According to the latest report, Instagram has over one billion active monthly users. Out of those, 90% of the users follow at least one type of business on the platform. The stat itself speaks and encourages one to start using Instagram for their business in 2021.?
Almost everyone is well aware of the fact, within ten years, this photo-sharing app has become the most popular business activity platform as well. It can be very useful to learn all the aspects of handling your business account on Instagram. The platform has so much to keep track of.
The first step is to learn some of the main features to start an Instagram page for business. Such as setting up an account from scratch, engaging with your audience, and measuring it to success.?
Table of Contents
How to Set-Up Instagram For Business in 8 Steps
Here, you would go through all the essential tips to get started on your Instagram business account. You will also learn the secret of building such an audience that would fall in love with your content.?
1.? Get Yourself an Instagram Business Account
Whether you already have an Instagram account or you need a new one, both options work. You can either switch your personal account to a business account or you can set up a separate business account from scratch.?
Follow the below guide to create your new business account.
- Download or Install the Instagram app (available on IOS, Android, and Windows)
- Tap the ?Sign Up? once the app is opened.
- Put your email address. You can also use multiple Instagram accounts in one app.
- In the second step, you need to create a username and password. Plus, all the other profile info required at the time.
- You can also choose the ?Log in with Facebook? option. But it might ask you to sign in first.
- Tap the ?Next? button.
- Here you Go!
2. Tune-Up Your Profile
Crafting your profile according to what works the best on the platform is another important task. The below-mentioned principles are based on best Instagram practices.
- Your display picture always plays an important role here. It helps people to identify your brand quite easily.
- Your account name is vital. Always keep a business name that also matches your brand name on other social media platforms.?
- Username is one of the major ways people can search your profile on Instagram. It cannot have any spaces.
- Instagram allows only one clickable URL, which is in your bio section. It is recommended that you redirect the audience to your website through that link.
- Your bio section is the first thing that a visitor sees on your profile. It should have short but complete info about what your business offers. You can also put some sort of ?hooks? that will encourage people to click on your website link in the bio.
?3. A Loyal Community
Having millions of followers who are not interested in what you do isn?t a legit thing. Your followers/community must be loyal to your brand. You need to ensure that they are interested in what you have to offer.?
So many businesses (even people who run their personal profiles) think that a large number of followers can have a big impact. It surely can have. But only if those followers are organic. They should interact with every post, every time. This is something you should be focusing on.
Your community can be small but it should be loyal to what your brand demands. An audience that loves your brand is worth more than millions of irrelevant followers. Always take baby steps. Never try to jump off the cliff at once. Slow progress is still progress and it?s long-term.
It is important not to mislead yourself by thinking your account has been created and tuned up. And now you don?t need to spend more time on the platform. BIG NO! ?Your actual responsibility starts at this point.
5. Post High-Quality Content
Instagram favors content creators who are committed to creating high-quality content for their audiences. You need to focus on your visuals in depth. This is because visuals are the only thing that will grab your audience?s attention, whenever you post something.?
Following a specific theme can be super beneficial. Accounts with random colors and patterns do not attract many people. You can try your unique brand color. A color that?s also present in your brand logo. Another important thing – always posting relevant content. Irrelevant content can affect your audience?s engagement rate significantly.
For example, if you look at Air France, they are posting content that?s relevant to travel.? This includes airplane pictures, destinations, views from the window seats, and much more.
Step 5: Craft Your Brand?s Narrative
Have you learned a better way to attract followers than by telling an interesting story?
One of the most common threads among the biggest Instagram brands is; they definitely have some sort of narrative. With the help of imagery, such brands are able to speak to the interests and desires of their customers. As a result, they receive massive love in the form of likes and comments.?
Well, no need to be a master storyteller in order to create a narrative. All you need to do is, let your pictures along with your captions do the talking.
Step 6: Engage With Influencers
By far, this is one of the quickest ways when it comes to rising up in the Instagram ranks. Establishing good relationships with the same industry influencers having a massive following is a great way to grow.?
You can get a shout-out from a famous influencer that will give your business page instant credibility. The majority of influencers offer paid shoutouts while others do the same job organically. The choice is totally yours!
Step 7: Write Compelling Captions
Instagram was surely born as a visual platform. But doesn?t mean at all that you can neglect the power of well-written captions.
Captions allow you to define your photo, by means of a meaningful story. Do you know? A good copy has the power to build empathy, trust, and a strong community. With the help of your captains, you can develop a clear brand voice. This will greatly help you in staying consistent.?
No matter if your business is the best industrial robot arm brand or a simple book-selling company. You can borrow some inspiration from the best copywriters working in different fields.?
Step 8: Play with the Hashtags
Hashtags are the kinds when it comes to? Instagram growth. Their main job is to make your Instagram content a lot easier to find.
The captions you write on Instagram are not searchable. But hashtags are searchable so when someone clicks on a hashtag, they see all the relevant content within a min. You can also create your own branded hashtag.?
A branded hashtag will present your brand as well as encourage your followers to share content that fits the image.?
Conclusion
With a super active, ever-growing user base, Instagram has already proven itself as a bright staple of social marketing. Brands that depend on a visual story to tell and share the same desire, that is, to grow a base of dedicated followers/customers, Instagram is still waiting.?
This guide is the key to starting from scratch and understanding each step along the way. If you know someone who is suffering from the same situation (where you were before reading this guide), share it!
Varsha