The Power of Instagram
Likes, follows and mentions… oh my! Toto, I don’t think we are in regular-Kansas anymore. Oh, no! Things are all weird and in HD. Isn’t that how it feels sometimes? We get it. The second that you changed into a brand, you were no longer allowed to post dark, out of focus selfies or that time you got drunk on your neighbor’s lawn. (Hey, wasn’t that the same night?)
Because Instagram has become what many social media experts now call the best current tool of its time, we want to be sure that you understand its power. When you do, we want to make sure that you are putting it to hard work for your business.
Know Your Audience
Sun Tzu once said, “Know thy enemy, know thyself.” While you don’t want to go to war with your customers, you do want to take these wise words meant for war - and use them in the art of business.
Any brand, any business, cannot only have a service or product to offer, but it must also know who to offer them to. Any business can say, “This would be great for anybody!” However, having an inclusive brand or business is where your real successes lie. The truth is that not a single thing in this world is cookie-cutter for any buyer. Pay attention to who your audience is but also pay attention to who you NEED them to be. Your content will drive away the clients who will never care and bring in the ones who will start turning profit over.
Engage Through the Power of Stories
Instagram began as the trendy little space that told stories through pictures. Now, the social platform has grown into a place where users are demanding a little more. In fitness, where you might have found a world-wide bodybuilder simply showing off their next on-stage win, in 2019 we have single mothers who are changing the face of fitness from their living rooms, gifting us with the image of change and growth while also writing a little mini blog beneath each post. Not only are stories powerful here on IG, but your brand story is also going to come out in the stories you tell. Keep it cohesive.
Spark a Following with Beautiful Imagery
Personal Instagram’s may do ok without great lighting, but if you want to be taken seriously on your platform - you need to take yourself seriously. (Well, not too seriously… we mean, you can take a picture wearing an inflatable dinosaur suit for all that we care so long as the lighting is good.)
Great photos are a dime a dozen on IG. However, they do draw in likes and follows. Be forewarned though. If you have great images, you will need everything else on this list to make just great images be enough to keep a lasting following that is actually motivated to buy.
Lineup with Influencers
We have all watched celebrities mention their favorite brands and probably ran across our favorite IG page saying giveaways or their new favorite “fill-in-the-blank” from Company What-the-Heck-Ever. This is called influencer marketing.
Wait. Wait. Hold up…
Before you go and look for about ten people with a large following to talk about your brand - remember that an influencer is not someone who necessarily has a large number of followers. An influencer is, instead, someone who drives people to buy has a history of proving they can help people get noticed while also helping them to move product.
You can find them yourself or check out this nifty little list. It will help you see a list of specific brands, other specs, and how much it costs to get mentioned on their page.
If you cannot afford to toss around the dough… consider throwing a free product someone’s way. If they love it, ask them to mention you. While you are at it, offer them a second gift of the same item to giveaway on their page. This will drive traffic to you, to them and be a win/win that won’t cost you any money.
As you navigate growing your Instagram, changes don’t happen overnight. However, with a little knowledge and a keen eye to what is going on, (not just what you want to be going on in your head… trust us - we’ve been there,) you can turn your brand into an Instagram hit - at least in your little niche. And, baby, that is all that really matters.