A Quick Guide To Using Instagram For Business

Over 1 billion people use Instagram every month. Roughly 90% of those Instagram users are following at least one business account. 

This means, using Instagram for business, in 2021 is a no-brainer.

In just around 10 years, Instagram has grown from a photo-sharing app to a business activity hub. Brands may open shops from their Instagram profiles, run fundraisers in Instagram Live broadcasts, and allow people to book reservations from their respective accounts. Many of the brands prefer to buy instagram followers for their business profiles to attract more engaging customers. Updates of new business tools, features, and tips in the app have become quite a routine.

It can be quite a lot to keep track of, especially if you are running an Instagram business account. So, in this article, we are going to provide you a quick guide to using Instagram for business.

Step 1- Get an Instagram business account

Create a new Instagram business account from scratch or convert your old one to a business one by following these steps.

1. Download the Instagram app on your device.
2. Open the app and tap Sign up.
3. Enter your email address.
4. Choose your Instagram username and password. Fill in your profile info. If you are logging in with Facebook, use your Facebook information to sign in.
5. Tap Next.

So, now your Instagram account setup is complete. Let’s proceed towards converting it into a business account.

1. From your profile, tap the three horizontal lines icon in the upper-right corner.
2. Tap Settings at the bottom.
3. Some accounts may see Switch to Professional Account in this menu only. If you do, tap it. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
4. Tap Account.
5. Choose Switch to Professional Account. If you wish to connect your Instagram and Facebook business accounts, fill in the asked info in the next steps.
6. Select your business category. Add relevant contact details.
7. Tap Done.

Step 2- Define your target audience

A good social media strategy begins with a proper understanding of your audience. Research Instagram’s audience demographics to get a clear idea about who uses the platform. For example, people aging 25-34 years represent the largest ad audience on Instagram.

Since defining your target audience is one of the most important components of your marketing strategy for any social media marketing tool, let’s understand it through these simple tips:

• Determine who is already buying from you or who will, in the future.
• Check the analytics of your other social media channels to understand who follows you there.
• Conduct competitor research and analyze how your audiences vary.

Knowing who your audience puts you in a superior position to create content. Look at the content your customers post and engage with, and use those insights to form your creative strategy. A pro tip is to get instagram followers that can help you to increase your organic customer base and maximise engagement. 

Step 3- Create a content calendar

With your audience defined, you can plan to publish content on Instagram with a purpose. A well-planned social media calendar or a content calendar ensures you don’t miss any important dates. It also allows you to allot enough time to create engaging content.

Start by researching and plotting out important events. This may include periods such as Christmas holiday planning or Black History Month, tax season or back to school, or specific days such as International Hug Your Cat Day or Giving Tuesday. Look at the sales data to see when your customers will begin planning for specific occasions.

Look for opportunities to produce themes or regular installments that you might build into a series. “Content buckets,” as some people call them. They allow you to check specific boxes without having to overthink creation. The more planning you do upfront, the better you will be able to produce content regularly and respond to last-minute or unplanned events.

Also, plan to publish when your followers are online. Because newsfeed algorithms consider “recency” as a crucial ranking signal, thus, posting when people are most active is one of the best ways to enhance organic reach.

Step 4- Write a great bio

The users reading your bio are curious enough to visit your profile. So, hook them in and tell them why they should follow you.

In 150 characters or less, your bio on Instagram should describe your brand. It should also showcase your brand voice.

Tips to write an amazing Instagram bio:

• Get straight to the point- Short and sweet should be your language to impress people.
• Use line breaks- Line breaks are a good way to organize Instagram bios that include different types of info.
• Include emoji- The right emoji can save space, reinforce an idea, inject personality, or draw attention to important info.
• Add a CTA- Want people to click on your website link? Tell them why they should.

Step 5: Share high-quality content

As we all know, Instagram is all about visuals, therefore, it’s important to possess a recognizable visual identity. Sharing high-quality content should be your topmost priority on the platform to engage users with your content.

Try to establish persisting themes of pillars that you can alternate. In some events, the content will be obvious. After deciding your content themes, create a consistent visual look. That includes a color palette and a complete aesthetic that your fans could instantly recognize when they see your posts in their Instagram feeds.

Conclusion

So, these were the easiest tips to start with, on Instagram while using it for your business. We hope your business flourishes on the platform and you gain lots of engagement.