With more than one billion people using Instagram each month and nearly 90% following at least one business account, using Instagram for business purposes in 2021 is a no-brainer. Since its inception a little over 10 years ago, Instagram has evolved from a photo-sharing app to a hub of business activity.
Nowadays, businesses utilize Instagram to market their products, run fundraisers in Instagram Live broadcasts, open shops from their profiles and let people book reservations from their accounts, all while updates of new features, business tools, and tips have become pretty much routine operation. In other words, innovative entrepreneurs don’t sleep on the chance to use Instagram in every possible way to market and showcase their business to their target audience.
Instagram marketing can be a lot to keep track of, though, particularly if you’re a novice entrepreneur and running an Instagram business account is only one tiny aspect of your daily tasks. So, to make things easier for you, we’ve compiled this brief article to serve you as a starter guide in the world of Instagram marketing for businesses.
How To Utilize Instagram Marketing For Your Business?
In a nutshell, there are two ways you could approach and utilize Instagram marketing for your newly established company. The first way or method is by using paid Instagram advertising and influencer marketing to put your company’s products or services in front of the eyes of your target audience.
The second method is an unpaid one. You don’t buy Instagram followers but rather create original posts, organic content, Instagram stories, reels, and comments, and engage with your profile’s followers’ content to grow the following base and naturally build your Instagram profile. Your ultimate business goal for this platform should be selling more products or services, naturally getting more followers, and building a solid user base who will eventually serve as the loudest advocates of your brand.
How To Setup Your IG Business Account?
To start using IG for marketing purposes, you’ll either need an Instagram Business account or an Instagram Creator account. Or suppose you already have a personal Instagram account that you want to continue using as a business one; in that case, you’ll need to switch it to a professional account in the Instagram app.
To do this, open your Instagram app, go to your profile and tap the “hamburger” icon in the upper right corner. Next, tap on the settings button and see if your account has the “switch to a professional account” option there. If it does, you’ll be able to switch your account into a professional one in a second. If not, tap on account, tap switch to a professional account, then continue, select a category for your business, and press done. After setting up your business account, you’ll want to add an Instagram bio and contact details.
Creating A Winning Instagram Marketing Strategy
Define Your Target Audience
Every good social media strategy begins with a solid understanding of your target audience. First, take the time to research the platform’s audience demographics to understand better who uses the platform. Determining your target audience is perhaps the most crucial part of your marketing strategy before using any Instagram marketing tool. To get a better understanding of who you should market your offerings to, make sure to:
- Determine who already buys from your business;
- Check the analytics on other social media platforms to uncover who follows you there;
- Carry out competitor research and compare how your audiences vary.
Knowing who’s in your target audience will put your business in a better position to create valuable content for them. Look at the type of content your customers’ post and engage with, and use these insights to create a winning marketing strategy.
Set Realistic Goals And Objectives
Generally speaking, your Instagram marketing strategy should establish what you hope to achieve on the social media platform. Begin with your business objectives and determine how Instagram marketing can help you accomplish them. We advise using the SMART framework to ensure that your business goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.
Regularly Measure Your Efforts
With your objectives defined, it’s easier to determine the essential social media metrics that you should regularly follow. Although these vary for each business, in broad terms, you should focus on metrics related to the social media funnel: awareness, engagement, conversion, and customer actions.
Final Words
Bear in mind that what works for one brand on Instagram may not work for another. Luckily, Instagram’s platform is a forgiving one that provides lots of room for trial and error. Now that you have a better idea of how to create a business account, it’s time to put it into action and help your business grow.
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