The Social Media Series
There’s no denying the power of social media for businesses. With over a billion active monthly users, Instagram is one of the most popular social networking platforms out there.
And while some businesses are hesitant to embrace the visual-centric platform, the benefits of using Instagram for business are hard to ignore.
In this guide to Instagram for business, we will cover the following –
- Intro to Instagram for business
- Posting Strategy
- Use keywords and hashtags
- Measuring Instagram business page success
- Instagram Analytics
- Best Practices
- Dimensions of images
- Benchmarks
Business benefits of using Instagram
For starters, Instagram is an incredibly effective way to build brand awareness and reach a wider audience. With the ability to share photos and videos, businesses can give potential customers a behind-the-scenes look at their company, product, or service. And with the use of hashtags, businesses can ensure that their content is being seen by the people who are most likely to be interested in it.
In addition to reaching a larger audience, Instagram is also a great way to foster relationships with customers and build loyalty. By responding to comments and direct messages, businesses can create a sense of community around their brand. With the use of features like Stories and Live Video, businesses can further engage with their followers and create an interactive experience.
Ultimately, the benefits of using Instagram for business are manifold. From increasing brand awareness to fostering relationships with customers, the platform provides immense value for businesses of all sizes.
What strategy should I use on Instagram?
When it comes to social media, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The best way to use Instagram for business will vary depending on your goals and your audience.
However, there are some general guidelines that can help you get started.
Step 1 – Your Content
Consider what kind of content will be most relevant and engaging for your target audience. If you’re selling products, for example, you’ll want to focus on images and videos that showcase your products in use.
If you’re trying to build brand awareness, you may want to share behind-the-scenes content or highlight customer testimonials.
Step 2 – Posting Strategy
Once you’ve decided what kind of content you want to share, it’s time to start planning your posting strategy. To maximise engagement, it’s important to post regularly and at times when your audience is most active.
You should also experiment with different types of content and post length to see what works best for your business.
Step 3 – Using Hashtags
Lastly, don’t forget to use hashtags and calls to action to encourage people to interact with your posts.
By following these tips, you can make sure that your Instagram business account is set up for success.
Help with Hashtags
If you’re new to Instagram, you may be wondering how to use hashtags.
Hashtags are a great way to get your content seen by more people, and they can also help you connect with like-minded users. Here’s a quick guide to using hashtags on Instagram:
1. Think about the keywords or phrases that describe your content. These could be related to the topic of your photo, the location it was taken, or anything else that might be relevant. For example, if you’re posting a photo of a sunset, some relevant hashtags could be #sunset, #beach, #nature, etc.
2. Once you’ve come up with a list of relevant hashtags, it’s time to start using them!
To add hashtags to a post on Instagram, simply include them in the caption or comments section.
Just remember to use hashtags that are relevant to your content and always check the spelling before you hit publish!
Best practices for posting success
When taking photos:
- Think simple—don’t crowd your images.
- Try different angles to change up your feed.
- Test larger vertical images and keep your products in the frame.
- Keep colours consistent to enforce your brand.
Tell a story using multiple photos in a carousel:
- Show a service using multiple images
- Highlight step-by-step processes
- Share a series of photos or videos of a recent event or release.
- Try something funny or unique for your first slide.
How to use Keywords
- Write Descriptive Captions With Keywords
- Add Keywords to your Instagram ProfileName
- Include up to 30 RelevantHashtags
- Add Descriptive Alt Text to your Instagram Posts
- Be Consistent With your niche
Measuring the success of your Instagram business page
Follower Growth Rate
Having a large number of followers on Instagram can definitely be an ego boost.
However, it’s important to remember that a high follower count doesn’t necessarily say anything about the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns or overall Instagram strategy.
The follower growth rate, on the other hand, is a much better indicator of whether your business is actually expanding its reach and catching new people’s attention.
If you’re not growing your follower base at a healthy rate, it’s time to reevaluate your strategy and see what you can do to reach more potential customers.
The way your follower count changes is often more important than the actual number of followers when evaluating your Instagram performance.
By focusing on quality over quantity, you can ensure that your follower growth rate is always rising, which will ultimately lead to more success for your business.
Engagement Per Follower
70% of Instagram posts don’t get seen by anyone.
When it comes to driving business on Instagram, engagement is key.
Instagram’s algorithm favours new and interesting content and content that gets engagement. If your followers are not engaging with your posts, they are less likely to be seen by new users.
That’s why it’s important to track your engagement per follower.
This metric lets you monitor just how interested your Instagram audience is. If you’re seeing a low engagement rate, it’s time to take a closer look at your content strategy.
By tracking your engagement rate, you can ensure that you’re always putting your best foot forward on Instagram.
Website Traffic
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 a billion monthly active users.
Given its huge user base, it’s no surprise that Instagram can be a powerful driver of traffic to your website.
While the platform doesn’t allow clickable links in posts, it does allow brands with over followers to add swipe-up links to their stories. And of course, you can always include a link in your bio.
You can track the number of website visitors from Instagram using
Google Analytics. Just navigate to “Acquisition”–> “Channels” and click on “Social.”
This will give you a breakdown of which social channels are driving traffic to your site.
So if you’re looking to increase traffic to your website, don’t forget about Instagram!
Comments Per Post
Comments are worth more than likes when it comes to engagement because they require time and thought.
A comment shows that you’ve really caught someone’s interest and connected with them.
Comments are an important metric to track because they show how engaged your audience is.
If your average number of comments has gone down, try to figure out why your audience is less engaged.
Comments Per Post is a good metric to track.
Keep an eye on this number, and if it drops, try to determine the reason why so you can take steps to re-engage your audience.
Reach
Reach is an important metric on Instagram because it tells you how many people have seen your post.
This is different from impressions, which count how many times your post has been seen by any individual.
For example, if the same person sees your post 3 times, that will count as 3 impressions. However, that person only counts as 1 towards reach, making it an important metric to measure brand awareness and how many people are actually seeing your post.
Reach is particularly important when you are trying to grow your following, as it allows you to gauge how effectively your content is being seen by potential new followers.
Keep an eye on your reach and adjust your strategy accordingly to ensure that your content is seen by as many people as possible.
Dimensions of images to use
Instagram story dimensions are 1080×1920 pixels.
Instagram image size for posts is 1080×1080 pixels.
For horizontal photos the size is 1080×1080 pixels.
The vertical photo size for Instagram is 1080×1350 pixels.
Instagram Insights
Instagram Audience Analytics
Open the Insights tab and scroll down to “Your Audience” and tap “See All.”
From here, you’ll be able to see an overview of your follower breakdown for up to 90 days including:
- Follower Growth (Overall, Follows, and unfollows)
- Top Locations (Cities and Countries)
- Age Range (All, Men, and Women)
- Gender
- Most Active Times (Hours and Days)
Instagram Feed Post Analytics
There are 2 different ways to access feed post analytics on Instagram. The first is through the Insights tab.
From here, you can sort up to 2 years of feed posts based on a whole range of metrics:
- Call Button Taps
- Comments
- Email Button Taps
- Follows
- Get Directions Taps
- Impressions
- Likes
- PostInteractions
- Profile Visits
- Reach
- Saves
- Text Button Taps
- Video Views
- Website Taps
Instagram Stories Analytics
Much like with Instagram feed posts, you can discover Instagram Stories analytics through the Insights tab.
From here, you can sort up to 90 days of stories based on the following metrics:
- Back
- Call Button Taps
- Email Button Taps
- Exited
- Follows
- Next Story
- Get Directions Taps
- Impressions
- Link Clicks
- Forward
- Profile Visits
- Reach
- Text Buttons Taps
- Website Taps
Best Practices for Instagram Business Pages
- Have a clear bio
- Be specific with your niche
- Include a CTA (Call to action)
- Have a way for online users to take the next step – link in bio
- Have a consistent look and feel
- Ensure your grid is aesthetically pleasing
- Include User Generated Content (UGC)
- Create a content plan
- Be consistent with your posting strategy
- Monitor insights to see the best times to post and what content is working well with your audience
Benchmarks
Average Engagement Rate – 1.55 %
Average Reach Rate: 15.49 %
Action steps – Where to from here?
These are just a few tips to help you get started with Instagram for business. If you want more detailed information or need help creating and implementing a strategy, book a digital marketing strategy session with Let’s Get Visible today. We can work with you to develop a plan that helps you reach your target market and drives sales.
