A company that has made a significant impact in social media is a business called Instagram. Although this company is relatively new, it is one of the most popular social media platforms in existence today. It allows people to communicate through video sharing and mobile photo sharing, a platform that has actually made some people famous online. You can share this information privately or publicly, and also through other social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook.
This mobile app is distinctive in that it initially cropped photos into a square shape, very similar to old Polaroid cameras. Today, you can post photos in a multitude of different aspect ratios, and also apply their very distinctive digital filters, something that Instagram is known for. What most people do not know, however, is how useful this social networking service is when it comes to marketing products online. Here are seven ways that you can use Instagram to start generating more traffic to your website.
Initial Steps To Take
Before you implement any of the strategies, you need to become familiar with Instagram and how the platform works. It is recommended that you take a few photos, get a few followers, and test how the system works. This will allow you to become comfortable with this platform as you begin to disseminate images related to your business, as well as videos that you are going to share. You will then be able to see the power of this platform, especially how it integrates with the largest social media networks, and how this can drive a substantial amount of traffic.
Create A Facebook Business Page
Once you have become used to Instagram, you will want to create a Facebook business page. This is simply a page that you can create that will be dedicated to all things related to your business, allowing you to brand yourself and your company. Although creating images can help your business grow through this connection to Facebook, it is the creation of the 15 second videos that you can make with Instagram, whether they are straight through or stop motion videos, that can help you make the most of money. Videos have become a very powerful tool for businesses online because of their popularity. Not only are they popular, but people love to share videos, and this is how you can begin to utilize the power of Instagram.
Creating Instagram Videos
There are two specific reasons why you will want to create videos on Instagram when you start to do your promotions. First of all, statistics have shown that videos get up to 100% more engagement than images or text based posts, which means they will be shared with hundreds or thousands of people. You can also now embed Instagram videos on your website or blog, allowing you to create a video blog that people can visit to learn more about the products that you sell. Once you have created a format for your videos to showcase your products, preferably with an intro, outro, and a call to action at the end of the video, you need to learn how to properly use hashtags.
Using The Right Hashtags
Hashtags are used by virtually all social media platforms. This is how people search for new posts and photos that come out. By using the same hashtag at the end of your photos, people will be able to see the new ones that come out by searching for them on a regular basis. Make sure that the hashtags for your business photos are completely different than for your photos that you are sharing with friends and family. Finally, limit the number of hashtags that you are using on your new photos as this can become very confusing for people, and you want them to simply focus on your business promotions. Now that you understand how to operate Instagram, creating both photos and videos, and also how to use hashtags, it’s time to move into one of the easiest ways to promote your business which is by running a photo contest.
Running A Photo Contest On Instagram
The first Instagram marketing strategy that you will use is to run a photo contest. This is how you can begin to build your audience. You simply post a photo and ask people to vote on it, using a specific hashtag, and this will get more people to follow you which can become potential customers. They will also share your photo, if it is good, with people that are following them, and the viral effect will begin. The next strategy involves following other social media accounts, and here is how you can do that with Instagram.
Follow Major Instagram Accounts
The second strategy is to start following as many large Instagram accounts as you can, specifically those that are selling or promoting similar products. If people are following these accounts, they will likely be interested in what you are selling on yours. This puts you in contact with thousands of potential followers that may begin following you. However, you need to take this a step further which involves following these other people.
Follow Other Followers
The third strategy is to actually follow other Instagram followers on these larger accounts. As mentioned before, if they are following this other person or company, since you are selling or promoting similar things, they may also be interested in what you have to offer. You simply follow a user by clicking through to their Instagram and now they will be notified every time that you make a post. This is a great way of building your followers quickly, but it’s even better when you like a photo.
Like Photos Of Instagram Users
The fourth strategy is to look at photos that have been posted by users and like the photo that they have posted. By doing so, they will be able to see who you are and potentially also follow you. Since thousands of photos are posted on a regular basis, if you are following enormous Instagram accounts, you can easily build hundreds of followers to your account every day. This works very well, but the next strategy is even better.
Comment On A Photo
The fifth strategy to use is going far beyond simply liking a photo. You want to comment on a photo that someone has posted. When you do, they will see a link directly to your Instagram account along with all of the other comments, and based upon the quality of your comment, they may click through to see what you have to offer. These are individuals that have already shown an interest in the topics that you are presenting, and more than likely the products that you are selling. This is the fastest way to build a quick list of followers that will actually be interested in what you have to offer.
Send A Direct Message
The sixth strategy to use is to actually send a direct message to Instagram followers on these major accounts. You can simply introduce yourself, or even better, simply state that you really enjoyed a photo that they have recently posted. People love compliments, and the law of reciprocity will definitely kick in, prompting them to follow you. By doing so, they realize that you are a real person, something that is very valuable when you are interacting on social media platforms.
Rinse And Repeat
The final step of the process is to simply repeat all of the steps that you have already done, doing this with new large Instagram accounts every day. You could end up attracting thousands of additional followers, and by posting videos and images on your account daily, these can be shared with their followers, causing your following to grow even more.
This simple seven step process for using Instagram to generate a massive following, one that will eventually lead to consistent sales, is what most people are doing either on their own, or they are outsourcing with companies that will do this for them. It is an organic way to build your Instagram account up very quickly, and you will know that all of your followers will actually be interested in the topics and products that you are presenting. If you start using this today, at the end of 30 days, you could have a very successful business using nothing but Instagram to help you out.
