9 Do’s and Don’ts For Businesses On Instagram
We live in busy times and as marketers and business owners we have more platforms for interacting with customers than ever before. When we are busy it can be easy to let complacency slip in or mistakes go uncorrected. Check through the 9 tips below to get your business Instagram back on track.
Do
Plan
Planning keeps you on track and actually creates less work. Sit down in the last week of each month and plan what the next month of your brand on Instagram will look like. Work in significant dates and holidays, product launches, and behind the scenes content to keep things fresh.
Stay On Brand
Give your Instagram content a style that echos your existing brand so that your posts and videos are as easy to recognize as your logo or products are. Use templates that you can slot fresh content into and pay close attention to the style of images you use. Equally as important is the messaging you use on Instagram. Stick to your brand voice as you would anywhere else.
Use Instagram to its full capacity
It may have started as a photo hosting application but Instagram has evolved to become a powerhouse of engaging content solutions. When you are creating your plan, include Instagram stories, feed posts, Instagram Live, and advertising to benefit from the full potential of Instagram. For inspiration take a look at 9 Instagram Accounts with the best Stories.
Always Reply
Schedule at least ten minutes into each day to check and reply to messages and comments on your Instagram page. By acknowledging your audience and taking the time to reply you are letting them know that they matter to you and your business. In turn, this simple gesture creates repeat business and great word of mouth.
Watch Your Analytics
Often, what we think is great can fall fail to connect with our audiences. Instagram gives a wealth of information about how audiences interact with content. Make a point of checking in at least once a week. “The insights that you can get from a site like Instagram are gold dust for any business. They are a direct reflection of what your customers do and don’t like.”, says Davy Howard a tech blogger at Writemyx and Britstudent.com . Your analytics should guide what content you do and don’t share.
Don’t
Set Up The Wrong Kind Of Instagram
All brands and businesses should have an Instagram business profile and not a regular profile. It is possible to switch your account from business to personal in the settings. By switching to business Instagram you will have access to your post analytics and be able to promote posts too.
Post For The Sake Of It
Having a plan is the best way to avoid having dull content. If there is nothing going on then ignore the impulse to post on a whim. It can damage your brand and weaken the strength of what you have already built up. Instead, try to preempt quiet spells and schedule Throwback Thursday (#TBT) and motivational or inspiring content during these lulls.
Ignore Your Bio Or Captions
The caption beneath your image is as important as the image itself. It is an opportunity to speak to your audience, give them the context of the image, and - from time to time - plug your sales link. Equally important is your Instagram bio. Keep it in line with your brand messaging and use the link to promote specific news stories, products, and offers. Don’t forget to let your followers know in the image captions if there is a link in your bio for them. It is an opportunity to drive traffic to your website.
Oversell
Users of Instagram and Twitter share a passionate dislike for brands that are pushy with their sales. Instagram is very much a community. For your business, it is a community of your customers and they want to feel like they are getting something a little extra. Mix up your post themes and “stick to a maximum of 20% sales posts to 80% community posts,” says, Lola Jennings an Insta writer at Australia2write.com and Nextcoursework.com . “Use your business values to guide your post creation,” adds Jennings.