TM Top Tips: Using Instagram for Business Part 1

We live in a social media dominated world. From sponsored adverts in your feed, to influencers, to live stories, we are constantly bombarded with products and services that businesses want us to see through the medium of Instagram. This giant social media platform can be great for your business; Instagram has over 700 million monthly active users and a more engaged audience than its big sister, Facebook. We’re running through a few quick top tips on using Instagram for your business.

1) Show off creatively

Instagram is an aesthetically-pleasing place – ever heard the phrase ‘I did it for the ‘gram’ or ‘that’s so Insta-worthy’? Showcase your products or services in a creative way by focusing on the solution you are providing, and make sure you include a great filter to make it look good. Seriously. Be creative in terms of the content you product: go for graphics, photos, Boomerangs, screen recordings, and videos to mix things up in your customer’s feeds.

2) Balance the fun and business

We think your business Instagram page should encourage a mix of fun images and business pictures – this way you can track the engagement and see which your followers like the most. Plus, you can show a personal side to your company through snaps at company lunches and funny signs you’ve seen in the street.

3) Grow your following

For an in-depth read, check out one of our many articles about how to use Instagram, from How To Hashtag, to How To Get More Likes, to Using Influencers. The three main things you can take away from these are, however, is engage with others, both relevant and not to your business by following and liking their content, use relevant, popular hashtags, and get involved in popular conversations with popular people.

4) Follow back

If people are following you, follow them back! The people who follow you can make a difference in how you view your customers and the content they enjoy, so you can end up being more informed about your online customer’s needs by seeing the content they share and like on Instagram.

5) Post regularly

No one wants to follow an account that never posts! As a general rule of thumb, we aim to post 5 times per week, and we always post a motivational quote for some #MondayMotivation. You don’t need to post every day, but create a schedule of what you want to post and when, so that you can then track these and see which parts of your posting schedule are valuable, and what can be changed.

Keep your eyes peeled for more tips from us all about using Instagram for business. 

Written by

Katie Reed | Product Manager & Head of Artwork

With 13 years of experience in the promotional merchandise industry, Katie speaks with true authority about all matters related to promotional products. Her attention to detail and creative flair ensure that product details, prices, imagery and descriptions are accurate and answer all our customers' questions. Her articles and other product-related content have become truly trusted sources of information and inspiration for anyone deciding on their next promotional product order. In another life, Katie would have been a star Quidditch player.

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