The marketing strategy is not a matter of intuition.
You know what I mean if you have ever tried to manage a business Instagram account by yourself. We often fall under the impression that it’s nothing complex to manage an Instagram profile. It’s just content, like blog posts and Facebook feed. Let’s rely on our aesthetic gut feeling and create it in a way we like. Fine, done – but why do we still have so few followers?
Well, because we forget that audience has some expectations toward business content on social media platforms. Also, the Instagram business account needs a different approach than the business Facebook site and a different approach than the Instagram influencer’s profile, too. So, you can’t just rely on intuition to develop your business on Instagram. You need to rely on data.
Recently, Passport-Photo.Online polled 1,000+ U.S. Instagram users to understand their Instagram habits and, based on it, help brands improve their Instagram content strategy.
Here are nine tips from their study on how to grow your business on Instagram.
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1. Connect with your followers
Give your audience a reason to buy from you. How? Connect with them.
According to the Passport-Photo.Online study, 93% of shoppers prefer buying from a business they feel connected to through Instagram over competitors. Also, 71% of Instagramers feel more connected to brands they follow on this social media platform.
So, keep in mind these tips that will help you to get in touch with followers:
- Share exclusive content. Give your followers the feeling that what you share is tailored just for them.
- Avoid jargon. When describing your product and services, use plain language that will be easy to understand by your audience.
- Repost the content you were tagged in. It’s like replying to a thread of a conversation. In the same vein, the lack of reaction is ignoring your followers.
Those tips will help you to build a connection with your audience, which is the foundation of your Instagram business success.
2. Feature your products and services
Entertain your audience. Engage your audience. But never forget to feature your products, too.
Research shows that 85% of U.S. users have used Instagram to discover new products or services. Why not respond to their needs and feature your products on your Instagram account? Keep in mind that even if the connection is crucial, it won’t turn your followers into buyers. Instagram users scroll intentionally to find new products to purchase, so give your customers a chance to find you out.
Only a comprehensive strategy that includes relations and product promotion will ensure your complete success.
3. Keep your posts short
The story doesn’t need to be long to break your heart.
Your Instagram post also doesn’t need to be extended to engage your audience. Indeed, Instagram users prefer short-term content regarding text posts from brands specifically. In the survey, as much as 89% of respondents said they wanted to see more content under 1,000 words on brand profiles.
Our advice – count your words when writing for your Instagram audience.
4. Post frequently
How often to post on social media is a commonly searched question on Google. Twenty-five percent of U.S. Instagram users watch content and like posts of brands on Instagram a few times per week, while 20% do it several times a day. That means nearly half of Instagram users who interact with businesses on The Gram do it more than once a week.
5. More creativity than education
Every Instagram account has a unique way of distinguishing itself. Some bet on entertaining videos, some on educational infographics, and others on aesthetically pleasing images.
For your brand, you can choose one of those approaches; however, your followers have specific expectations toward you.
Answering which content U.S. Instagram users want to watch on business profiles the most, they reply as follows:
- 66% for creative content
- 62% for informative
- 58% for fun content
- 42% on beautiful posts
- 41% on educational content
Instagram users look for many things. But when it comes to brands specifically, they appreciate creativeness, informativeness, and fun.
6. Focus on stories
The topic – check. The voice style – check. The format… Yes, it’s time to identify the correct format for Instagram content.
Research results leave us under no illusion. Regarding brands’ content, more than half of Instagram users (58%) prefer stories, followed by text posts (51%) and video posts (47%).
Only 1 in 4 respondents find live broadcasts worth viewing. So, if you want to maximize your effectiveness, don’t pay them much attention.
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7. Don’t avoid polls and quizzes
It’s a tough decision for Instagram marketers whether to post polls and quizzes on business accounts. On the one hand, they improve engagement and provide honest feedback. On the other, they may bore people and be perceived as intrusive.
Just over 60% of U.S. Instagramers share a positive attitude toward polls and quizzes on business accounts. 32% of respondents are neutral, and 8% share negative or very negative attitudes toward this kind of content.
If you haven’t tried it yet, polls and quizzes are something to consider.
8. Target Gen Zers
Demographics is the primary concern of every marketing campaign. Let’s shed some light on how it looks on Instagram.
Researchers asked if U.S. Instagramers would pick Instagram over other social networking sites when shopping. A whopping 71% of users replied yes: Gen Zers (82%) are more interested than Millennials and Gen Xers (69%).
Gen Zers dominate Instagram’s audience. When creating content, consider what is the most attractive to them.
9. Make your website easily accessible
Instagram followers go beyond your Instagram content.
After discovering a product or service on the platform, 67% of users search for more information about it, and 61% go to the business webpage or mobile application.
You can make this journey easier for your potential customers. All you need to do is to make your website or application easily accessible from your Instagram profile. They are more likely to fall directly into your sales funnel.
Final thoughts
More than nine in 10 Americans who use Instagram follow a business, with most following 6–10 business accounts. This means that the majority of Instagram users are ready to discover your product and follow your account. I hope this article will help you to attract followers and get the most out of Instagram for your company!
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