As compared to all the existing social networking platforms, Instagram has a lot of features that makes it stand out. More than 500 million people use Instagram actively, making it one of the highest downloaded apps on the internet. Instagram is a recent app and therefore many new users struggle to use it successfully. However, it is important to stay relevant and up to date with the evolving world of technology and therefore, it is important to make a strong online presence for any brand if they wish to expand their business. Many brands prefer to go with some of the top social media marketing companies to get the desired results. However, here are 7 ways brands can use Instagram to grow:
- Use Engaging Stories
Much like the original story feature on Snapchat, Instagram has a story option which can be a picture or a video that disappears within 24 hours. It is like a slideshow of visuals. Being an extremely visually dependent app, Instagram is all about making your content visually appealing and engaging enough to connect with the audience. Taco Bell is one such example that has used this particular feature to its advantage. Taco Bell posts regular quirky stories on their Instagram page that interests the followers and makes them want to stay up to date with the brand’s activities.
- Use Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is one of the most efficient ways to improve business through Instagram, especially when a company has just started. Through this method one can reach people who have an already established audience and connect with their followers. Earlier it required a huge amount of money to get famous athletes, sportsmen, models and actors to endorse a product. However, Instagram has made it possible for non-celebrities to become influencers having even millions of active followers. Therefore, this has made it possible for new companies with a limited budget to get in touch with a social media influencer and have them endorse their products through their posts and stories. Many of their followers tend to view these stories and even give valuable feedback after using the product or service.
- Using the right Hashtags
Instagram does not look for keywords, it uses hashtags instead. On Instagram one must search for “#fishes” for every post related to fish and whoever has used this hashtag anywhere on the platform. Some users even follow a hashtag in order to keep track of all the posts related to that hashtag. If a person likes paintings then he follows the hashtag of painting, which will result in him getting regular updates on any information about paintings.
The right way to use hashtags to gain a good number of Instagram likes would be to post pictures and using hashtags that are trending and relevant to the posted picture. Made-up hashtags do not work as nobody would actually search for it or follow it.
- Boost Sales
A promotional ad campaign helps improve the reach of a product. Even giveaways, discounts and special offers are used to attract more customers. This forms a bond with the followers of the page and establishes a connection with them. The followers of the page find it more rewarding to participate in these contests and therefore their loyalty is strengthened.
- Buy Instagram Followers
Buying Instagram followers is a growing trend in the world of social media. Every new brand is paying some money to buy Instagram followers. This is because when a page already has a large number of followers then the users seem to trust the brand more; a sense of trust is established which in turn attracts more followers. This large number is what creates traffic on the page. The created posts and stories reach more people/accounts.
When a user visits a page and sees that it is being followed by a limited number of people then he doubts the quality of the brand’s products and services. He does not feel the need to recommend it to anyone. However, when a brand buys Instagram followers and the large number of followers on the page attracts people, the customers also recommend the brand to many others which boosts the sales of the business.
- Engaging with Competitor’s followers
Keeping track of one’s competitors is also an important requirement for growth. For this purpose the brand needs to closely examine the content posted by businesses that are doing better than them. After analysing their content you should follow at least half of their followers because it is already evident that the same audience will be interested in what your brand offers. Appreciating them by liking or commenting on their posts is a highly effective way to communicate and show your presence as a brand. More and more people will want to indulge with you as a result.
- Sponsored posts
Using the sponsored ad feature a brand can reach even those users who are not following them. This kind of an approach ensures a wider reach on Instagram. An ad budget can be set so a business can control exactly how much they want to spend. For this purpose engaging content is what is considered perfect. Even the best performing post can be turned into an ad. An ad can be a story, a post, a carousel or stories canva.
In conclusion, it is evident that there are a number of ways in which a newly opened company or even an already established brand can use this platform effectively to increase their reach and improve sales. Be it anything that a brand has to offer, it can be marketed remarkably well through this platform. Following the aforementioned tips would definitely help the business.
