Even though Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, some people don’t understand why they should use it for business. Quite often, people think that it’s enough to just have a Facebook account because everyone’s on Facebook. On the one hand, Facebook indeed has the most users. On the other hand, it has lost 15 million users in the last two years, while Instagram’s popularity continues to grow. Instagram already accounts for 25% of Facebook’s total ad revenue, and according to forecasts, this figure will reach 30% by 2020. In addition, the Instagram audience is more likely to engage with marketing content. 68% of Instagram users engage with brands on a regular basis, while on Facebook, this figure is 32%.

Strong Business Image from Pexels

Even if you don’t have much time to post, you can still use Instagram’s ad platform. Given that Instagram is owned by Facebook, it offers all the same types of targeting. It’s simple and it can provide you with many actionable insights so that you can know who is your audience, when they are active, and where they come from. However, engagement is crucial for your success on this platform, so we recommend that you not only place ads but also make posts, reply to comments, and comment on other users’ posts. To engage your followers, you should have a strong branding strategy, and this is exactly what we’re going to talk about.

Why Businesses Should Use Instagram

  • Visibility
    When you follow somebody on Instagram, his or her stories appear at the top of the feed. You can also see their new posts. Instagram stories are extremely popular but they only last for 24 hours. As soon as your story disappears, you can create a new one, maintaining your visibility.

  • Interacting with your audience
    Instagram stories are visible not only for your followers but also for others, as well. They are discoverable, and they give you an opportunity to engage with a wider audience than the one you already have. In your stories, you can create quick polls and ask your followers questions. There is also a “Swipe Up” option, which allows you to include links to your website, driving traffic to it and interacting with the audience using multiple channels.

  • Transparency
    You can give your audience a sneak peek into your company’s everyday routine, sharing “behind-the-scenes” content. Show how your team works or how you spend time during a coffee break, and your followers will feel like if they were a part of your brand’s everyday life.

  • Recycling content
    You can repurpose your blog content or content from other platforms, strengthening your brand and its reputation. This way, you can use the content that has proven to be effective while also reaching a wider audience.

Instagram Branding in 2019: Tips for Businesses

  1. Consistency
    When talking about branding, consistency is one of the most important factors. Instagram focuses on visual content so visual consistency will certainly contribute to the success of your brand. You may think about posting funny pictures or any images that look beautiful. There’s nothing bad with posting whatever looks interesting to you but you can do it on your personal account.
    Make sure that your content reflects your brand’s personality. Use your brand colors and brand logo. A good example of consistency on Instagram is Tiffany & Co. You can see familiar brand colors here and there, and backgrounds of different images often form a single composition.

  2. Choose the right tone
    Your account must have the right tone. Simply put, your tone is the way your brand’s personality expresses itself in your captions and content. If you want to create a strong, authentic brand, you need a consistent brand voice. Research your audience, analyze its preferences, and determine whether your tone should be informative, friendly, inspirational, provocative, fun, etc.

  3. Use hashtags wisely
    To make your content work, you should make sure that people will actually see it. In this case, the right hashtags can help you. Hashtags allow people who are interested in particular topics to discover your posts. If you use the right hashtags and your posts are popular, they will appear in search results and in the feed of people who are subscribed to these hashtags. Don’t overuse hashtags. Although Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags in every post, we recommend that you select a few descriptive and trending hashtags that will reflect the nature of your business and will not be too competitive.
    You can also launch your own hashtags. A great example of a brand that uses hashtags effectively is Nike, which has such branded hashtags as #teamnike and #justdoit.

  4. Stick to your posting schedule
    We’ve already mentioned consistency when talking about the content but you should also be consistent when making new posts. We recommend that you create your posting schedule and stick to it. For example, most Instagram influencers may post a few times a week or even a few times a day. You may post more or less frequently, depending on the specifics of your account and audience. However, no matter how often you post, you should be consistent. The main thing is not to promise more content than you can deliver.

  5. Work with influencers
    If you want to establish your brand’s authority, you should work with the right influencers who have many followers interested in your niche. Not only do influencers increase brand awareness, but they can also promote your products, which is a very effective marketing approach. Unlike brands, influences are real people and so they make your brand closer to people. Their loyal followers trust their opinion, making up a perfect audience for your message.

Conclusion

If you’re still not sure whether your brand needs the Instagram presence, don’t hesitate to create your account. This social media platform has millions of users who are interested in marketing content. If you have the right strategy and the right schedule, you’ll quickly boost awareness and expand your audience, making your marketing efforts more effective.

About the Author

Ester Brierley is a competent virtual assistant for College Writers. She knows the secret for balancing freelancing and her full-time job as a QA Engineer in a software outsourcing company. Also, Ester had found herself as a seasoned content creator for many websites. Follow her on Twitter.