According to a Pew Research Center 2016 social media study, 32% of internet-using adults are on Instagram. Data providers GlobalWebIndex found that over half of all Instagram users follow brands. Businesses of all sizes and industries can use Instagram marketing to build upon their brand identity, generate customer loyalty, and expand their reach to new audiences. It’s one of the fastest growing social media platforms for businesses for a reason; Instagram helps foster connections between companies and consumers, and those connections can easily turn into increased revenue. Here are some tips for meaningful, results-focused Instagram marketing:

Getting Set Up

You should set your Instagram page up to be an official business profile. You’ll need a Facebook business page first in order to do this. It’s worth doing because Instagram business profiles make it easier for potential customers to contact you. Make sure you include a link to your website in your bio section. You can change this link any time you’d like if you want to promote a certain product or campaign-specific webpage. You should also start by following any relevant pages, like other local businesses and people you know.

Deciding on a Style

Before you start aimlessly posting to Instagram, think about the goal; you want to communicate your brand identity so that it resonates with the people who would most likely purchase your products or services. Your Instagram marketing should have a  unified aesthetic that appeals to your target market. If your current branding (logo, website, marketing materials) has a certain theme, like a color scheme, voice, or mood that you portray consistently, work that into your Instagram presence.

Sum up your brand in a few words… are you hip and trendy? Calming and luxurious? Powerful and motivational? Goofy and fun? If you had to generalize your target audience into one hypothetical person, what do you think their Instagram would look like? If you want to fuel your brand identity, post strategically so that when a potential customer views your entire profile, there is a clear and cohesive vibe that speaks to their sensibilities.

Other than picking a color theme for your content, another great way to create a unified aesthetic is to use the same or similar filters for all of your posts. Instagram offers a great range of photo and video filters that help you convey certain feelings in your posts. If you are going for a dark and mysterious look, try Perpetua, Hudson, X-Pro II, or Lo-Fi. If you are going for a light and airy look, try Reyes, Juno, Amaro, Rise, or Valencia. Figure out which filter matches your brand identity best and try to stick to it.

Content Categories – The 3 E’s of Instagram Marketing Content

1. Educational: Tell your audience something they don’t know. How-to posts are popular on Instagram, especially videos and photo slideshows. Behind-the-scenes posts are great for businesses too. If there’s an aspect of your business that most of your customers don’t know about, post about it! Let them into your world and let them take something away from your posts.
2. Entertaining: Your Instagram posts shouldn’t always be about business, in fact, most of them should be customer-focused and entertaining. Anything from inspirational quotes to holiday-related posts to fun videos of your employees on the job can be entertaining. Remember, Instagram isn’t the place to sell, it’s a place to show your customers and potential customers your brand’s personality and make them like you.
3. Engaging: When you engage your followers on Instagram you create a deeper and more memorable connection with them. One way you can increase engagement is to do interactive posts like contest announcements. Ask your followers to repost your picture or to tag your account in one of their posts to receive a discount or free gift. Alternatively, you can ask them to tag 3 of their friends in a comment to be eligible to win the contest. Another idea for Instagram engagement is to start a conversation with your post. Post something thought-provoking and ask for your followers’ opinions in the comments. Make sure you respond to the comments to show followers that you are engaged as well.

Staying Consistent

You will randomly find things throughout your day that are worth posting, but try to come up with a pre-planned schedule for Instagram posts. It is ideal to post something everyday, but 3-4 times a week is a good way to start. Try to vary the type of content you are posting to keep followers interested. As you post more, you’ll be able to use the “insights” tool to view metrics and see which posts are working and which aren’t so that you can tailor your content to your audience’s preferences.