As someone with a good number of years of social media experience, I’ve worked with several clients who’ve all had some obstacles in social media marketing, especially on Instagram.
On the outside, the format of Instagram seems simple, but reality says it’s a bit more complicated than that. There’s more to it than just posting to the void, and there are genuine strategies that you need to look into before venturing off into the world of Instagram.
Why is Instagram Important?
Instagram is a dominant force in the world of business. Its many posting features, growth opportunities, and main demographics are all vital for the growth of any business.
Instagram provides photo content and video content through regular photo posts, Reels, and stories. All of these tools are at your disposal to grow with.
Plus, Instagram has some massive communities surrounding different niches and you can find those communities through hashtags, which I’ll get into in a second.
Now, if you’re trying to determine if Instagram is more valuable than Pinterest, I’ll explain briefly: I’ve covered Pinterest before, but where Instagram and Pinterest differ is that Instagram is first and foremost a social media page. It’s in Instagram’s best interest to keep users on the app. So, you have to figure out how to play around the system to turn engagements into conversions for your business.
However, don’t let that discourage you from investing genuine time into Instagram. It’s extremely important and I would say it’s one of the most financially lucrative platforms out there. I’d place it second behind YouTube.
The Instagram Strategy Steps
Step 1: Identify Your Niche
I always start with this because it’s proven that you need to know your niche. Obviously, you may have more than one niche, but I think it’s best to start by targeting one niche and if you want to branch, expand to subniches.
Once you have an ID on your niche, explore other content creators on Instagram in your niche and see how they have gained followers and have grown. Chances are, you’ll find many similarities across each one.
Step 2: Optimize Your Page
You may not think that this is important, but optimizing your page as though it were SEO for a blog is important. Your name, username, bio, and overall aesthetic are intensely important to your image.
Make sure to use the keywords of your business in these sections. If you run a skincare company, make sure to put that you’re a skincare company in your name and your bio. This goes for all business and services looking to grow on Instagram.
If you’re looking for a good tool to find keywords with, I recommend is Mangools. They’ve got a great keyword finder, plus some other SEO solutions:
Step 3: Create a Posting Strategy and Schedule
Yes, you need a strategy for how and when you’re posting. Take a look at what times people are active the most and try to post around those times. Additionally, you can’t just post once and call it quits. You need to post quite frequently, especially int he early stages of your business’ growth.
I recommend using a tool like Later for this. Later lets you schedule your posts, create a very interactive link for your bio, and so much more. I actually recommended it for a business I worked with, and they found that it boosted clicks to their website posts by having a relevant Instagram graphic connect to the link.
Additional Tips
Branding 1o1
Okay, I’ve mentioned a posting strategy, but you need to think a bit deeper than that. Beyond just your niche, you need to establish your brand.
This is where graphic design comes in. If you’re not already a graphic designer you can use an easy service like Canva Pro to get your posting formats done. Check out my review of Canva Pro here.
If you’re not really sure that you’ve got the biggest eye for design, you can always hire a graphic designer to get you on the right path. I wholeheartedly recommend Lollipop Design Corner. I actually perform all my consultation services through Lollipop Design Corner now, and have an exclusive partnership with them. Every design element you see across my website was made possible by the wonderful team at Lollipop Design Corner. Their designers are passionate about their work and they facilitate your package every step of the way to help your page look fantastic. Contact them here to get started on growing your dream business today!
Branding includes everything from your logo to your aesthetic and your post designs. If your branding is incoherent and uncoordinated, people will not really see our business as a serious organization, which will certainly harm your ability to get conversions.
Hashtag Strategy
One of the things I especially highlight with my clients is hashtags, hashtags, hashtags. I always work with each person to find the best hashtags for their niche and their posts.
It’s not enough to slap just a few hashtags on a post and call it a day. You actually have to dedicate a significant amount of time searching and finding the best hashtags. I usually do this part for my clients and suggest for them a set of hashtags that can help.
Looking for hashtags is as important as searching for keywords. If you don’t have the hashtags down, you’ll find that your organic growth is going to be stunted. This goes for Reels too.
Focus on Reels!
Welcome to the new age of social media where having video content is expected. Posting pictures and advertisements just doesn’t cut it anymore. As a business owner, you’re a content creator too and you have to dedicate time to working on content creation.
Reels are arguably the most important part of growth on Instagram today. They too require hashtags and you also need trending audios to grow as well.
Without Reels being pushed out in a constant stream, your growth just won’t happen. You may grow within your niche, but beyond that, it’s not going to be easy.
Stories
Yes, you also need to post stories and interact with other stories too.
Stories are just quick photos and videos that will disappear after 24 hours. Instagram has some neat features that allow for users to put polls, questionnaires, and links in their story in order to get interaction from users.
You should also interact with other people’s stories. That way, you’ll show your potential followers that you care about their content and aren’t just there to lurk and ghost them.
Take Advantage of the Link in Your Bio
Your bio is the best way to get your followers and any prospective followers to see your services and offerings.
Beyond just your posts and reels and stories, your link in your bio is your connection to your customers. It allows for people to see who you are and what you do.
You can choose to place the link to your website only, but I don’t think this is the best strategy.
Instead, you can use a link landing page. If you know what a funnel is in sales, it’s basically a link that takes you to a dedicated page for a specific product. It’s a popular promotional tool for online businesses, but it’s also a great way for brands on social media to create a landing page of their important links.
You can place your social media pages, potential affiliate links you use, a contact button, etc… in order to get more conversions from your social media followers.
There are many link landing pages that you can use, but I recommend Shor as a good option.
Conclusions
Formulating a proper Instagram plan takes time, so before you jump into the game, you should take time to do some market research and analyze what your page will require from you.
If you choose to stay away from Instagram, you’re also choosing to shun a good portion of your potential client base.
If you’re struggling to see some growth and still need some help honing your strategy, just contact me to see what I can do for you and how I can help you achieve the growth you need. Please note that you are working with me through Lollipop Design Corner, so all official dealings will be with Lollipop Design Corner.