook Ad Manager, you should consider who you want to promote your post. Within the Instagram platform you are able to specifically target audiences based on location, age demographics and more. With your call to action you have the choice to add a button which encourages calls, emails or link clicks. Plus you don’t have to spend a fortune. Choose a budget and consider the duration in which you would like your advert to run. 

8. Make it easier for your customers to convert with the Storefront feature.
The Storefront feature is also great for e-commerce businesses but you will have to set this up through Facebook ad manager and Facebook catalogue before approving for storefront on Instagram. But don’t worry, there is helpful tips and guidance through the setup process to help you get the ball rolling. With this feature you’re able to tag your products in your posts so that your audience can shop directly through the instagram platform, which is of course a great sales opportunity.
In order to create an Instagram business page, you must have Facebook Business Page so that you can connect the two. Both Facebook and Instagram offer great opportunities for you to check out what your competitors are doing so you can either be inspired by their strategy and content which applying your own brand voice and taking things one step further to set yourself apart from them.

9. Contrary to belief, it’s not all about the pictures!
Though Instagram is very much about the imagery, you must put as much thought and consideration into your captions. Hashtags will allow your content to be searched and found, increasing your reach and potentially getting your content in front of the right audience. In addition, captions allow you to add further call to actions or provide additional information on your products and services. Captions are a great way to show the personality behind your brand, keep it short, sweet and suitable for your audience.

10. It’s super easy to optimise your Instagram Profile!
When was the last time you looked at all the details in your bio? It is really important to keep all your information up to date and relevant. Your bio should be short and sweet plus don’t miss out on the opportunity to include a link to your website. 

What about your profile picture? The Instagram profile picture does appear quite small so it is really important to utilise this space well. Most businesses will put their company logo as their profile picture - which is a great idea but please make sure it fits within the circle. There’s nothing worse than seeing half a logo cropped out and it doesn’t make a very good first impression.

So there you have it. If you're not convinced already, contact us today, we will be happy to run through your options, come up with a social media marketing plan that is customised to your business and if you like, manage the content for you so you have more time to do what you do best.