Using Instagram for Business

Over 200,000 million businesses use Instagram for business growth and to connect with their audience. However, growing your small business on Instagram can be challenging as it is becoming increasingly crowded. Here is your guide to stand out! In order to grow your small business on Instagram, there are a few rules to follow. I don’t like introductions. Let’s dive right into it!

1. Content is King: Instagram Content Ideas for Businesses

Content is by far the most significant element of growing your business on Instagram. Let me give you a little secret. Social media platforms want you to keep the users there. They want users to spend as much time as possible because that is how they make money. So, if you can get the users to spend time on your content (which means engagement) then you do not need to worry about anything. That is the key!

The formula for engagement is relevant content multiplied by value. Relevant content is the match between your posts and your audience’s interest. You will figure this out with practice and using the Instagram insights feature (we will talk about insights later in this post).

Next is the value side of this equation. Value could be informative content, fun content, news, discounts, etc. Simply any content that could be helpful to your audience. The mindset for your business on Instagram should be delivering value, not selling. The reality is the more you focus on sales, the harder it gets to sell. That is not the best way to use Instagram for business. Because that is not the reason people use social media. They want to catch up with friends and family and see what they are up to. They don’t want to see ads or promotional content.

As a business on Instagram, our goal is to offer engaging content that is relevant to a specific audience. Ultimately, you want to sell (you use Instagram for business, right?). But you should do it without selling! First, you need to build trust and engage with your audience. Then, you could generate sales from social media. By the way, if you are looking for assistance in creating engaging content, then look no further than this step-by-step course!

So, here is your content formula.

2. How to Increase Reach on Instagram: Consistency is a Game Changer

Is there a difference between posting twice a month versus twice a week? Maybe not for the users. But the thing is, users shouldn’t be your only concern. There is something called the algorithm. The Instagram algorithm favors certain behaviors, and consistent posting is one of them. If you want your business to be successful on Instagram and want more people to see your posts, then you need to play it by the rules. Get along with the algorithm and post consistently and frequently (a couple of times per week).

3. How to Use Hashtags on Instagram to Increase Discoverability

The hashtags are huge on Instagram. Using hashtags is an effective way of increasing the organic discoverability (the number of people seeing posts without ads or promotions) of posts. People follow hashtags and search specific hashtags, and if they run into your posts and like what they see, they will likely follow your page. Instagram allows 30 hashtags per post. The rule of thumb is to find a sweet spot between 5 to 30 hashtags. You do not want to use all 30 hashtags as it might look spammy and hurt user experience. That said, follow the pyramid method here.

The Hashtag pyramid consists of high-volume hashtags, post-specific hashtags, and branded hashtags. For example, use eight high-volume hashtags, six post-specific hashtags, and two branded hashtags. That is the ultimate way for your business to benefit from Instagram hashtags in the long term and get more impressions through Discover and other Instagram features.

Okay, as we have covered the fundamentals, now we can talk about a few secret tips for your business!

Bonus Tips to Grow Your Business on Instagram

Bonus 1: Instagrammable Grid

Consider an Instagram profile as a business storefront. It must look aesthetically pleasing! Your posts should look organized and follow a theme or pattern. My best advice here is to use templates. Create templates or a theme for your posts. You can use specific colors, shapes, filters, etc. Look at the examples below, see how they use colors and themes for transitions, and create stunning Instagram grids.

(@william.wanderlust, @drinkspindrift)

Bonus 2: Instagram for Business Insights

Some of the most overlooked things on social media are the insights feature. You can access Insights through your business profile (go to the professional dashboard). There, you can see the number of followers, engagement rate, and other key performance indicators. You might ask yourself why there is no engagement. Why do people look at the profile but don’t follow? All those indicators tell a different story, and that is an opportunity to improve.

Again, sign up for my Ultimate Recipe for Social Media Success course to learn how to use Instagram insights for business success.

Bonus 3: Instagram Ads

It always amazes me how many of my clients don’t advertise! If you want to grow your business on Instagram and get more Instagram followers, it is almost impossible without investing in your social media. You don’t have to spend $1,000. You can advertise with as little as $5, test the waters, and increase your budget. It is that simple!

Let me know your questions below if you are using Instagram for business!