Instagram is *the* app
As Instagram rises to the top of important social media platforms for businesses and brands, it’s necessary to know who is using it, what they’re using it for, and how to get them to follow you.
MarketingProfs published a useful graphic with a list of tips to help you build the perfect Insta-page, which serves as a great first step for marketers new to the platform.
Instagram is all the rage
Today, Instagram is used by 48.8% of brands in the United States, and that number is expected to rise to 70.7% by 2017.
Just five years ago, Instagram was still a fairly niche social network, used primarily by younger people, but it’s growth has been astounding, both for personal and professional accounts.
In fact, usage has doubled in the last two years.
Woosah
At the core of Instagram is content and community, and it’s important to find a natural balance between the two.
The app has over 500 million active monthly users, which means making your account stand out is difficult, and finding and maintaining a dedicated audience who cares about your page is even harder.
MarketingProfs suggests a few things, like crafting creative, sometimes humorous captions that encourage engagement and finding the right hashtags to use to target the audience you care about.
Keep it casual
MarketingProfs also encourages taking advantage of interactions and keeping things conversational.
In addition to responding to comments on your own account, commenting on potential clients can be a great way to find new customers and fans.
Keepin’ it fresh
Instagram is continuously rolling out new features, many of which are aimed at making it more business-friendly.
In addition to advertisements and the addition of business pages, small changes like letting users add slideshows, rather than just singular images, or the ability to like comments give businesses new ways to stand out and engage with their customers.
Before taking advantage of any of these new features, it’s important to know the basics, which is where this graphic from MarketingProfs comes in.
KISS – Keep it simple stupid
While some of the tips on the graphic may seem obvious, it’s important to remember how many new accounts are created daily and how a little fine-tuning can help you stand out.
Whether you’re a small mom-and-pop shop just starting your first account, or a well-funded start-up looking to Instagram to grow buzz, taking a peek at these tips definitely won’t hurt.
