Ultimate Guide to Instagram Growth

Every other person uses Instagram nowadays. It is most likely to see every individual’s account on Instagram. Either it is Tommy doggie or it is lightning star café. Instagram has increased its dimensions in all different fields.

The visual nature of Instagram gives it the second most accessed network after Facebook. Hence, it becomes easier for businesses to explore their targeted customers, increase sales, and build familiarity in public. This guide will help you understand Instagram and its marketing. The article is fresh and updated to 2022.

 

We will go step by step, by covering the following points:

1. What is Instagram Marketing?
2. Why we should do Instagram Marketing?
3. Marketing strategy on Instagram. 
4. Business Instagram Account
5. Types of Instagram posts.
6. Other various styles of publishing.
7. Captions and hashtags.
8. Instagram advertising.
9. Conclusion.

What is Instagram Marketing?

Marketing is a set of activities that promotes the buying or selling of goods and services. Thereby, joining the term Instagram marketing is an online social media platform where you promote your goods/ services or your business.

Because, Instagram has a large audience, it serves as an ideal platform for showcasing your ideas. Promoting your brand through Instagram can be termed as Instagram marketing. Instagram marketing is a global concept. Hence, is very beneficial in today’s era.

Why We Should do Instagram Marketing?

There are tons of reasons for opting for Instagram marketing for our business. Below, I have mentioned some of the major reasons for the same:

1. A large audience: There are mainly 140 million Instagram users every day.  And almost 71%  of business pages are active on Instagram. Therefore, promoting your brand/ products or services on Instagram is one of the best platforms. It gathers a huge audience for you. Increases your targeted customer group, and brings familiarity amongst the group. 
2. Visual Nature: Instagram has a lot of attractive visuals. This nature of Instagram helps you in beguiling most of your product in front of the public. The visual graphics makes your profile look beautiful and friendly for the new visitors.
3. Telling tales on Instagram:  Instagram has very charming tales. One can bring out and showcase their talents/ product or spread awareness of the brand they wish to. One can present it in any way, either traditionally or in modern ways. The customer-centric approach of Instagram helps one to get an edge over the competitor. 
4. Feedback and important information: Instagram marketing helps you to get feedback on your industry.  It recommends automated email marketing services and many more. People start sharing your product if they like it. They leave comments after their purchase and share the same via posts and stories. Therefore, Instagram helps you as a hub of informative feedback from customers. 
5. Keeps an eye on the competitor: As Instagram is acting as one of the eCommerce platform, it brings you a list of your likely competitors. Through this phenomenon platform, you can keep a track of your competitor’s activities. Henceforth, you may discover, and learn a lot from it. 

Marketing Strategy on Instagram

Set Your Goals For Instagram

Before implementing or posting blogs and posts on Instagram, ask yourself your goals for Instagram.  To build and develop your brand, you must set your goals. Your goals then help you in justifying your time, investment, workload, and your daily commitments. There isn’t any right or wrong goal. Your goal can be anything. It may differ from individual to individual and industry to industry. Your goal can be either scrolling and keeping an eye on your competitor or it can be creating awareness amongst the public for your brand. 

Be determined and clear about your Instagram goals. You do not have to limit yourself to one particular one. But define and be clear about what you are focusing on. For example;  It can be marketing your product and also creating awareness/ familiarity amongst the public. 

Determine Your Targeted Audience 

Before you begin marketing and approaching people. You should be clear with your targeted audience. One should consider all different factors while choosing their preferred audience. Age, gender, income, location, interest, and many more. All these effecting factors, will help will easy your work and in choosing your desired set of audience. 

You may check people’s interest by referring to their used hashtags, posts,  and pages they are following. You can also have a glance at your competitors’ following lists. Once you do that, Instagram will start suggesting you many like-minded people who would show interest in your core areas. Thereby, making it easy to define and make your set of targeted audience. 

Conducting a Competitive Analysis

After you have chosen your targeted customer. It is time to research a bit. Competitive analysis with your competitors is a must! You should never skip this part, as it brings in different ideas and your key areas to improve or work upon. Start reviewing your competitors’ Instagram profiles or you may search for key terms that are related to your industry. 

Once, you open some of the pages, now reflect on small things. Look for popular hashtags, their way of writing captions, how are they posting or making graphics, how frequently they are posting, or maybe how well they are growing.  After making an audit on these related areas. Make note of opportunities and add unique contents for your page.

Create Editor Calendar

An editor calendar is a very helping tool in marketing strategy. This saves your time and manages your presence in the Instagram platform. An editor calendar helps you in recording any key event to your Instagram handle. For this, you may have to fill in the calendar with Instagram post type, with captions and hashtags, and even plan your posting time in advance.  

With the help of an editor calendar, you can keep an eye for real-time opportunities. Also, you may not have to rush for last-minute posts. 

Try Building a Consistent Brand on Instagram

Aesthetic brand consistency on your Instagram handle helps you in connecting to your audience. Keep your brand values and brand personality in mind. Consistency will help in recognizing your content/post in the feed. People will connect more easily as it will differentiate you from other blog posts.

Remember, you need to refine your content to match your brand personality. To drive your audience attendance, do not stick just to visuals but aim to post images with brand narratives too, or you may write detailed attractive captions.

Grow Your Instagram Followers

Growing Instagram followers takes a lot of time. However, do not take an easy way and start purchasing your followers. You need to engage your audience. Purchasing followers doesn’t drive a lot of engagement of the viewers. As a businessman, you need to make sure that your posts or any blog are taken into consideration. People see your posts. 

Below are some instructions that will help you in generating your Instagram followers:

1. Use a small pronounceable, searchable username. People should be able to search, find, and follow you.
2. Fill in your bio with the best details you can. 
3. Before reaching out to people, posting 10 to 15 high quality posts (A visitor will have posts to see on your profile).
4. Start following accounts of your interest, influencers, business pages, or terms that are related to your industry. 
5. As you follow the above step, Instagram will suggest more related people and pages follow. 
6. Start interacting and promoting. Do not hesitate to appreciate your followers and take feedback. Engage your audience in comments, story posting, or new trends on Instagram 

Business Instagram Account

A business page makes you look more relevant and organized. Following are the steps through which you can make a business page.

 

Follow the Following Steps to Create a Business Page:

1. Download Instagram app and sign up using your Facebook account, Gmail, or phone number. Remember to sign up business email.
2. Enter your required details; Your name, phone number, and your business profile name.
3. Pick a username. This isn’t a permanent and can be edited in future. Remember to use an easy searchable name.
4. Once you have optimize your profile, you can now choose a profile picture. Make sure you are reflecting your brand. Hence, your profile picture should be consistent. 
5. Now, top up your Instagram account with a nice bio. Be direct and concise. Also, you can add any external link to your bio.

Adjust Your settings

1. Click on the three horizontal lines in the upper most, right hand corner of your profile page.
2. Now click on settings. 
3. You will be able to create a new password, control your notifications, theme, ads and many more. 
4. Remember to allow your followers to see and reply to your stories (PRIVACY>STORY). This will increase public engagement. 
5. To switch your account to professional account. Click on ACCOUNT>SWITCH TO PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNT.
6. To switch to a creator or business account: First log in to Facebook. Now allow Instagram to manage your pages. From there, select Facebook page to connect to your Instagram profile. 
7. To change your account from public to private. Follow Privacy> Account Privacy>Turn it off.
8. To restrict certain comments on your posts, which can be offensive for your brand and goodwill. You can click on Privacy> comments.

Types of Instagram Posts

Once you have created your account and optimized all the settings. Now is the time for interactive posts that will connect your audience. I have listed various posts that you can share on your business profile.

IMAGES

These are the most common posts on Instagram. Posting images will generally vary from filters to the type of image you are uploading. You may even capture lifestyles shots or behind the scenes images of your company and employees working. Remember it is showing your company to a large number of viewers. Henceforth, be active and engaging. Your images can even be a repost from your employees. It creates authenticity and humanizes your business more. 

Educational Posts

These posts should be informative. Educational posts generally tell one how to do or make something. These posts should be written in easy understandable language. So that the instructions are easy to understand and grasp. 

Influencer’s Posts

 A post from the celebrity or well known artist or maybe some public figure promoting your brand through posts are said to be known as Influencer’s posts. These posts attracts a lot of viewers as are promoted by a famous person. Hence, influencers posts are very useful for a start-up or a business seeking very less marketing strategies.

Motivational Posts

A motivational posts is a mixture of visuals and a quote to cheer up someone. An uplifting quote that encourages your audience are said to be Motivational Posts. These posts are used to increase brand value in between the viewers.

Other Various Styles of Publishing

Other than posts, you can also used other various options available in Instagram. Following is the list of creative ways of publishing your posts:

VIDEOS

Instagram offers you a video platform, where you can share a minute long series. You can share your personal videos or videos you think will be helpful in promoting your goods or services. Instagram allows two kinds of recording:

Reels

These are short 15 to 30 seconds video. Through this you can create, discover and encourage a lot of your viewers. Reels are one of the most trending feature on Instagram that gathers a lot of viewers’ attention. Therefore, making reels of your brand/product or your employees will seek attention of a lot of visitors.

IGTV

IGTV series is the best way to organize content on your business profile. These videos give viewers a good reason to return to your page. You can easily let your viewers to tap on to watch upcoming series.

BOOMERANGS

These are short, repeated clip generated by holding the record button. You can make entertaining clips to attract your views. You can make boomerang while introducing a new product or make while employees are working together. These also make your profile look good.

Instagram Stories

These are another best ways to keep your viewers engage. These are like snapchat stories, that expires within 24 hours. Unlike posts on Instagram, stories on the app, aren’t suppose to be much polished. And can be candid. You can even tag people on stories. If you wish to keep a story permanent on your profile, you can add it to highlight.

Captions and Hashtags

Captions are one of the most essential tool. Your content in the caption, needs to be relevant and interactive. People will read what you have got to say about your brand, product, or service. Therefore writing captions nicely becomes an important tool of Instagram marketing. 

You can either express your meeting or daily suggestion to everyone through these captions. Mention people on your captions. This way people drive a lot of attention to what you have written. There isn’t a world length for a good caption. As, both short and long captions holds their utility, with the given image/post.

Hashtags are all over the media now days. They make your Instagram look approachable. The tagged hashtag material on your captions will make users aware of the content you are sharing. These hashtags should be relatable and exploring. Remember to use trending hashtags.

Instagram Advertising

After, you are done with all the settings and with updating your business profile. It is time to use the platform for marketing your brand. For this, you have to make natural ads for viewers. 

How to Create an Instagram ad

For this, you have to choose a current Instagram post, that you think will drive a lot of attention of viewers.  Now claim your Instagram Business account to your Facebook account. By  Business manager> Instagram account> claim Instagram account. Once you do that, you can click on NEXT to finish the procedure.

Once you do the settings, you will be asked to select type of traffic, you have to draw.