Getting Started as a Small Business on Instagram

There’s no doubt that Instagram is a powerful social media platform. With more than 800 million users, it’s a great place to share your brand with the world. But starting out as a small business on Instagram can be challenging.

Knowing how to run your small business on Instagram is essential to your success. The possibilities are endless when marketing your business on the platform, including using hashtags, connecting with other users, monitoring your competitors, and running ads.

This post will share tips for getting started on Instagram, including identifying and targeting new followers, using hashtags to get exposure, and running successful marketing campaigns. Keep reading for all the details!

Why should your brand be on Instagram?

Humans are social creatures

Human beings are programmed to connect with other people. We crave connection and belonging. Instagram allows your brand to communicate with your target audience deeper. Using logos and colors to represent your brand creates a visual reference that can lead to a loyal following.

Put a face to your brand

You’re putting a face to your brand when you post pictures and videos of your team, customers, and product. This helps connect your audience and makes your brand more relatable. People tend to do business with brands they know, like, and trust.

The influencer marketing industry is growing rapidly

Influencer marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience on Instagram. It’s estimated that by 2022, the influencer marketing industry will be worth $15 billion. That’s a lot of dough. And it’s not just big brands that are using influencer marketing. Small businesses can use influencer marketing to reach their target audience, too.

Keep an eye on your competitors

Your competitors are probably already on Instagram. That’s why it’s essential to keep an eye on what they’re doing. You can learn from their successes and their failures. By understanding what’s working for them, you can create a better strategy for your brand.

Get helpful feedback and insights from your audience

Instagram provides valuable insights into who your audience is and what they’re interested in. You can use this information to improve your marketing strategy and make better business decisions.

Instagram offers many ways to be creative

Your brand doesn’t have to be all business all the time. Instagram provides an excellent opportunity to show off your brand’s personality. Be creative with tools and features, including:

Stories

Stories are a great way to show off your brand’s personality by giving followers a behind-the-scenes look at your business, product, or service. You can also use stories to run quizzes, polls, and giveaways.

Live video

Live video is a great way to connect with your audience in real-time. You can use live video to answer questions, give product demonstrations, or even host a live Q&A session.

Reels

Reels are short, fun videos you can create with Instagram’s creative tools. They’re great for showing off your brand’s personality and getting creative with your content.

Hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to reach new people and get more eyes on your content. Use relevant hashtags to ensure your content is seen by people interested in what you have to say.

Before we jump into how you can start increasing your engagement, this is your reminder that you can start selling on instagram today! Your Bookmark store seamlessly connects with Instagram allowing you to start selling on this platform in minutes. Selling on instagram gives you an opportunity to connect with several influences and have them market your products or services.

Anyways, let’s jump back into it.

How to increase engagement on Instagram

Getting started on Instagram is one thing, but getting engagement is another. If you want people to interact with your brand on Instagram, you must post exciting and engaging content. Here are some tips:

Spending time with your existing followers and engaging them

Your followers are the people who are already interested in your brand. So, it’s crucial to spend time engaging with them.

You’re building relationships with them when you comment on their photos and videos, like their posts, and reply to their comments. This can lead to loyalty and advocacy.

Identifying and targeting new followers

It’s not enough to just engage with your existing followers. You also need to identify and target new followers. To do this, you can use hashtags, geotags, and keywords. You can also run ads targeting specific groups of people.

Running contests and giveaways

Contests and giveaways are a great way to increase engagement on Instagram. They’re also a great way to get new followers. When you run a contest or giveaway, promote it on other social media platforms and on your website. You can also use influencers to help promote it.

Analyzing what’s working and what’s not

Once you’ve started posting content, it’s crucial to analyze what’s working and what’s not. Look at your engagement rates and your reach. See which types of posts are getting the most engagement. Use this information to adjust your strategy and improve your results.

Post when your audience is most active

It’s important to post when your audience is most active. If you post when no one is around, your content will get lost in the Instagram algorithm. Use a tool like Iconosquare to find out when your audience is online so that you can schedule your posts accordingly.

Use Instagram’s interactive features

Instagram offers several interactive features you can use in your Stories to increase engagement. These include polls, Q&As, quizzes, and challenges. Use these features to get people talking about your brand.

Post compelling content

Of course, none of these tips will matter if you’re not posting compelling content. Your content should be interesting, informative, and visually appealing. It should also be relevant to your target audience. If you’re unsure what kind of content to post, look at your competitors’ pages for inspiration. You can also use a tool like BuzzSumo to find the most popular content in your industry.

Key takeaways

There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re getting your business started on Instagram:

1. Your content should be interesting, informative, and visually appealing.

2. Use hashtags, geotags, and keywords to reach new followers.

3. Engage with your existing followers and build relationships with them.

4. Run contests and giveaways to increase engagement.

5. Analyze your results and adjust your strategy accordingly.

6. Use Instagram’s interactive features to get people talking about your brand.

Conclusion

Starting a business on Instagram can be a great way to reach new customers and build relationships with existing ones. But it takes more than just posting pretty pictures. You need to post interesting and engaging content, use hashtags and other targeting features, engage with your followers, and analyze your results. 

Bookmark can help you with all of this with a no-code website with distinct features. Contact us today to learn how we can help you build a solid online presence for your business. Next week, we’ll be back with another helpful blog. Stay tuned!