Alexis Kestler
We all know that in today’s market, small businesses need to have strong online marketing strategies if they are to survive today’s world of cutthroat competition. What may not be so obvious, is they also need to make sure that they embrace social media marketing to its fullest through Instagram business hashtags and Instagram business promotion. It would be “financial suicide” to think of going into business and not capitalizing on the free advertisement that comes from using sites like Facebook and Twitter. As a matter of fact, a business with a weak online presence can’t expect to be taken seriously by its potential clients. After all, the first thing most people do when searching for a product or service is to fire up their browser and make an online search for it and Instagram business marketing may help.
While most small businesses strictly focus on using the more established and popular social media sites, the craftier ones are utilizing the relatively newcomer, and many are following Instagram business statistics. Instagram business promotion just makes sense.
When a business, be it big or small, thinks of implementing online marketing strategies, it can easily do so with the help of Instagram. Here are 10 innovative ways to use Instagram to boost your online marketing presence:
The Personal Touch:
Businesses often share customized pictures and videos on Instagram and then have them reposted on to sites like Facebook and Twitter. This opens the doors of the business for all its clients (present and prospective) to take a peek. In addition, the personal touch also shows that it really cares about its public image. This makes the business, and thus its products, more appealing and eye-catching to the potential consumers.
The Whole Nine Yards:
Smart businesses should use Instagram to display in images the whole process their products or services go through, before they reach their customers. Everything from the intake of raw materials, to the processing/manufacturing and final presentation of the finished products can be shown using pictures. This helps in creating a bond of trust. This is a great use of Instagram business marketing.
This Is How We Do It:
Some businesses create products that can be used in several ways. To generate sales and create awareness, Instagram can be used to show the various implementation methods of a product. This can be taken a step further by allowing the products’ users themselves to post their innovative ways of using the product.
Creating A Brand:
There are businesses that implement online marketing strategies that are specifically aimed at creating an online brand image. But, what more can present a sharper image more than, well, a picture? By consistently sticking to a theme, a small business can ensure that its name is related to a specific product or service. Be sure you come up with some creative Instagram business hashtags too.
The Online Portfolio:
Pictures that are shared on Instagram can be designed so that they speak for the company. They can be distributed in a way that they themselves serve as a business’ online portfolio and album. The great news is that Instagram has its own tools that can be used to ‘tweak’ images to make them more attractive and appealing – all it takes is a little creativity to end up with an unforgettable image or video!
Keywords and Hashtags for More Traffic:
Images shared on Instagram can be attached to popular keywords and/or hashtags. Other social media networks, like Twitter, will then pick-up these Keywords and Hashtags . Wisely searching for trending keywords and hashtags and including them in the pictures’ names or descriptions, can lead to a significant rise in visitor traffic to the business’ website and, if smartly handled, a jump in sales via their conversion. Don’t forget to measure your Instagram business statistics.
Calling All Winners:
Everyone loves winning stuff – especially if it is easy and free to do so. Smart businesses are cashing in on this human nature by holding contests on Instagram. Competitions that involve simple, multiple clicking on images have the added advantage of creating more exposure and awareness of the business and its products (in other words “advertisement”) – the main reason for launching online marketing strategies.
Put a Face to The Name:
One of the best ways a business can create a great following is by making sure the public knows the community behind the brand. Posting pictures of the people that drive the business makes it more familiar to the general public. The “family” image goes very far. This is especially true in the business’ early years or when it is still dealing with customers in a relatively small community. Nothing builds loyalty better than the sense of knowing the people behind the business.
Sharing Special Occasions:
Whether it’s a charity drive, a visit by a public figure or a celebrity, sharing exciting news with the public ensures that the business is exposed to a wider audience. It doesn’t hurt to piggyback on the fame of someone else – for the time being at least.
This is Where YOU Could Work:
In these times of global recession and redundancies, people all over the world are searching for jobs. Instead of merely posting job openings, sharing images of the business’ offices, premises and the whole working environment in general, allows those seeking employment to have a better image of what it would be like to work there. This encourages more people to apply, thus increasing the business’ chances of finding the right person for the job – a big recipe in the making of a successful business. Employees that are happy with their work environment are almost always more productive.
