Four Do’s and Four Don’ts for Marketing Your Business on Instagram

Summary

• Instagram is a powerful form of marketing
• With 1-in-3 adults on Instagram and 4.2 Billion likes per day, it’s a chance to reach a broad audience
• Like any marketing tool, there are some proven Do’s and Don’ts

Depending on your social media habits, you may be surprised to learn that Instagram is more than a machine for generating FOMO via pictures of tropical beaches, fancy dinners, and chic clothes.

While it’s certainly good at making you wish you were cooler, better dressed, and able to jet-set around the world at a moment’s notice, it’s also a great way of introducing your business to new customers, interact with existing clients, and build your brand.

Consider the following statistics:

• More than 500 million Instagram Stories are created every day
• 95 million posts are added per day
• Posts generate 4.2 billion “likes” per day
• One in three online adults use Instagram
• 60% of users are actively seeking out new products on Instagram

There’s a huge potential client base out there eager to learn more about your company, and they’re waiting for you to engage them. What better time to start than the summer, when Instagram users are checking their feeds for fun and engaging content. With that in mind, here are four do’s and four don’ts that can help you capture their business.

DO post high-quality photos – This is as obvious as it is important. A picture, as the old adage goes, is worth a thousand words, and that’s Instagram’s strength in a nutshell. It allows you to quickly tell a story in a single image, and to expand and flesh out that story with every new post. By filling your page with interesting, attention-grabbing photos, you intrigue your audience and make them want to know more. 

DON’T post stock photos – To effectively tell your story, you’ll need to post high-quality and original images that draw viewers into your world. Posting boring, generic photos encourages viewers to tune your message out.

DO engage your audience – An attractive, attention-grabbing photo is a great start, but you need to make your viewers feel like they know you and that they’re engaged in a conversation with you. Ask questions, respond to replies and questions, encourage them to share your content with their social networks.

DON’T come on too strong – The flip side to engagement is appearing too eager for a sale, which can turn off Instagram users who have become all too accustomed to being bombarded with advertisements and marketing copy. Keep them coming back with your quality photos and content and the sales will follow organically.

DO post regularly, preferably on a schedule –  One surefire way to ensure that users keep coming back is by providing new content on a regular basis. Some popular Instagram accounts post daily, others only a few times a week. Find a schedule that works for you.

DON’T post just to post – The flip side to regular posting is that it only encourages views when the content itself is of high quality. Don’t add low-quality posts just to meet an arbitrary schedule, or you risk chasing off potential customers.

DO cultivate a personality – An approachable, fun, and authentic (or at least authentic-seeming) personality is what generates repeat viewers, and repeat viewers are more likely to turn into customers. Be the fun and engaging best version of yourself and the followers will come! Need more views? Consider buying instant Instagram followers from the best place to get them online: FluidBuzz!

 DON’T forget to use analytics – Having an engaging personality doesn’t preclude breaking out the metrics. Your company’s Instagram presence is a form of marketing, and as with all marketing campaigns, you should be measuring its success regularly. Instagram’s new metrics for businesses allow you to track viewers by gender, age group, location, visit time, and more.