5 Instagram Tips for Business

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Social media guru, Kevin Landers joined Gary in the studio for a character portrait session and to do a Facebook LIVE broadcast. In the video he outlined his top five tips for using Instagram to help your business grow a following. For those of you who don’t have the time for a longer video (or those of you who can’t watch videos because you’re at work) here are Kevin’s tips. If you have some time the whole video is below where Kevin takes questions from the live audience and goes in to more detail on Instagram and social media in general.

5. Be Patient – As a business you should be growing at a steady rate but not everyone is an overnight success. Using the best practices for Instagram will help you grow an authentic, useful following that can bring you customers. If you keep working it it will pay you back.

4. Separate Your Platforms – If you are using Instagram as well as other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat, you should consider giving each one a different voice. If you post the exact same content on each platform, your followers have no incentive to follow you in more than one place. For example, think about using Instagram to show your behind the scenes, day to day activity and your Facebook to show your finished work.

3. Instagram Stories – in the same style as Snapchat, Instagram has added stories, a mini photo or video blog built in to Instagram. It is a very fast and easy way to personalize your day to day activities with your fan base. Think of it as almost documentary-style film making for the every day person with your phone. People are fascinated by the day to day lives of other people (like reality tv) and stories can be a great way to give your followers a glimpse behind the scenes.

2. Hashtags and Tagging – As crazy as it seems, using the right hashtags in a post can gain you more followers. Consider your potential audience and the kind of thing that they might be looking for on Instagram. Use the search feature built in to the app to research hashtags that can give a boost to your posts. If you are a realtor, think about what hashtags people might use when looking for ideas for their homes. It’s a great way to develop an audience with a shared interest.

1. Content is King – Not only do you need to post regular content on your social media platforms, but that content needs to be interesting to your audience. If you don’t have enough time to come up with original content for every platform, then stick to the ones you do have time for. It’s better to not use a platform then to use it badly. Most people tend to have a larger audience on Facebook because it has been around longer, but concentrate your efforts on making great content so that your social media becomes a place that your audience gets great entertainment or information. Selling hard isn’t an effective use of social media, making posting awesome stuff that connects with your followers is. Be consistent in posting and make it count.

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