Instagram has recently become my new best friend! I dabbled in it for a bit, using it more for the photo editing features than the social element.
Since having my daughter, I probably use it (in a non-business capacity) more than any of the other networks! It’s where I post all my pics of her, and I love following other mums, friends and family and seeing their pics. It’s also where I grow followers for my mum blog!
So, can a brand jump win business on this growing platform?
Most definitely!
1. Showcase your products
Use Instagram to capture your products in different ways and show people how to use them
2. Run competitions
As with the majority of other platforms, hashtags also play a part on Instagram. So, you could run a photo related competition, create a hashtag for it, and ask entrants to post their picture on Instagram using the hashtag.
3. Get people to tag their friends
People can leave comments on your pictures, and can tag their friends within that comment, getting more spread for your posts! So, ask them to tag their friends, making sure it’s applicable! E.g. ‘tag a friend who needs this right now’, ‘tag a friend you’d love to gift this to’.
4. Make your company ‘real’
By posting pictures of what is going on within your company, and what your employees are up to, you make you company feel far more ‘real’ to your customers. Check out Innocent Smoothies on Instagram. They share the odd pic of their products, but their feed is mainly what’s going on in their office!
5. Use hashtags to be visible in the right themes
Get involved in appropriate hashtags that will get your further reach and open you up to a new audience.
6. 15 second video showcases
You can post 15 second videos on Instagram, which is long enough to capture someone without boring them. Share a quick tip or a quick example of your product/service in action!
7. Caption this!
Get your audience involved by asking them to caption your photos or to fill in blanks!
So, I urge you to give Instagram a go! It’s fun, it’s quick, it’s easy to use, and it’s growing day-by-day!
And, if you’re interested in pics of my daughter, you can find me at www.instagram.com/_samflynn!
