We are spending more time than ever on social media. In fact, we’re spending approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes per day scrolling through our news feeds.[1]
This is a lot of time.
This is a lot of time your business can spend connecting with your target audience; building trust, asking what they want to see more of from you and keeping them up-to-speed on your ever-growing brand.
Assuming, (since it’s 2018 and Facebook is officially 14 year’s old!) that you have your Facebook strategy down, right? What about Instagram? There are currently 1 billion monthly active users on Instagram (up from 800 million in September 2017!) and that number is continuing to grow.[2][3]
So, how can your business grow it’s Instagram following? By following these 4 easy steps.
1. Give people a behind-the-scenes look
- Post photos and videos of what goes on behind the scenes at your office or store. Are you a furniture store unpacking some new throw pillows? Give your followers a sneak peak! Testing out a new recipe? Snap a quick video to show taste test reviews.
- Not all posts should be about sales. This is your chance to build a unique and personal relationship with your audience, one that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
2. #HashtagsAreNotOverrated
- Use hashtags to create awareness and get your posts viewed more frequently. Not only can users click hashtags to view all related posts, but they can now follow hashtags and related posts will automatically be shown in their feed.
- Think about what your customers are interested in as it relates to your brand…. #healthyliving, #homeimprovement, #CbusEats
3. Use stories
- The stories feature is a great way to both interact with users and drive sales. Engage with users by creating a poll. You can ask what types of events or promotions people would like to see more of, or get their feedback with a fun vote (“which new area rug matches your design style?”). Be sure to share results so they know their feedback matters!
- Take advantage of the “swipe up” feature when showing off new inventory. This allows for individuals to swipe up and purchase your product in that moment.
4. Use sponsored posts
- This is a great way to serve your message to your target audience. Sponsored posts are ads that look and feel like a traditional Instagram post, but are showing up in a users feed because you’ve paid to be there.
- Sponsored posts can be targeted based off of a users interests, demographics, behaviors and more; and can be optimized toward a number of actions, some of which include clicks to your website, online purchases or increasing your follower count.
Now that you’ve grown your followers, continue to develop new content and monitor engagement; and always update your app to take advantage of new Instagram features! #happygramming!
Consulting with a trusted digital specialist can make this process easier for any business. Contact DMG+ThriveHive today to help you grow your business with a strategic digital approach.
[1] https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/304927/Downloads/Social%20Summary%20Report%20NEW.pdf?t=1531234097876
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2007/jul/25/media.newmedia
[3] https://www.statista.com/statistics/253577/number-of-monthly-active-instagram-users/
