Are you looking to expand your social media marketing strategy for your business? Learning how to use Instagram[3] for business can be one of the best decisions you can make right now. With all the marketing advantages available at your fingertips through this social network alone, you can promote your brand, build a community, sell products and services to anyone and anywhere in the world at any given time.
There are about two billion people who use Instagram each month. Adult users spend nearly 30 minutes daily on the app just scrolling, looking for live streams, and indulging in Reels. Ninety percent of users follow at least one business. Now that you know, what can your business do today to move a step closer to your goal?
Instagram is about to be 12 years old. It has evolved having started as a photo-sharing app to now being a photo and video-sharing app both for iPhone and Android with all the functionalities for interacting with different communities. It now allows you to do many amazing things like starting your own shop using your own profile, launching campaigns for a cause, running contests to raise funds, and doing business ventures that were once possible only in your dreams.
To get started with your Instagram marketing strategy, you need to set goals. Before that, you need to know your audience. You can do this quickly by tapping into Instagram’s users’ demographics. Take some time to research your customers who are already on the platform. Start with that information to create content that they love. Create a plan that helps you move forward with your business goals and make sure that you track your progress using the social media metrics that Instagram provides.
After publishing Instagram content for some time, soon you’ll find out that not all Instagram post types are the same. Depending on what’s trending in the season you get started, some posts will receive more views and shares than others. But those posts that truly provide solutions and answers to your audience will always stand the test of time. So brace yourselves and get familiar with the top Instagram post types to determine which ones you should create more and schedule on your content calendar.
Instagram Reels are short, vertical videos that are usually 15 to 60 seconds long. Recently, Meta also introduced the new 90 seconds Reels length.
Reels are just like TikTok and many other popular social media apps that allow sharing of very short videos shot on mobile devices and webcams, engaging and entertaining their audience with fun, snappy videos that reach 500+ million users around the world each day.
The Reels mobile app enables its users to make use of its high-end video editing tools and get creative in recording and editing together video clips and photo collages, then add music and user-generated media from the Reels catalog so their videos can be shared in the Reels explore page.
Since its inception, it’s been amazing to see how brands use their video editing magic to produce unique visual experiences that would make them stay in their viewers’ minds at least for a little longer.
The very casual and quirky style of videos that Reels made popular is also the reason why millions of people love watching those videos. They are made by everyday people and even professionals making them very relatable and appealing. Now, brands and influencers use Reels to reach their customers and their friends, and followers. And it’s working!
Users can also see beyond the Reels account that they follow. They are able to view the Reels from all other Instagram accounts on the Reels tab. Many Reels videos may actually reach a potential new customer[4] just by creating those 15-second short videos and putting them up in Reels.
Reels is the perfect place to reveal your brand’s personality or the people behind them. Simple video shots of behind-the-scenes, unrehearsed peeks can go a long, long way. Touch up your videos with Reels music and visual effects, you’ll make sure that your message stands out. Using the native Reels tools can even help you really grab your viewer’s attention and zero in on your message for those valuable seconds of time.
It’s important that you start with a story for your Reels. What topic would you want to focus on in this video? If you’re a Social Media Marketing Agency looking to get your first clients, for example, you can start by showcasing a problem that your ideal clients struggle with, and that’s a lack of time for SMM.
Next, determine the Reel content format that will speak to them. Will it be like role-playing or creating a scene? Or a how-to tutorial? Or maybe a quick video guide showing them a glimpse of the end result they want through a picture slide?
Now that you have some bullet points to start with, you can work on the technical aspect of your Reels.
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Single photo posts are still one of the most popular posts on Instagram. This is where the platform got started and obviously, it worked! People love to see updates from brands even through simple image sharing[1]. It’s simple, and quick to prepare and share.
Just like other Instagram content that we can post, single photo posts speak a thousand words. They tell stories about brands, people behind the scenes and the message that’s being spread around the corner. These are great avenues for businesses to highlight the impact they make in the community. Pictures won’t lie and people love those candid shots that they won’t see otherwise shared on Instagram. The more authentic pictures are, the more they connect to like-minded people.
This is where your image editing skills come into play. Good thing that the Instagram app or even the built-in image editing phone apps have already the features necessary to enhance photos. Filters, cropping tools, resizing tools, effects, colorization, magic wands and fixes can do all the image magic we need to bring our photos to life!
Carousel posts are multiple photo posts of up to 10 images in a single post that viewers can scroll through. Carousel posts are a creative and fun way to share a moment in multiple single shots like a photo shoot where you can see the progression of an event.
Carousel posts are proven to be very effective in driving engagement. Just like any social network, time spent on a post is a key factor that Instagram’s algorithm[5] looks at. Scrolling through carousel posts just achieves that, compared to viewing a single post.
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Depending on your current business goals, you can choose to focus on one of the Instagram post types that will help you the most to achieve them.
If you want to increase brand awareness, creating more Instagram photo posts will help people know more about your products or the services you offer. Instagram is proven to be effective when it comes to expanding your social media reach as more followers like and share your posts.
Do you need to drive traffic to your store or Agency website? Then you will have to ask your viewers to click a link on your social media posts. How are you going to motivate them to make that click? This is where Instagram Reels can make that move for you. If you create interesting Reels videos about your products, services, stories behind the scene, and your customers, you’ll eventually grab the attention of the right people who’d be so hooked enough to click that link so they can check your website and know more about you.
Do you need to build your subscribers list? Not only you’ll ask your social media followers to click a link on your social post. Once they’re on the website you’ve asked them to go to, you’ll ask them next to enter their email address[2]. Now you have to ask them two things. The key to achieving this goal is to make sure that the free offer on your website is really valuable to your audience. You can use Instagram Reels again to show some of the highlights of that free offer so you’d entice them to sign up. How you do this may need some creativity and uniqueness which you can show in your Instagram post content. If they’re your target market, they will pay attention because it’s important to them.
If what’s more important for your business at this current season is to increase business revenue, then you need to bring in more people to check your website so they can sign up for your offer then they can be on your email[7] list and you can start marketing to them strategically. Instagram post types that truly engage your audience get the job done. Again, Reels would be very effective for this goal. Your loyal followers would see your new content as you post them, and they’d be willing to tell others when they see your brand’s authenticity as they see all these Reels you’ve been consistently putting out. You’ll be able to connect with them just like with a friend. This will factor in significantly when you start sending them paid offers.
We just mentioned above which Instagram post type can help you the most if you want to boost engagement and along the process, boost audience loyalty, and ultimately, they can become your brand advocates. Instagram Reels get the job done! You may also consider putting out Carousel posts that paint a story and tick your audience’s curiosity. Though you must be ready for the avalanche of responses that you may receive from your community. It will work well if you’ll be able to respond to them as soon as they send their comments while in high emotions as they so closely relate to your Instagram posts. What an opportunity to interact with them in an amazing way!
The best Instagram posts for your business will always be the content that reaches and engages your audience. Always keep in mind that in this business of digital storytelling, whether through single posts, multiple posts or short-form videos, the real heroes that we want to lift up are the customers, clients, fans, followers, and community of our brands. Focus on them and you’ll never go wrong whether the algorithm changes or not. Invest in the true heroes of your brand and it will soon pay off!
Are you looking to increase your reach and engagement on Instagram? Reels can be a powerful tool for achieving that. Here are some strategies to help you make the most of this feature.
To tell a compelling story on Instagram, use captivating visuals that draw your audience in. Show, don’t tell, and let your photos speak for themselves. Craft a narrative that resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impression.
To encourage user interaction and engagement with carousel posts, try these strategies: include a call-to-action, create a narrative, showcase different aspects of your product or service, and use eye-catching visuals.
To effectively leverage user-generated content on Instagram, start by partnering with influencers who align with your brand. Encourage them to create and share content featuring your products. Run user-generated campaigns to engage your audience and amplify your brand’s reach.
To effectively showcase milestones and share your team culture on Instagram, consider posting behind-the-scenes moments. These glimpses into your business create a personal connection with your audience, fostering engagement and building brand loyalty.
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