Taking Your Business Online? Tips On How to Use Instagram for Business

Instagram has more than one billion monthly active users, less competition, and a more engaged audience than Facebook or Twitter. This allows businesses to market their products to a more targeted and interested audience without spending a ton of money on paid advertising.

Because Instagram’s API allows users to publish photos or videos to an Instagram Business Profile using a third-party platform, brands can take advantage of everything Instagram has to offer even more easily. Whether your strategy requires an update or you’re new to this social media network, these seven tips on how to use Instagram for business will be extremely beneficial.

Set up your profile

Risna/ Getty Images | Instagram has over a billion monthly active users

You may scoff at this, but it’s a necessary reminder— take a look through your Instagram profile once you’ve been set up as a business account. New features and settings are added on a regular basis, sometimes without notice. It never hurts to see if you have any new features to test out.

Other standard essential business profile considerations include updating the business categories, hours, location, a contact method and linking any service or product catalogs. While you’re here, double-check that your profile elements, such as your bio and profile picture, are consistent with your overall social media branding.

Establish goals and objectives

Your Instagram strategy should outline your goals for the platform. Begin with your business goals and determine how Instagram can help you achieve them. To ensure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely, we recommend using the SMART framework.

Martina Frascona ‘Sochurkova/ Newsfeed | Instagram is currently the sixth most used social media platform in the world behind Facebook, Youtube, WhatsApp, FB Messenger, and WeChat

Display your work in a unique way

Concentrate on the solution you offer rather than the products you sell. On Instagram, providing value to your customers while also looking attractive is critical. Never underestimate the importance of visual content as an asset (and a liability) on this social media network. If your company provides a service, emphasize the process of providing the service. Display your company’s culture, tell the world about your mission, or simply share some tips and how-to’s.

Take note of the captions

Risna/ Getty Images | There are currently over 140 million Instagram users in the United States

The first line of your caption grabs people’s attention and determines whether they expand to read more. You should double-check the rest of your caption in addition to the first line. With the recent addition of Instagram’s keyword search, what you write in your Instagram caption is now more important than ever.

You could be cutesy or stylized with your words before, and while you can still do so, you should make sure you include words that you want others to associate you with. This could include your brand and product names, as well as general terms related to your business category, similar to basic keyword research.