Instagram Marketing Guide

Instagram has grown in popularity and importance since its introduction in 2010, from a personal photo-sharing app to the leading brand-building tool for businesses. While Instagram is still full of filtered selfies and Sunday brunch snapshots that boosted it to fame in the first place, it has also evolved into one of the most effective online platforms for businesses to raise brand awareness, facilitate engagement, promote products, and drive sales. Instagram has over 1 billion active accounts.  And 90% of these accounts follow at least one business.
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The question isn't whether or not to use Instagram, but how to do it effectively. We'll cover all you need to know to properly integrate Instagram, into your brand's marketing efforts in this guide.

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Create Scroll-Stopping Content:

80% of users use Instagram to decide whether to buy the product or not. Instagram is such a visual network, the quality and aesthetic of your posts are important. When developing content, you should aim to create a distinct and consistent brand identity that will attract users and set your company apart.
Defining your brand's personality and beliefs is the first step in creating a brand persona. Is your company's image quirky, bold, playful, minimalist, smart, enjoyable, or something else entirely?
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Whatever you choose, make sure the theme is maintained throughout your photos, videos, remarks, and hashtags. This will help your brand stand out in a positive way among the crowd because Over 50% of users have reported making a purchase either in the moment after seeing a product or service on Instagram. Now that you've established your brand identity, it's time to look into the many sorts of content you can post on Instagram and how to make the most of each.

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Images:

Instagram began as a photo-sharing app, and images are still shared on the platform.
The most basic type of material available on the platform. To keep your audience interested, you'll need to show off your brand using a range of photos.If you upload too many product photographs and commercial articles, your followers will become bored and uninterested. Instead, mix it up with images that depict different aspects of your brand (and humanize it).

Here are some ideas to try out:

• The behind-the-scenes photos that give a glimpse inside view of your company. Show your employees, business procedures, and corporate culture.
• Images that teach people how to use your products creatively. (For example, If your company sells handbags, you could post photos of how to wear them with different dresses.
• Use motivational phrases in the photos and messages that are relevant to your target market and follow your brand rules.
• Humorous photos that are shared solely to amuse your followers (rather than selling to them)

How to take photos that catch people's attention:

‍People usually purchase products directly from images and videos using Instagram Shopping. You don't have to be a skilled photographer to take great Instagram photos. In fact, many people prefer photographs that appear more natural and ‘raw' (as opposed to glossy perfection and high production value).

• Take images near a window or outside after sunrise/before dusk to make use of natural light.
• One subject at a time should be photographed. Avoid overcrowding.
• Experiment with various angles to come up with unique perspectives.
• To make eye-catching compositions, look for fascinating symmetrical patterns.
  

Adding Filters:

‍Instagram's variety of simple, built-in filters, which rapidly turn a photo from "meh" to "amazing," is one of the platform's best features. When you take a photo, you'll be able to apply a filter, which you can edit by tapping the filter a second time.

Videos:

Every year, the preference for video material, particularly among Millennial and Generation Z, grows. And Instagram has responded with a variety of video options and styles to help you engage your audience, including:

• Instagram stories:
  Stories are 15-second temporary videos that appear in a queue at the top of your followers' feeds for 24 hours. They're a fantastic way to share giveaways, shout outs, contests, polls, quizzes, and new launches.
  
  
• Highlights:
  When you save an Instagram Story, it becomes a highlight that appears at the top of your account's profile page. Highlights are useful for sharing because they stay on your profile. You can use highlights to share Tips, FAQs, quick tutorials, and product collection.

• Instagram Live:
  These are live videos that show on your Instagram Stories, as the name implies. Live video offers high engagement rates, and the chat option allows you to interact with your audience in real-time. Use Live for presentations or big announcements such as new product launches.
  
  
• IGTV:
  You can upload 10-minute videos to IGTV (which is significantly longer than Stories). IGTV is mobile-friendly since it uses vertical videos that are easy to see while on-the-go. Make an IGTV channel and start adding lengthier videos like tutorials, demos, and even short podcasts.
  
  
• Reels:
  Instagram's newest video tool, “Reels” lets you make 15-second films with sound, AR filters, and other effects. Reels are wonderful because they may be viewed by users who aren't following your brand (in the 'Explore' area). As a result, use Reels to make exciting films that will attract new subscribers.
  

Captions:‍

Even the most striking images/videos require a description to provide context and drive engagement. Here are some rules to keep in mind when writing captions:

• To generate unique captions that set you apart, speak in the voice of your brand. Analyze your target market to learn how they communicate so you can personalize your message to them. Emojis can also be used to brighten up subtitles and bring attention to them (but don't overdo it).
  
  
• Put emphasis on the first three lines in order to encourage viewers to click "more" and read the complete caption. You can use plot twists to spark people's interest or go straight to the point, but always use messaging that fits your brand's tone and values.
  
  
• Include a call to action in your message. Encourage people to leave comments or visit your website by including links to your website, a blog post, or a product page.
  

Hashtags:

Hashtags (an Instagram feature) are terms or phrases preceded by the # sign that is used to categorize the content. By positioning your article in front of users who are browsing that topic, hashtags might increase its visibility. Simply type hashtags in the caption or comments section of your article to include them. While you have the option of using up to 30 hashtags, you should limit yourself to “no more than 10 to avoid hashtag stuffing.”

• Niche Hashtags: Hashtags that are relevant to your field If you own a pet store, for example, you might use hashtags like # #catlove #catlife #catgram #kittygram
  
  
• Branded hashtags: You can create a unique hashtag for your company or a special campaign. Encourage your followers to share your content and participate in your contests using your branded hashtags.
  

User-Generated Content:

Wouldn't it be fantastic if your happy customers helped you create amazing content? Well, good news for you because they can and probably will, especially if you include branded hashtags. User-generated content (UGC) is any content that features your brand and is created by your followers/fans/customers. It might be a photo of them wearing your product, a video of them using it, or simply a statement about how much they enjoy your product/service.

You can take full advantage of UGC by reposting content from your customers that promote your brand positively. This has two advantages: it increases engagement while simultaneously establishing social proof.

Instagram Advertising:

While Instagram is great for organic exposure and engagement, it's also one of the best places on the internet to advertise your company and products with paid ads. Around 83% of users use Instagram to discover new products and services.

You may run Instagram advertisements in one or two ways: by boosting your posts in the app or by configuring advertisements in Facebook Ads Manager.

• Story Ads: It appears like normal stories right above the feed (users take action by swiping up).
• Photo Ads: ads with images within the feed (it automatically includes a call-to-action button).
• Video Ads: Videos that are up to a minute long that appear in the feed
• Carousel Ads: Users can swipe through a sequence of videos or photos. (Excellent for showing different features/angles of a product or sharing multiple products.)
• Shopping Ads: Users can buy directly from posts that are shoppable.
• Explore Ads: In addition to the main feed, there is an option to show advertising in the Explore tab.
• Collection Ads: A collection of photos or videos intended to improve the user experience (finding/browsing/purchasing) on a mobile device.
  

Optimizing your Instagram ads:

It's both an art and science to maximize the effectiveness of your ad campaigns.

• Is your goal to raise awareness? Is it possible to increase sales? Or maybe you should start building your email list? The foundation for building your ad is having a clear purpose.
  
  
• Consider your target audience and create ads that are tailored to their goals and needs. Think about the solution that your product/service provides and how it will benefit the customer's life.
  
  
• Respond to any questions users ask in the comments section to engage with your advertisements. This will increase interaction and provide useful feedback to help you improve your brand.
  
  
• Experimenting with different formats, messaging, etc., and tracking the outcomes to build an ongoing process of improvement is the greatest approach to find what works (and what doesn't).
  

Influencer marketing:

Another strategy to promote your company on Instagram is to collaborate or work with well-known people who have a strong following (aka influencers). This will allow you to reach a new audience segment and expand your reach.

How do you select an influencer?

• Reach: Influencers with a huge number of followers have the most reach (and can produce more exposure).
• Engagement: To assess how engaged an influencer's following is, look at how many likes, comments, and shares their posts receive.
• Brand alignment: Assess how closely the influencer's tone/content aligns with your brand's values/image to achieve cohesion and consistency.
  

kinds of promotions you can do with an influencer:

• Brand mentions: In their posts, the influencer mentions your company and encourages their followers to visit/follow your account.
• Product reviews: The influencer gives a positive review of your product(s), which increases attention and leads to sales.
• Joint giveaways: The influencer promotes your events and giveaways, causing their followers to interact with your brand.

Measuring Success:

You'll have access to Instagram Insights if you have an Instagram business account, which will give you a complete set of analytics to track your performance and obtain a better understanding of your account's engagement.

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You've now learned everything there is to know about Instagram marketing (or, at the very least, you’re off to a fantastic start).

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