If you’re operating a business online, it’s highly likely that your social media presence is of great importance. We’re in an age where social media platforms dominate, and a successful social media can be the make or break factor when it comes to a thriving business.

Instagram has more than 1 billion active monthly users, with over 80% of those following some form of business account. Instagram offers huge marketing potential for online businesses and if used correctly can greatly increase your audience and the engagement of your brand.

Read below to discover 5 tips on how to optimise your business Instagram for greater engagement.

Business Profile

First of all, Instagram allows you to choose between a business profile and a normal user profile. You’ll obviously want to select the former; doing so will allow you to have privileges not available on a normal profile. These include Instagram Ads, Instagram Shopping and Instagram Insights. Having access to this data is extremely useful in determining things such as your audience demographics, post-performance, follower growth rate, and post impressions.

Unique Theme

Everybody has an Instagram profile, logo and a bio, so it takes a lot to differentiate yourself with these basic elements alone. Particularly if there are millions of users (and possibly billions of accounts out there). It is crucial therefore to not only tick all fundamentals but go that extra mile to have a unique and aesthetic profile that engages customers, fans and potential clients. After all, Instagram is an app that’s purely based on visuals, so you want to make sure your pictures are crisp and clear and demonstrate your expertise and qualities. Doing this, whilst cultivating and maintaining a great looking theme that represents your brand, is the key to a successful business Instagram. Feel free to have a look at these 2 accounts for a better idea at Clear Beauty Cambridge and CJ Glam!

Write a Compelling Bio

Alongside your profile picture, your bio is one of the first chances you have to share what’s most important about your brand. Ensure you use your bio to effectively market who you are and what you can offer. Write it as though you are speaking directly to your target audience. You’ll want to keep it simple but ensure it remains true to your brand’s voice.

Hashtag Use

Hashtags are an effective way to expand your reach on the platform. You can add up to 30 hashtags per post on Instagram, but effective hashtag usage isn’t simply using as many hashtags as possible. Find relevant, trending hashtags that will be searched for and discovered by your target audience. If you’re struggling, research similar businesses, find the posts with the most engagement and have a look at what hashtags they’ve used. Since December 2017, users have been able to follow specific hashtags, meaning strategic hashtag use is more effective than ever.

Stories

Since Instagram Stories launched in 2016, it has grown at a rapid rate. It has gone from 100 million daily users at launch to over 500 million now in 2019. If you want to utilise Instagram to its fullest, you’ll need to consider Stories. With so many daily users, the value of Instagram stories is undeniable. Taking into account Instagram’s Stories Archive and Highlights feature, which now allow you to keep the content of your Instagram story up indefinitely, means Stories will be particularly beneficial for brands.  It offers the ability to showcase particular Stories related to products, services, and events

For many businesses today, an effective Instagram can be more profitable than a full-fledged website. While your Instagram’s content and captions are an important contributor to your Instagram’s success, with the limited time you have to make a lasting impression and impact, your profile is equally important.

If you want to optimise your Instagram profile, try using some of the tips in this blog to make your Instagram marketing that much more effective. Alternatively contact us now at www.CFMGroup.co.uk and see how we can help you elevate your profile.

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