Welcome back to the third entry of our latest blog series, ‘Why should you use…?’ This time we’ll be talking about Instagram. Don’t worry it’s not to tell you what the best influencer poses are, or the filters you should use to make your life look a million times better than everyone else’s. Rather how you can use it to help your business and all your digital marketing endeavours.
1. Customer expectations
Let’s be honest, if you’re not using Instagram by now you’ve got to get with it. I may be a bit biased, speaking as a 19 year old who has grown up with digital tools in her teenage years, but your customers will definitely expect it.
A simple search for your business on Instagram can be very beneficial. Customers will search for you specifically by name or by using hashtags that relate to your business or location. If they don’t find you when they do, it doesn’t reflect your company very well. You may not want to be super active (posting 5 days a week and having a special sound for your notifications isn’t necessary) but it doesn’t hurt to create an account that has your name, contact information and a few posts that showcase what you do.
You may also be interested in: Why should you use Facebook?
2. You’re trustworthy…
If you do have an Instagram account, bonus points if you’re verified, it is one more sign that shows you are a reputable, real and trustworthy business. It’s another place for people to go and ensure they want to work with you or purchase from you. If they like what they see, both parties are winners!
It also helps if you’re an online only brand, having another account where customers can get to know you is highly valuable.
3. You can showcase your products or services
Whether you sell individual products or services, Instagram gives you the ability to share photos and videos that link directly to them. This is a major move, and can make it so much more accessible for customers to buy your products with no faff.
To do this, you’ll need to create a catalogue on Facebook – which is where Instagram can pull the information from.
4. Easy drive for traffic site
Don’t fret, it’s not just products that you can showcase on Instagram – you can share your blogs (cough, cough), infographics, behind the scenes work, or any other content you wish to post. Instagram is just one more channel that can drive traffic back to your site, use it to your own advantage!
5. Tags for the win
If you never make an Instagram account, you’ll never understood the power of a good tag. Let’s say you gave a client great customer service and they feel really happy about the product or service they received. It’s likely that they’ll take to Instagram and share their experience. A few cheeky tags later, and you’ve suddenly got some extra followers and a lot more interest in your business.
You can then re-share this on your account so your existing followers, who may not have worked with you yet, can see this great review!
6. Keeping up the rep’
Having an Insta is a must when it comes to online reputation management. Your online rep is critical for your business and the success of search engine optimisation. When customers search for your business or brand’s name, it’s not only your website that will be at the top of search engines, but your social media platforms too.
This is why it’s good to create business accounts on social media with your brand name, even if you don’t plan on using them all the time.
7. Staying on top of the competition
If you’re competitors have Instagram and you don’t, then you are fighting a losing battle.
They’re the ones creating new content and getting their business out there, if someone’s looking for the service you provide they’re 99.9% more likely to choose the company that is more active and well presented than the one who is ghosting.
Even if you’re stuck for content, take a look at what others do and get inspired!
8. Get networking!
Instagram is a great networking tool. We’re talking DM’s, likes, comments, tags, resharing posts, adding content to your story. The possibilities are endless.
You can easily interact with other like-minded businesses who you may want to collaborate in the future. You can reach out to influencers who might want to work with your company. Or you can directly talk to possible customers who might have a simply query about your business.
The communication you have on this platform could be key in generating leads and gaining new clients. Not everyone wants to talk to a bot on your website when they have a question, offer them the human side to your business and you’ll find they’re more likely to work with you!
These are just a few reasons why Instagram can be beneficial for your business, put them to use and you’ll find the platform can do a world of good for getting the exposure that your company needs! You may not know everything there is to know at the beginning (completely normal!), but even by simply creating an account you will have made a major step forward in marketing your business.
Click here to read the first post in this series: Why should you use LinkedIn?
