Social media has come a long way since the original MySpace or Facebook days. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for people to have multiple social media accounts that they post to once, twice, sometimes three times a day. These new platforms including Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Instagram, just to name a few, each have their own features that can help your business achieve different goals. However, not every business is right for every type of social media. Keep reading to find out if Instagram is right for your business.
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Your Audience is on Instagram.
Is your audience on Instagram? This question must be asked before you decide to create one for your business. Instagram users tend to be of a younger demographic, with over 90% of the 500 million users being between the age of 18 and 34. Part of this is due to Instagram’s focus as a mobile social media platform. Unlike Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, almost all Instagram users access the network through their mobile device. So, if your customers or desired audience are older, or aren’t as savvy with mobile devices or tablets, an Instagram account will likely not be effective.
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You have Visual Products, or Creativity.
Because Instagram allows you to post images and videos with captions, businesses that have visually interesting and good quality media will have the best opportunities to succeed. For example, those in the fashion industry and food industry find Instagram to be extremely effective. However, just because you don’t have awesome food shots to share on a daily basis, doesn’t mean your business can’t find a creative way to use Instagram too. Many businesses use Instagram to give followers a behind-the-scenes look at business by posting pictures or videos that showcase their employees, culture, holiday celebrations, office parties, and more.
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You have the TIME.
Like anything on the Internet, your Instagram account will require constant updating, posting and interacting in order to be successful. An Instagram account is useless to your business if you have no followers, and gaining followers takes effort and time. While paid Instagram ads can stimulate growth at a quicker rate, the best way to gain new followers is by constantly posting and interacting with followers and potential followers. Liking, commenting, and following other pages will expose more people to your brand and help you gain a larger fan base. We recommend posting to Instagram at least once a day, and commenting and liking other posts several times a day. If you do not have the time to manage your account personally, you may want to hire an intern or agency to help manage the account for you.
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You Care about Your Business.
Some people think that only big, national brands can be successful on Instagram, and that’s simply not true. In fact, many big-time bloggers, TV chefs, and stores have become popular because they started on social media first, not the other way around. The key to Instagram success is not the size of your business, but the amount of effort you put in. If you take quality photos/videos, post funny/interesting captions, and spend a good amount of time interacting with other pages, your business can see positive results.
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You Know How to Take Decent Pictures and/or Videos.
You don’t need to be a professional photographer to have a good Instagram account, but you do need to understand what makes a good quality photo (or video). Depending on what your business is, you may be showcasing people, clothing, cars, babies, etc., but you can’t just take a photo, slap on a filter, and expect everything to be ok. Enhance the quality of your photos and create visual interest by using things like natural light, focal points, subject focus, and more. Once you have a decent-sized following you will notice how much better your posts perform based on their quality.
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You Have a Good Quality Website.
While Instagram is a great way to interact with fans all over the world, ultimately you want it to benefit your business. That being said, it’s important to have a link to your website in your Instagram profile so your followers can get to know your brand even more. If you are an online store, having a link in your bio can help increase website traffic and sales. However, taking someone to your website is useless if your site is poorly designed or isn’t mobile-friendly. Before you start sending mobile users to your website, make sure your website is functional and visually-appealing on a mobile device or tablet. If you need help determining w
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You Have (at least a small) Marketing Budget.
Yes, Instagram is a free social media platform, but they also offer the opportunity to do paid advertisements, also known as “Sponsored” posts. These paid posts allow you to show your ads to an audience of your choice, and pay either by impressions or clicks. Unlike regular Instagram posts where you can not include a hyperlink, paid posts allow you to attach a website URL to your post, so anyone who clicks on it will be taken directly to your landing page. While paid posts are not a requirement for Instagram success, they can help take your account and business to the next level. Another new development that Instagram just released is shopping ads. Right now these ads have only been offered to 20 large brands, but they could become available to everyone in the near future.
We hope you found these tips helpful in deciding whether or not to use Instagram for your business. If you decide Instagram is not the way to go, there are numerous other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc., that may be a better fit. If you do create an Instagram for your business, make sure you have the time and resources to keep up with it.
Please check back on our blog for more insights on online marketing, social media, paid advertising, web design, and much more. NetSource Technologies is an award-winning web design and online marketing company committed to making businesses better. Our team of marketing experts will be glad to assist you in any social media marketing, SEO, Pay-Per-Click, and content development that your business needs to improve. If you have any questions, or need help with your current website or designing a new website, call us at 1-800-709-3240, or contact us online.