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There’s been a real rise in the number of Instagram-run businesses cropping up over the past couple of years. In part, this is due to the pandemic and the structural changes within the business industry as a result of the constantly changing situation.
In a bid to reduce risk, an increasing number of people chose to launch businesses virtually, with an increasing number opting to use Instagram as their base platform.
Instagram businesses are on the rise, but what does it take to actually start a business of your own on the social media platform?
For an insight into the ins and outs of seeing success via an Instagram business, take a look at the guide below.
Create a clear strategy from the start
If you’re going to successfully launch an Instagram business, it’s vital that you have a clear strategy in place from the very start. This means thinking about each aspect of your business concept and what it is that you hope to achieve.
Let’s say, for instance, that you want to launch a product-based business where you sell retro pic and mix sweet packs. In order to see success from the venture, you need to have a clear strategy in place, from the flexible barrier packaging that you’re going to use to package your products to the price range that you’re going to implement – and everything in between. You need to think about things like how you will encourage sales, what you will do to retain customers, and how you will build your business over time.
Having a clear strategy will make your chances of achieving success greater, because you have a set plan to follow that includes steps to achieve each target and goal.
Curate your content
The key to success when it comes to running an Instagram-based business is making sure that you’re curating your content. What makes an Instagram-run business do so well is content that is aesthetically pleasing, which is why it’s so vital that you ensure that you’re curating your content from the get-go.
If you’re not sure how to snap clear, well-styled images, take the time to research the approach that your competitors are taking. If you feel like you lack skills when it comes to staging images, take the time to undertake a relevant course (there are lots of useful online tutorials for this), so that you can improve and hone your skills.
Actively engage with your audience
In order to see success from your Instagram-based business, it’s vital that you are actively engaging with your audience. It’s not enough to post to your grid one or two times a week and share the odd Instagram story or reel here and there, you need to be actively posting throughout the day.
You also need to be engaging with your audience. If someone comments on one of your posts, make sure that you reply within a couple of hours and aim to get a conversation going. If someone shares your story or reel, make sure you reply to them and thank them. It’s little things like this that can have the biggest difference.
There you have it, a guide to starting an Instagram-based business and the steps you can take to start to see success.