As we continue with our series on Kingdom driven social media, today we’re taking a look at Instagram (IG). I’m sharing with you nine (9) tips for using Instagram in your business.
Good Fit
Instagram is a highly visual platform; so, my first suggestion is to make sure it’s a good fit for your business. Instagram may be great for photographers, hair stylists, or any profession that lends itself to visually aesthetic products or services, but may not be the best for a profession like accounting. I’m not saying these types of businesses can’t be on Instagram, you just may have to be a little more creative with the type of pictures you use.
Like I’ve said before in my other posts, always consult Holy Spirit about your strategy and what will work for your business. After all, if anyone can take an accounting business and make it work on Instagram, it’s going to be Holy Spirit.
Instagram Business Profile
Now with Instagram, you don’t have to have a business profile. You can use a personal profile for your business; however, the business profile comes with added benefits; so, it’s really up to you if you want it or not. The business profile does not cost anything, and you get features such as IG analytics, IG ads, ability to promote posts, contact information included on your page, and more.
Instagram’s business accounts also let you use tools like Later, to schedule and automatically publish your posts on your account. With a personal account, you can set reminders to publish a post, but it will not automatically publish it for you. If you’re trying to automate and save time on some of the tasks in your business, then having an IG business profile will only help.
Profile Bio and Link
You can only use up to 150 characters in your bio, so make them count. Instead of using this space to talk about what you do or the problems you solve, share your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What makes you different? What sets you apart? If you’re a Kingdom Driven Entrepreneur (KDE), there’s a lot that sets you apart. You are not doing business the world’s way you are doing it God’s way; so, share that in your USP.
You can also include a link in your bio. Most businesses just put a link to their website here, but I would suggest updating your profile link regularly. You can put a link to your latest offer or promotion, a link to sign up for your newsletter, or register for your next event. Speaking of links, another added benefit to having a business profile is you can add links to your IG stories as well.
Hashtags
Similar to Twitter, hashtags will help you reach more people and get discovered on Instagram. Most people suggest using 3-5 hashtags; however, IG allows you to use up to 30. When using hashtags, try to use specific terms instead of broad terms to reach your target audience. For example, you’re more likely to find your target audience by using #b2bmarketing vs. #marketing. Marketing is such a broad, general term, but B2B marketing is a little more narrow and focused.
Using Stories
Stories are a great way to test out new content, give behind the scenes sneak peeks, or even be used for flash sales and promotions. Stories are only on your feed for 24 hours. They disappear after that time, but you can save them to your device and use them again later.
The Follow for Follow Method
Unless you feel Holy Spirit prompting you to do this (which I highly doubt you will), don’t get sucked into the follow for follow method. The follow for follow method is basically following another person’s IG account just so they will follow yours. If you have someone comment on your account and say they just started following you and can you follow them back, ignore it.
The follow for follow method is just one way people will try to build their following and grow their account. However, we all know that just because you have a lot of followers doesn’t mean they’ll become clients or loyal fans of your brand.
In the KDE world, the follow for follow method is another form of grinding. If you want to operate from a place of grace and rest, follow God’s plan and let Him take care of the growth.
Edit Your Photos
Like I said earlier, Instagram is a highly visual platform, and your pictures are going to be the main focus. Make sure to take pictures with natural or good lighting and don’t be afraid to edit your photos. If you don’t know how to edit photos, you may consider hiring a freelance photographer editor. A picture is worth a thousand words, right? So make them count. Another tip, if you decide to use stock photos, make sure you have the license to use them. The last thing you want is to deal with a copyright lawsuit.
Captions
While Instagram is a highly visual platform that doesn’t mean you can neglect your captions. Don’t make the mistake of thinking your captions won’t matter cause your picture says it all. Use your captions as a way to tell the story your pictures are portraying and help your audience feel connected to it.
Review Your Analytics
No one likes to waste their time, right? Then you have to know what’s working and what doesn’t, don’t guess. Review your analytics. Find out which posts have the most engagements, when is your audience most active on Instagram, what type of content do they like to see. Your analytics will tell you a lot and can help you with developing your strategy moving forward.
I hope these tips are helpful as you get started on your IG journey. Do you have any KDE Instagram tips you want to share? Leave a comment below!
To your success!
