We live in a very interesting time. On one hand, it has never been easier to get your business, products or services in front of the public. The public is literally at your fingertips. That is AMAZING! On the other hand, because of this, there is so much noise and other people going after people’s awareness. Instagram has become a very powerful tool for businesses and entrepreneurs that want to build awareness of their brand and sell their service or product. Here are some ways to use your Instagram account to get the results you are looking for, whether you’re an artist or a dentist and everything in between.
Optimize Your Instagram Bio
Your bio is the only place where you can have a clickable link. Take advantage of this real estate.
Include a link to your website, online gallery or online store at the top of your Instagram Page just under your name and description.
Be clear with your description and create a clear call-to-action. You want people to click on your link and visit the site you are directing them to.
Build Awareness by Showing Works In Progress, behind the scenes and raw inner workings
One of my passions is art. I create it, view it, follow other and help other artists grow online. What has worked in the art and creative fields are showing a lot of works in progress or behind the scenes. It builds suspense for a finished piece and helps build respect for the craft. This can translate to a lot of other businesses. If you are a roofer, show that new roofing job as it is built. A dentist can do before and after shots right on the spot!
The use of Hashtags.
You might have heard the term hashtags before. Twitter was the social network platform that made using hashtags popular.
A hashtag is a word or phrase consisting of letters or numbers that preceded the pound sign, now know as the hashtag (#).
Hashtags are a way Instagram categorizes your posts, like a filing cabinet. Some are more popular than others. Do a search for your favorite popular artists and see what works for them. You can also use this site https://ritetag.com/ that will give you good hashtag suggestions.
Another helpful tool is to use Instagram’s search. Hit the magnifying glass Type in a word that is relevant to your brand and niche into Instagram’s search bar. See example below.
Instagram is not hard to use, or even hard to master, but it does take time. And if you are not on the boat of using Instagram to promote your business, you’re missing out. To give you an example we run social media for a wedding reception venue here in Houston. The two platform we run the most is Facebook and Instagram. Guess which one is getting the most engagement? Well, this post isn’t written about Facebook so you only need one guess. Take the time, learn it and use it, whether you an artist or you are selling antiques this is a must use platform.