In today’s world who doesn’t know instagram? It’s currently one of the biggest platforms with about over 1 billion active monthly users and about 500 million Instagram stories everyday. And very recently Instagram created history with the launch of one of the fastest growing apps ‘Threads’ with over 10 million users in just 7 hours of its release.
Don’t you think a platform this big is just the right place for your business as well? Wanna know how you can grow your business with Instagram? In this blog, we'll learn more about some Instagram marketing strategies and tactics used by leading brands like Netflix, Red Bull, Nike, Ikea, etc.
What is Instagram Marketing?
Instagram marketing refers to the use of the social media platform Instagram to promote your product, service, or brand. It involves creating and sharing content on Instagram to engage with followers and potential customers, create brand awareness, and ultimately driving sales or other conversions. Instagram marketing can include various strategies such as creating posts, stories, and reels, running ads, partnering with influencers, and using features like hashtags and Instagram Live.
Instagram is one of the biggest social media platforms and the fastest way for eCommerce businesses to start building their community with people who have previously purchased their products alongside potential customers.
The Formula for Instagram Success
Success for businesses on Instagram relies on more than simply publishing a few nice-looking images. You need also to have these elements:
- Clear vision and strategy
- Consistent frequency
- Familiarity with your audience
- Clear visual style
- AI Automation
When you put all of this to good use, Instagram can deliver great results for your business.
How do I enhance my Instagram Marketing Strategy?
There are several things to keep in mind when practising Instagram marketing:
1. Create an Instagram business account
A business account provides access to features that are not available with personal accounts, such as Instagram Insights, Instagram ads, Instagram Shopping, and more. Once you have downloaded the app, set up your personal account then-
- You can easily switch your personal account to a business account by going to the settings.
- Then, click on the option ‘Switch to professional account’ in blue.
- While you are in the settings, you can also opt to verify your account by clicking on the ‘request verification’ option under ‘Account’.
Now with Instagram’s advanced features, you can get your business account verified with a blue tick easily at just Rs.699 per month.
2. Set clear goals
Define what you want to achieve through Instagram marketing. The goals you set for your social media marketing should help achieve your ultimate marketing goal. This could be creating an online presence, increasing brand awareness, generating new leads, establishing your brand as an industry leader, selling products directly from the app, or a combination of these to help analyse all key Instagram statistics.
3. Use Instagram Shopping Tools
Now with the help of instagram you can add a shopping tab to your account, through which you can put a whole catalog of your products that can be purchased on Instagram itself. In order to use the shopping feature, you need to ensure that you follow all of Meta’s commerce policies.
4. Optimize your profile
Your Instagram profile should be able to describe your brand visually. This will help your users have an image of your brand and can identify it based on that. Having a creative bio always
- Makes a great first impression
- Conveys your brand personality, and
- Tells people why they should follow your account.
Use the various fields on your profile, such as your name, username, logo, website, category, contact info, and call-to-action buttons, to showcase what your brand is all about and make it easier for people to find you.
5. Use creative visuals
Visuals play a huge role when it comes to Instagram Marketing. Since Instagram only consists of visuals, make sure to create content through which people can get to experience your products virtually. To build an Instagram presence for your brand, focus on optimizing your visuals-
- Use clear and appealing images, these work best as clickbaits.
- Based on your marketing budget, it is always advisable to hire professional photographers.
- You can even try using creative templates that match your brand the best.
- Instagram’s new feature reels can help gain exposure for your brand.
6. Post Product Teasers
- Post short teasers for your product on your story before its launch, it could be in the form of a reminder of the launch.
- Post short videos describing your products with the ‘add a reminder’ feature for your post.
- You can even try the live video feature, to talk about the products and answer customer queries side by side.
Here’s how Netflix posts teasers on their Instagram stories, in the form of a reminder for the release of their new show.
7. Create Sponsored Ads
Instagram ads allow brands to promote their photos to anyone that fits their target audience. You can easily turn your existing posts into an ad by clicking on the ‘Boost Post’ icon at the bottom of the post. Use engaging content that appeals to your target demographic and set an ad budget to control how much you spend.
8. Use Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are a powerful tool to grow your business for free. These are displayed at the top of your followers’ timeline. It can be used to capture behind-the-scenes, insider posts that may not be as high-quality as regular posts. If you have an instagram shop, you can also use it to post your products on the story so that users can view and access it easily.
Use stories to generate leads and post content that aligns with your brand personality. Once you have posted a story, you can even add it to your highlights, this way your users can easily access it anytime. You do not have to be a professional, as there are plenty of instagram story templates, which you can use to promote your product.
Here’s an example of how IKEA has used their instagram stories to display their products creatively.
9. Use the right caption with hashtags
As much as it’s necessary to have creative visuals and stories, it’s also necessary to use a creative caption to keep your users engaged with the right hashtags. Make sure to keep your captions short and precise, and try being more communicative in your audience.
Keep up with the trending hashtags, they help increase reach for your post. Make sure to use hashtags that are relevant to the content in the post along with the caption.
10. Use Instagram reels
Instagram’s reels feature has gained a lot of popularity, since it can make anyone and anything go viral. Using reels for your Instagram Business account can help increase the reach for your account by 22% and bring in potential leads. The reels feature is the most trending feature of Instagram, it’s the right tool for a business to gain exposure and grow free of cost.
- Make sure to create reels with quality visuals and content.
- Keep your reel video short (about 10-15 seconds)
- Use music that is trending at the moment
- Use relevant hashtags for the reel, to increase its reach.
11. Engage with your audience
After following these steps, you’ll already see an increase in followers and engagement on your Instagram posts and stories. As your following increases, there will be more messages, comments, likes, views, etc. After a period of time it may become difficult to keep up with responding to every message from your audience.
That's where an Instagram chatbot can come in handy. With Engati's chatbot technology, you can automate responses to direct messages, provide quick answers to common questions, and even facilitate sales transactions. Responding to your customers’ queries and comments on Instagram, helps build a good image for your brand.
12. User-oriented Content
Research your target audience and create content that effectively conveys your message to your users. Engage your customers with creative content that makes them share it with other users. With Instagram’s insights and analytics tools, you can understand the statistics for each of your posts and plan your content accordingly.
Creating user-oriented content helps build trust among your current users and potential users. You can post customer reviews or use pictures of customers who have tried the products. This will help your brand grow at no cost. If necessary you can even use an Instagram growth service to help your brand reach its maximum potential.
Red Bull creates user-oriented content filled with high energy pictures/videos, that keeps users engaged and makes them want to scroll for more content.
13. Create a recognizable feed
Having a good feed helps gain more exposure for your brand. Optimize creating content that is distinctive from other brands, and easy to identify. Create a feed that describes your brand and its purpose, this will help users recognize your account just by looking at it. This will build an identity and personality for your brand on Instagram. Nike the leading sports brand, has created their feed according to their brand’s personality with athletes wearing the brand.
14. Influencer Marketing
With the growth of social media platforms like Instagram, influencer marketing has become very popular now. If your business account does not have a lot of followers or your sponsored ads are not performing well, you can implement influencer marketing. Through influencer marketing, you can reach out or partner up with famous influencers to advertise your products. You can send influencers some of your products that you would like them to try. This can be done in both paid and unpaid form, depending on the influencer you partner up with. This is a really effective way to scale your business account.
15. Leverage AI Automation
Utilise the power of AI automation to streamline your Instagram marketing efforts. With AI tools, you can schedule your posts, track your metrics, analyse your data to optimise your content to make informed decisions, and consistently respond to every customer query on dm or post and story mentions. Additionally, AI automation can help you identify trends and patterns in your audience's behaviour, allowing you to tailor your marketing strategies to better suit their needs. By leveraging AI automation, you can save time and resources while maximising the impact of your Instagram marketing efforts.
You can learn more about Instagram automation here.
Why is Instagram marketing important?
Instagram Marketing is import for every business account that is looking to scale and create a digital presence for their brand-
1. Large and Active User Base
Instagram's allure to businesses is undeniable. With over one billion active users as of 2021, the platform boasts a massive and rapidly growing user base, especially among the highly coveted 18-34 age range, who are known for their tech-savvy and digitally engaged nature. Furthermore, Instagram users spend an average of 30 minutes per day on the app, providing businesses with ample opportunities to engage with their audience.
2. Targeted Advertising
Targeted advertising on Instagram is also a game-changer for businesses, with a range of targeting options available. From age, gender, and location to interests and behaviours, businesses can tailor their campaigns to their ideal customer. By personalising their messaging and promotions, businesses can drive more engagement and sales.
3. Direct Selling
Direct selling on Instagram is another valuable feature, allowing businesses to sell their products directly on the platform through features such as shoppable posts, product tags, and checkout. This streamlines the buying process and reduces friction for customers while providing businesses with valuable data on the effectiveness of their e-commerce efforts.
4. Insights and Analytics
Insights and analytics tools on Instagram provide businesses with a wealth of data on their audience and content performance. By tracking metrics such as reach, impressions, engagement, and demographics, businesses can gain insights into what content resonates with their audience and adjust their strategies accordingly. This data helps businesses optimise their content and advertising to maximise engagement and drive more sales.
5. Mobile-Friendly
As a mobile-first platform, Instagram is highly accessible to users on-the-go. With over 90% of Instagram's users accessing the platform through their mobile devices, businesses must ensure that their content is optimised for mobile viewing and engagement. This feature is becoming increasingly important as mobile usage continues to rise.
6. Competition
With the increasing popularity of e-commerce, businesses must find ways to stand out from the competition. Instagram's visual nature provides businesses with the perfect opportunity to create a unique brand identity and establish themselves as leaders in their industry. By using high-quality visuals, unique brand messaging, and creative marketing strategies, businesses can capture the attention of their target audience and differentiate themselves from competitors.
7. Customer Engagement
Instagram's features, such as commenting, liking, direct messaging,reels and polls, provide businesses with valuable opportunities to engage with their audience. By responding to comments and direct messages, businesses can build relationships with their customers and create a loyal community of brand advocates. Polls are another helpful feature for businesses, providing insights into their audience's preferences and interests and enabling them to tailor their content and products to their customers' needs.
How do Instagram chatbots help with Instagram marketing?
Instagram is actively used by over a billion people. It helps brands engage with their customers, and customers engage with the brands they like. With Instagram, brands have been able to become more interactive with their customers.
1. Higher Engagement
Over 90% of Instagram users engage with their favourite brands on the platform, and Instagram chatbots increase engagement with almost all of them by automatically responding to comments, direct messages, and mentions. They also prompt users to engage with your content by asking questions or inviting them to participate in a poll. By keeping your followers engaged, chatbots can help you build stronger relationships with your audience and keep your brand top of mind.
2. Social Listening
Instagram chatbots can help businesses monitor their brand mentions, comments, and hashtags. By analysing this data, businesses can identify trends and understand their audience better. For example, if a particular product or service is frequently mentioned in comments, businesses can use that information to optimise their content strategy and tailor their messaging to meet their audience's needs.
3. Around the clock availability
Instagram chatbots are incredibly accessible and can respond to queries and messages around the clock, even when you are not available. This ensures that your followers receive timely and accurate responses, improving their overall experience with your brand. By providing 24/7 availability, chatbots can increase customer satisfaction and reduce response times.
4. Lead generation
Instagram chatbots can help with lead generation by collecting user information, such as email addresses and phone numbers, and then nurturing those leads with targeted content. Chatbots can easily pick up and segment customers based on their preferences and behaviours. This helps in targeting customers individually. By automating this process, chatbots can help you build a strong pipeline of potential customers.
5. Personalisation
Instagram chatbots can personalise responses based on user data and behaviour. By analysing user data, such as past interactions or purchasing history, chatbots can tailor their responses to individual users. For example, if a user frequently engages with your brand on Instagram, the chatbot can use that information to provide a more personalised response, making the user feel valued and heard. This can help build stronger connections between your brand and your audience.
6. Live agent
Engati’s Instagram chatbot allows you to transfer complicated queries to live agents, or if some customer prefers to speak to a human agent, they can just simply ask to be switched over to a human agent. This way, the agents only have to handle queries that actually need attention, making it easier for them to come up with better, more personalised solutions on live chat.
7. Social Commerce
Instagram chatbots can help businesses with social commerce by allowing users to make purchases directly within the chat. By integrating with e-commerce platforms, chatbots can streamline the buying process and provide a seamless customer experience, ultimately leading to increased sales.
8. Cost-effective
Implementing an Instagram chatbot is often more cost-effective than hiring and training a team of customer service representatives. Once set up, chatbots can operate 24/7 without requiring overtime pay, breaks, or time off.
Click here to learn more about Instagram chatbots
Slide into your customers' DMs
Beat the competition with these Instagram Marketing Strategies. Save time and money by automating your business account with an Instagram chatbot. Simply register with Engati, and you can get started today.
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