People love looking at photographs and videos. They also love to take them, share them and comment on them! Smartphones have now made this process easier than ever before.Sharing images is a contemporary form of communication and entertainment, but it also influences buying decisions and behaviour – we see it, we want it!

All of these reasons help to explain why Instagram has become such a huge social media phenomenon.

Backed by the technical expertise of its owners Facebook, it now commands a billion monthly users. Instagram stories have become a popular way to share highlights and events from your day, and 500 million people use this feature daily. 

Here’s the best statistic for business owners though. Around 60% of Instagram users report finding new products on this social media platform, so it’s clearly a powerful commercial platform. Experts say it can be ‘a crucial part of a social media marketing strategy.’

“With a 20% increase in users from June 18 to April 19, I believe Instagram’s growth isn’t slowing down any time soon,” said Rabban Faruqui of Superviral.co.uk. 

“From a biological perspective, we can see why visual-based social media companies like Instagram and Snapchat will continue thriving as visuals are processed 60,000x faster than text in the brain, meaning consumers simply prefer images/videos over text.”

Knowing this and cashing in on it for your business are two different things, though. So, here are some simple steps you can take to make the most of Instagram. You can get free instagram followers by Followers Gallery

Position your brand

First, take time to decide what you are promoting. Not just in terms of products or services, but what the specific benefits are. What words best describe those products and services, and what are your customers most attracted to?

This is called branding. Having clear brand statements (also called Unique Selling Propositions, or USPs) makes your Instagram activity more effective. The wording you choose for captions is important to back up imagery that shows your product or service in the best possible light.

Develop a social media strategy

Setting up an Instagram page is relatively straightforward. The smartphone app guides you along, and the Instagram for business help page is also useful.

However, getting up and running on Instagram does not then mean randomly posting audio-visual material whenever you get a minute! You need to have a plan.

This could include, for example, featuring a different product or service each week, focusing them on seasonal and current trends. Beauty products for summer holidays, Christmas gifts or Mother’s Day for example.

Your Instagram strategy could include corresponding email campaigns or website blogs, for instance. Posting something on Instagram that gets users clicking on your website is the ultimate goal, so tying the two together is vital.

Fresh, vibrant images

The quality of your images and videos matters a great deal!

Instagram is one of the best channels for promoting your brand, especially if it’s a brand with a strong visual aesthetic – like a hair and beauty business, for example. These enterprises are all about making their customers look and feel better, so the visual capabilities of Instagram are the perfect match. The more photographs you post of happy clients the better, especially before and after shots which will be fascinating for your target audience.

There is an important tip for all Instagram beginners in the above advice. To back up your brand, you need to create a stock of photos and videos which show products and services in action. This will get you a better response than a nice arrangement of your products on a table! Build Instagram posts showing the ‘added value’ of what you are selling.

Movement to catch the eye

Further to the above advice, don’t be tempted to reel out the same photos or video clips. Especially static imagery.

Use Boomerang and other tools to create visual clips that include movement, or a slideshow of constantly updated images.

What is Boomerang on Instagram? It’s a simple tool that creates a short looping video. So, someone flicking their hair up for example, or someone coming from behind a door to reveal an outfit then going backwards.

It is so effective that around 25% of all stories on Instagram are people sharing Boomerangs!

It’s a fun effect, but there’s another good reason Boomerang and other moving imagery is so vital to success on social media. It’s a basic element of human nature that our attention is improved if we see something moving.

Post regularly and check notifications

No social media platform is a ‘one-hit-wonder’ that boosts sales massively overnight for all businesses. They involve careful and consistent attention.

The strategy mentioned earlier helps you to post frequently – without having to think too hard each time. It also avoids social media like Instagram soaking up too much of your day.

Alongside regular posting, you must check your notifications on Instagram. Users will like and comment on your business page and may send you direct messages. Not responding quickly enough can tarnish your relationship with potential customers.

If you want to control the interaction Instagram users have with your business page, use the Notifications feature in ‘Settings’. It helps you to adjust what information you receive, but also the activities of your ‘followers’.

Link it up

Reference has already been made to making sure your website and social media are working in tandem. In some cases, it saves time and achieves consistency if you link up your social media platforms. Of course, linking Facebook and Instagram together is particularly easy as they are interrelated. Explore the ‘Linked Accounts’ feature in settings to see what’s possible.

However, having the same posts simultaneously appearing on social media platforms is not necessarily right for every business. Your customers could get fed up of seeing repeated images and information. You may need to keep content fresh and relevant to different platforms.

Know your audience

Do you know who uses Instagram? Though it is hugely popular, Instagram does tend to attract a high proportion of people in their 20s and 30s. Snapchat largely appeals to a younger demographic, and Facebook is growing a universal appeal. Twitter too has its own specific demographic profile and patterns of use.

Do you know the best times of the day to post on Instagram, to reach your target market? It’s worth exploring to maximise your success.

When to post

Apart from knowing your audience, you need to also know when they go online. If your looking into leveraging this platform effectively, SproutSocial said that posting content on weekdays between 10 am to 3 pm will be ideal.

Whilst there’s no bad time to make a post, there’s a better way to find conversion on those content. Take in consideration as well the time zones of your international markets. Remember that it’s still depend on the visual (image) and the content (message).

Regularly assess your Instagram activity for what is – and what isn’t – working so you can adjust your strategy and build your business on this valuable social media platform.