When it comes to marketing a new business, Instagram is one of the first places you should explore. Instagram is a powerful marketing tool, with more than 600 million monthly active users. More and more startups are starting to see the merit of using Instagram as part of their social media strategy, and some even use it exclusively for marketing. Instagram is one of the best ways for new and old brands to acquire new followers, grow their following, and impact social media.
Instagram Marketing Ideas
Instagram marketing is now an essential part of marketing any brand. The only reason why Instagram is so effective is that it’s a visual community. Therefore, brands need to understand how to utilise the platform to reach new audiences and increase brand loyalty. With the right combination of creativity and technology and a keen grasp of what people want to see in their feed, any brand can build a lasting presence.
This blog post will offer some quick tips on how to start using Instagram as part of your startup’s digital marketing strategy. These ideas can help you create a compelling and engaging account that generates interest without too much investment or effort. So let’s get started! Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
1. Use Images to Tell a Story
Most successful startups use their Instagram feed to tell the story behind their brand. This is probably the most common and the most successful type of content you’ll see on startup Instagram accounts. This type of content works well because it doesn’t feel like traditional advertising. Try sharing some milestones or challenges you’ve faced as a startup. Are you a new brand fighting for space in a crowded market? Did you run into some unexpected challenges along the way? Whatever your story is, share it with your audience. You can edit videos on the Instagram video editor and post images and videos to attract more followers on Instagram because they’re visual. They’ll connect with it and be more likely to support you if they feel like they know who you are as a brand.
2. Tell Users What to Buy
Some brands on Instagram choose to tell their followers exactly what to buy, but we don’t recommend doing this too often. People follow your account because it’s authentic and unique, not because they want a sales pitch every time they open your page. That being said, if you have a post of your product that tells the story well enough, then sharing it can generate interest effectively. The key is not to be overly promotional. If people see that your feed is nothing but ads, they unfollow you.
3. Use Hashtags to Show Off Your Brand’s Personality
One of the most ubiquitous parts of social media marketing is using hashtags, especially on Instagram, where hashtags are used almost universally. You should have a tag for your brand or product, but you don’t necessarily have to use it all the time. Use hashtags sparingly and make sure that they fit naturally with your content. Just like with images, you can also use hashtags to tell your story. For example, if you’re hosting a giveaway on Instagram, it makes sense to use the hashtag #giveaway or some variation in your caption. If you’re giving away products related to your brand or business (or are part of your business), then again, there’s no reason not to use that hashtag in your content.
4. Use Stories for Unique Content
Instagram Stories is a relatively new feature that allows users to post brief content, which disappears from their feed after 24 hours. You can use an Instagram video editor to add text and filters and private messages and drawings over your photo or video clip. Instagram Stories is a great place for brands to experiment with creativity and take some calculated risks. The same stories can also be shared on Facebook and Messenger, so it’s an effective way to reach multiple audiences. Instagram Stories has grown quickly and now has more than 200 million active users every day. This is a space that brands can’t afford to ignore if they want to reach a large audience.
5. Post-User-Generated Content
This is more of a precaution than actual advice, but we’ve all seen how people can get very upset when their content is used without permission. If you’re not sure whether it’s okay to use an image or video, then you should probably err on caution. If you’re going to post someone else’s content on your Instagram account, make sure that it’s part of a larger story and that the photo or video was created with your brand and business in mind. For example, maybe there was a feature about your business in a magazine, and the publication shared a photo on their Instagram page. That’s fine to share as long as it fits within the context of your own content. If you post images without permission because you personally like them, you should reconsider that decision.
6. Get Creative with Geofilters
Every Instagram user has a unique filter applied to their images and videos, so there’s a lot of creative potential on this platform. For example, let’s say you’re on the beach and your product is a surfboard. If you have a sponsorship deal with a surf company or resort, creating an image/video that perfectly shows your connection to this brandy will make sense. You don’t even need multiple photos or videos for this strategy to work.
Conclusion
Instagram is a great platform to use in order to build your business and connect with customers. Take some time to think about how you want to present your brand and how you want users to perceive it. Then get creative and try out some of these tactics. There’s no better way to learn than by doing, so get out there and start building the following today!
