Posted by & filed under Codastar News.

Instagram is everywhere at the moment: friends, family – even all over Facebook since the buy out. No doubt you’ve already using this nifty little image app already, but why not try and integrate it into your business and social media strategy?

 

instagram for business

Tiffany & Co are a well known high end brand, and use their Instagram account to not only take a look behind the scenes at their HQ, but also gives their customers an insight into the worth of their products and how they create jewellery perfection.

Why You Should Embrace Instagram:

According to a study by Facebook found that posts with images are much more popular than those without. Photo’s receive 50% more likes than text only posts, and those pages sharing links with a thumbnail image for 65% more likes and 50% more comments than those links without.

The facts really do speak for itself – if you want to increase engagement with your fans, you need to increase your image use, meaning Instagram could be a perfect step in.

So how does Instagram benefit you? Well, simply enough it shows everyone that you are socially ‘on trend’, but it also is a really creative way to showcase images from your company. Tap into your audience visually with different angles and snaps. Post photos of new products or something fun in the office. The beauty of Instagram is that you don’t need to be a photographer, you just need to be/know what is interesting.

Geo Tag.

Geo Tag is a great tool when using Instagram for business, and adds an extra depth of engagement to your photos, providing an easy map of where your photos are being taken. Let your followers know where you are, whether its simply at the office with a fresh cup of coffee, or a fascinating stand or item at an exhibition or event. Not only does it make you easier to find ‘on the road’ but also gives that added level of ‘real’, that there is a person on the end of the photo, which is easy to lose on social networks.

Get Involved and Engage.

Instagram is a fantastic way of engaging with your audience, and actually asking them to get involved on your social media networks.

Ask your audience to post their own Instagram photos of your product or service, run competitions on products, create albums and share great shots. These shares and retweets create a sense of community amongst your followers, ensuring that extra ‘buy in’ to your company, and an added level of interest in ‘you’.

Whatever your business or industry, from manicurists to mechanics, Instagram is flexible and only limited by your own creativity. Take this opportunity to not only show off your best work, but let others do the showing off for you.

Be Real.

Authenticity is the key to successfully using Instagram (much like any social app or network) for business. There are real people behind every phone and screen, and they want to see ‘real’ on their timelines.

Avoid obvious advertisement tactics and clichés. Use this as a tool to convey your brand personality and humanize an otherwise linear part of your business.

Don’t just post photos of logos or store fronts, or product after product. What is it you find interesting? What is it that you find fun? Mix in images of something you saw on the walk to work – a pretty park, a quirky signpost. Include that nice piece of artwork you have in your meeting room, or a cake for someone’s Birthday in the office. With a sprinkling of promotion thrown in, Instagram is a great tool for showing people the real ‘you’ and the real side to your business.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *