Social media has taken over our lives in many ways. What started as a platform for exchanging ideas and interests has now become a reflection of our existence. There are nearly 4.48 billion people on social media worldwide!
Of all the social media platforms, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter have the highest monthly active users. Facebook, for instance, has over 2.85 billion monthly active users, making it the most widely used platform worldwide. On the other hand, Instagram has more than 1.386 billion active users. Nearly 11.01% of active internet users worldwide use Instagram every day.
Instagram is a rage not just among youngsters but also among other age groups. Every day, we see tons of photos and videos posted on Instagram, the very purpose for which the social networking service was created — staying connected. But would it blow your mind to know there are many ways you can use Instagram to promote your business?
Yes, you heard it right. You can use your Instagram posts to plugin your product or service. Need we explain the all-encompassing reach of Instagram and the impact of compelling posts on the platform?
Instagram reaches 140 million users in the U.S. alone. It is one of the most powerful platforms to strike a chord with your audience. All you need to know for promoting your business on Instagram is content creation.
Your Instagram posts have to be unique, interesting, and indicative of your quality of service (or product). Get that right, and no one can stop you from influencing billions across the globe. Mind you, this is by far the cheapest way of marketing your business.
We are sure this has made you eager and excited, and even a wee bit anxious. Relax, we have your back. Here are some creative and compelling ideas that will improve your brand reach and increase your clientele and ROI.
Top Instagram Post Ideas for your Business
1. Show people that you exist
First on our list of Instagram business ideas is letting people know you exist by telling them where you are located. One of the main reasons for any business not taking off is poor visibility. You can use Instagram to share your location, exact address, etc. This will not increase your product visibility but also help you develop a bond of trust with your customers, which is crucial for every business.
2. Engage your followers
Do you know you can hand out freebies and still make money?
Instagram is an amazing platform that offers plenty of business opportunities to be executed in the form of contests to make money online. You can use Instagram to give away freebies, thereby gaining more followers, better brand recognition, and an impressive online presence.
This way, your product hogs the limelight and inspires trust that makes consumers come back for more. You can also leverage the connections of Instagram influencers with a loyal and huge fan following to promote your products.
All you have to do is put together a few of your best sellers and create a post like this:
3. Be an inspiration
Motivate and inspire people through your business. In today’s mechanic world, a little tap on the back is what everyone looks for in any product or service. If your business is related to healthcare or fitness, this is mandatory.
Since Instagram Reels offer excellent visibility, businesses can create thought-provoking images and videos that offer insight into their successes, mistakes, failures, and so on. You can even chart the journey of your clients who overcame their pain points to inspire your audience to unlock their potential. The idea is to motivate them by reinforcing that you can improve their life.
Here’s a before-and-after reel to give you an idea:
Products or services that are perceived to make life better are widely appreciated by people. It makes your product more relatable and human, which in turn helps you and your product earn an identity and personality.
If you can succeed at this, you can take a break from promoting your products in other commercial ways. Instagram is the best way to establish a personal connection with your audience. Even if your profile goes unnoticed, your videos will get views. However, make sure to align these posts with your brand pitch.
4. Focus on magnetic posts
Ever wondered why you see so many posts on brands? It is because posting content frequently is one of the best practices for your business, as per Instagram’s algorithm. It helps you enhance your visibility and reach. These types of posts are called shoppable posts. The greatest benefit of shoppable posts is that they enable you to divert traffic to your website for product purchases.
So, how do you post brand-related content on Instagram?
It’s simple. Click high-quality pictures of your products with promotional posts and direct them to your website. Remember, the posts should be eye candy for your audience. They need to be crisp, on point, and magnetic. Your product images must be in high definition since low-quality pictures set a low standard for your brand.
Here’s an example to help you out:
5. Be an accessible expert
Your followers will look up to you or your brand for guidance. It is important to assure them that you are the expert to increase your social media engagement.
Use your Instagram page to give expert tips and information. This will help you attain the stature of an expert, which in turn develops loyalty from buyers. Create informative and attractive posts and post them at regular intervals.
Make sure your content is interesting, humorous, and engaging. Have a frequent question-and-answer session with your followers. If you have a food brand, you can post interesting and healthy recipes with your product to improve brand attraction. For inspiration, check out this post below:
Try to give a fun reply to the comments (both positive and negative). It will improve your brand visibility and trust among your followers and customers.
6. Try to get your customers to interact
Besides answering your followers’ questions, try asking them questions once in a while. This helps to improve social media engagement and brand awareness. People who just impulsively follow your brand without much knowledge will get valuable insights about your brand.
Spend time to talk about your brand with your followers. Get insight into what they expect from your brand and request their feedback.
Check out how Samsung does it:
You can also ask fun questions about your product and then follow it up with interesting facts about your brand. It can be instrumental in engaging your followers better and also help you work on your brand to make it more relatable and attractive to the customers.
7. Introduce your new product
If you have an already established business and want to launch a new product, Instagram is the best place to do it. Post a crisp and sharp product picture with a good copy. The copy should be appealing and compelling your followers to want to try. A good picture backed by an attractive copy is a lethal combination that will sweep your customers off their feet.
Such Instagram posts become viral in a jiffy, and your product reaches millions in minutes. Remember the utility of your product will be gauged via your Instagram post. So, make it impactful.
Take a look at this post for inspiration:
8. Make good use of gifs and cinemagraphs
You already know what a gif is, right? Do you know what a cinemagraph is? If not, then read on.
Gifs are 3-4 second short videos that play on loop. Gifs have been on trend ever since they were introduced. Cinemagraphs, on the other hand, are a cool combination of videography and photography, and the result is mind-blowing. It is a photo that has subtle movements and makes a still image come alive and grab all the eyeballs. Cinemagraphs are essentially higher-end GIFs that have taken the digital marketing world by storm.
Take a look at this mesmerizing cinemagraph:
Gifs and cinemagraphs are the two powerful Instagram tools that can elevate your business to great heights when used effectively. You can use them to give a sneak peek into your business offerings or simply post them to enhance the aesthetics of your profile.
Creating an impressive cinemagraph is a tricky process and is best handed over to the professionals for a superb result.
9. Post multiple photos
This feature of Instagram allows you to post multiple pictures in one shot. Make use of this feature effectively to take your brand to the next level. This is the best way to achieve maximum brand engagement. You can also create a three-paneled ad that is trending now. This makes users swipe through your content to have a wholesome experience and get complete details of the brand.
Multiple photos help create curiosity and ensure that all the information your audience needs is in one place. You can even use this feature to post long-form content.
Take a look at MyGlamm’s skincare tips:
10. Repost your customers’ content
How do you feel when your favorite brand reposts the picture that you posted on their page? Great, right? You can make your customers feel special and validated when you repost their content with their profile tag. This is not just for customer engagement but also for your business improvement.
You can choose the most active followers and repost their photos and tag them. You can also offer them freebies as a token of appreciation. This creates positive interest among your followers, who will start to engage more on your page, thereby helping you reach the pinnacle of brand awareness.
You can also ask people to post their pictures using your product and feature them on your page. This will boost your sales like never before.
Wrapping Up
So, those were our best ideas for promoting your business on Instagram. Are you interested in learning more about professionally marketing your business?
upGrad offers an Advanced Certificate in Digital Marketing and Communication in association with the coveted MICA. The program offers a much-valued Certificate from Facebook and the MICA alumni status with complete placement support. The course duration is 32 to 50 weeks, and the curriculum is designed by world-class faculty. The program includes over 180 hours of learning content with 15 industry projects and case studies.
If this intrigues you, do check out the course to get more detailed information.
