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How to Develop a Vibrant Instagram Social Media Marketing Plan
Social networking is one of the most potent marketing platforms available today. Sharing your products or services on social media channels, from Facebook posts to Twitter tweets, is a terrific method to enhance brand exposure, engagement, sales, and leads.
However, when it comes to using Instagram for marketing, many people are baffled.
Many of us use Instagram to share images of our families, friends, trips, and food, but how can it be used for business? Is it even necessary?
Don’t underestimate Instagram’s worth in boosting your brand and marketing efforts, especially given its rapid growth.
It has evolved into a highly important marketing platform, and while the 18-29 age group continues to be the most active users, the older age groups are catching up quickly.
Sprout Social’s Instagram statistics for 2018 are as follows:
• On Instagram, 7 out of 10 hashtags are branded.
• On Instagram, 80% of users follow a business.
• Products appear in 65 percent of the top-performing Instagram posts.
If you’re feeling compelled to use Instagram in your social media marketing strategy, here are some pointers to get you started:
1. Make Good Use of Hashtags
You don’t have to use every hashtag you can think of in one post, but at least a handful are required.
A hashtag is composed of the # symbol followed by descriptive terms about your image, such as #marketing and #ctaconf (the conference I was attending at the time).
When a user taps or clicks on a hashtag, or types a hashtag into the search box, all photographs that contain that hashtag are displayed. The user can even subscribe to the hashtag to keep track of it.
When hashtags become really popular, though, the fight to appear in the results becomes severe. The more popular a term is, similar to SEO keywords, the more difficult it is to stay at the top of the search results. As a result, mentioning #marketing as an example was pointless if I wanted that piece to get any traction.
Make your hashtags relevant to your company and locality, but also interesting enough that users will put them into Instagram’s search box.
Consider the following example:
• Assume you own a pizza parlour in Vancouver. You hashtag #VancouversBestPizza #NicolosRestaurant #DeliciousDeepDish with a photo of your Pepperoni pizza.
• Or you’re a wedding planner in Toronto. You hashtag #TorontoWeddingPlanner #LoveWins #WinterWedding a snapshot of a bride and groom’s first dance.
Holidays and special events are great opportunities to promote your brand and grow your Instagram following. Whether it’s a Black Friday sale, a Thanksgiving-related usage for your product, or a product shout-out on National Dog Day, they’re all great ways to highlight your company’s brand without being salesy.
2. Appreciate the Attendance of Your Audience
You don’t just throw up a bunch of photographs with hashtags and hope for the best.
You must invest time to get Instagram followers, engage with your audience, and increase sales or leads.
See how video specialist Michele Moreno replies to each of the comments submitted on her video post in this example.
So, if someone leaves a remark or asks a question on one of your pieces, thank them and respond to their inquiry.
Take a peek at their profile and follow them if you like what you see.
Businesses frequently follow commentators initially in the expectation that they will reciprocate.
You can also browse for people who could be interested in your goods and remark on their images or follow them, but don’t immediately ask them to follow you.
3. Develop Relationships with the Right Influencers
Influencers are Instagram users who, due to their notoriety and/or social media following, can affect your target audience.
Danielle Bernstein is a fantastic example of a brand-sponsored influencer. Her name may be unfamiliar to you, but her Instagram account, WeWoreWhat, has 1.8 million followers.
Bernstein and FIJI Water collaborated to produce BodyWoreWhat, an 8-minute fitness video series featuring her and her personal trainer.
That may be an extreme example, but you won’t be able to attract an influencer with over two million followers unless you have a lot of money.
But don’t give up hope. You can always identify someone who your target audience follows, likes, or admires, from mother blogs to local foodies. Use your imagination to see if they’d be willing to evaluate your product or take a photo with it.
4. Don’t Just Shout About Your Goods
Instagram isn’t just for sharing product photos all of the time. Consider the experience individuals have with what you’re selling, as well as the benefits it provides.
Show real-life instances much better. One approach to achieve this is to ask your audience for user-generated material. This implies that users will use a hashtag you offer to share their images.
Wayfair.com, an online furniture retailer, excels in user-generated content. Customers may post images of their elegant Wayfair-filled homes with the hashtag #WayfairAtHome as part of a user-generated campaign.
Make sure to inform people that their photographs may be included on your page, and you’ll be able to significantly expand your Instagram content – for free!
Be real and true to your brand no matter how you use Instagram for business. It is what the platform is all about, and it will assist you in growing your brand, gaining Instagram followers, and attracting sales or leads.
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