When it comes to social media marketing, Instagram reigns supreme as the ultimate trendsetter. With over 2.35 million monthly active users, the platform plays a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of social commerce and brand engagement on social media.
Instagram presents a surefire way to grow your business. Statistics reveal that almost half of Instagram users use the platform to discover new-age brands.
Many would agree that if you are not using Instagram for marketing, you are missing out on a huge chunk of potential customers.
But the real question is – how to use Instagram to grow your business? Are there any specific Instagram marketing strategies that you can leverage for growth?
Find out the most notable tactics to use and grow your business organically on Instagram.
1. Take Full Advantage Of Your Link In Bio
As the name suggests, “link in bio” refers to clickable URLs that appear in your profile section.
Unlike other social media platforms, Instagram does not allow users to use clickable links in main grid posts. The platform only allows for one constant clickable link – the one present in the user’s bio.
This link is your most precious real estate, as it sits at the center of your Instagram profile and is public to everyone. The good news is that there is no shortage of great Instagram bio ideas.
Slack, for example, demonstrates a great example of a bio that is to the point and shares exactly what the company does. It also provides a link for users to try it out.
Whether you want to encourage your audience to read a full article, sign up for an event, or shop for a new look, a link in bio can help.
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2. Leverage The Data In Instagram Insights To Continually Optimize Your Strategy
With an Instagram business account, you can access the platform’s built-in analytical dashboard. This dashboard offers meaningful insights into your audience and their engagement levels.
To find Insights, tap the three stacked lines in the top right corner and click “Insights.”
Instagram insights analysis reveals three crucial things:
- Who your audience is
- What type of content they engage with
- When are they most active
The information you glean from Insights can help you pinpoint your target audience, tweak your Instagram posting schedule, and identify what’s working.
Additionally, you can check Instagram Story insights in the same place. Evaluate metrics like views, replies, forward/backward taps, and exits. Consequently, assess the performance of your Stories and refine your storytelling approach.
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3. Publish User-Generated Content
Do you know the best way to build customer faith in your brand? User-generated content.
79% of people say that user-generated content impacts their purchase decisions.
UGC adds credibility and authenticity to your brand as it comes directly from satisfied customers. It even generates higher engagement rates as it resonates with your audience.
Encourage your followers to share photos or videos of your products. Not all shots you get will be Insta-worthy, but you can’t beat the authenticity of real photos and stories. You can always refine and publish selected UGC on your feed to generate more leads.
GoPro is a leader in effective UGC social strategies. The company regularly encourages loyal customers to upload their best photos and videos with the timeless #GoPro hashtag.
The company even has its Photo of the Day campaign, featuring one customer photo on its social media profile daily.
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4. Create Shoppable Posts
Shoppable posts tag your products or services to create a seamless shopping experience directly on the platform.
For this, you need to set up your Instagram shop. Your followers can tap on a product they see in any of the posts, click over to the product listing in your Insta shop, and purchase it without leaving the platform.
This Instagram shopping feature offers many benefits:
- Frictionless shopping experience
- Improved conversion rates
- Quick and easy product discovery
- Highly measurable
Below is a brilliant example of shoppable posts by Ritual Cosmetics.
The company’s posts show how its products fit into customers’ everyday lives. The stunning imagery compels viewers to take action and make a purchase.
5. Align Your Content Strategy With Your Instagram Audience
Once you know who your Instagram audience is, you need to decide what to share with them. Abstain from posting random content at random times. Instead, develop a strategy that resonates with your audience and keeps them engaged.
Develop “content themes” that make it easy to generate content. Make sure these content themes contribute to your overall business goals.
Here are a few recommended content themes for Instagram:
- Product
- Education
- Community
- Behind-the-scenes
- Inspiration
- Testimonial
- Quote
With upfront planning, you can produce high-quality content regularly and better respond to last-minute events.
New York University demonstrates a great example of a powerful Instagram content strategy. It uses Instagram Reels to create regular informational videos that explain how students can get hold of commencement tickets, vote in University elections, order academic attire, and much more.
6. Use Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories is a popular feature for individual and business accounts. It enables users to develop a strong bond with their audiences.
Stories comprise photos, videos, and much more that disappear after 24 hours once you post them.
A year-long study reveals that brands that shared one Story each day were able to increase retention by up to 100%.
You can use still photos, live videos, pre-recorded videos, text, music, and boomerangs in your Stories. You can even create polls in Stories to gather valuable customer feedback. For instance, Buffer uses Instagram Stories to create a Poll every Thursday.
The company uses the poll to quiz its followers on their social media expertise.
7. Use Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels for business get engagement. Statistics reveal that reels get 22% more interaction than standard video postings on Instagram.
From the “Explore” page to your main account feed, brands of all sizes use Reels to reach their target audiences.
The good thing is there is no one-size-fits-all approach. These bite-sized videos serve as a promotional powerhouse that can be used in many ways:
- To demonstrate new products
- Behind-the-scenes footage
- To build brand identity and authenticity
- Product tutorials
- Reminders and announcements
- To promote user-generated content
- Q&As
Fourth Ray Beauty, a clean beauty brand, does a brilliant job of engaging and educating with informative Reels.
8. Collaborate With Other Brands
An Instagram collaboration is when two or more brands or users come together to create a post or series of posts. When two Instagram users collaborate, the post will appear on both users’ profiles.
Collaboration offers many benefits, such as:
- Expanded exposure and reach
- Access to new target audiences
- Improved credibility and trust
- Increased engagement
- Diversified content and creativity
- Knowledge sharing
Below is an excellent example of collaboration between two renowned brands: Elle Effect and Tuchuzy.
The two Bondi brands launched an Instagram giveaway to drive email list sign-ups and enhance engagement.
9. Use Instagram Ads
To create a new Instagram advertisement, you can select from three basic formats: photo, carousel, or video ads.
There are also different ways to advertise. The most popular ones are:
- Instagram Stories ads: These appear when users tap through the stories of other accounts.
- Collection ads: These ads comprise a main image and a product catalog at the bottom.
- Explore ads: These ads appear on the user’s Explore page.
Before you run any advertisements on Instagram, you need to choose your ad’s objectives, outline your target audience, specify the ad’s budget, and set the time it will run.
10. Influencer Marketing
The trend of influencer marketing campaigns is still going strong in 2023.
Statistics show that influencer-generated posts constantly outperform branded posts. Leverage the power of an influencer who is already authentically connected with their audience. A person deemed a trusted source of information will help spread awareness around your brand and drive sales.
Sony, for instance, has always aced strategic influencer marketing. They launched a campaign for their PlayStation VR where the company chose to work with many Canadian tech and gaming influencers on Instagram.
11. Use Instagram Live To Connect With Followers
To turn your Reel viewers into brand loyalists, you must connect with them. And live video on Instagram is a great option for this.
According to a New York Magazine survey, 82% of people prefer video over social posts.
Instagram live engagement is a powerful tool to deepen your relationship with your audience. You can use it to highlight your business offerings and host interactive events for your audience.
J. Crew, for instance, regularly uses Instagram Live to offer exclusive and highly anticipated deals through their Instagram Live. Users simply have to click through the Insta link, and the deals only last as long as they are live streaming.
Live streaming videos let you be creative. For instance, you can go live on Instagram to:
- Host a workshop
- Have a Q&A session with the leadership team
- Give product demos
- Collaborate with an expert on the topic
- Showcase behind-the-scenes experience & much more
Using Instagram for business offers numerous benefits and opportunities to brands. The platform’s massive user base and diverse features enable small and medium-sized businesses to grow. Utilize the features we’ve discussed to connect with your audience and drive business sales. So get started today!
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Author’s Bio: Vineet is the Founder of 2xSaS, a result-oriented digital PR and Link Building agency working with brands like Hubspot, Hunter, G2, and more. He specializes in creating custom outreach campaigns, and content marketing strategies to help B2B & SaaS companies improve their organic traffic.