Instagram brand building and advertising

Here in the mobile age, there's nothing your potential clients crave more than visually stunning, creative, and engaging content. And, a picture is worth a thousand words (or likes). Visual content is key, because people remember 80% of what they see, compared 20% of what they read and 10% of what they hear. So, What do you want your visual content to say about your brand? Not only should you consider posting more photos and videos on social media, but a great platform for engaging with your clients is Instagram. With over 400 million active daily users, Instagram usage has doubled if not tripled in the last few years. While Instagram might not be the right social platform for every brand or business, engagement on Instagram is 84 times higher than Twitter and 10 times higher than its own parent company, Facebook. While generating leads and driving traffic is difficult with its lack of implemented links, Instagram is an amazing platform for displaying your company’s message, culture, and brand. What should you be doing to increase engagement across your posts? Keep Content Fresh, Beautiful, Interactive, and Aligned with Your Brand. Just like any content you would put on your site make sure your Instagram is fresh, beautiful, interactive, and aligned with the image you want for your business. Your posts on Instagram should look and feel relevant. For example, it wouldn't make sense for a local bakery to have images of someone surfing on the beach and another of a freshly cooked steak. They don't fit with the products and services they provide. Below are some ways you can keep your content fresh and interactive using some of Instagram’s features: - Stories - Live video - Bulk uploads All of those features are great options where brands can easily highlight company events and news, and overall can go a bit deeper with the content they share. While you don’t necessarily need to post on Instagram every hour or even every day. It’s a popular platform for showing your audience what’s happening around your office and highlighting new products or promotions. Overall, it’s a highly engaging and concise way to give people a peek into your inspirational life and daily routines. Use Bulk Upload to Tell a Story Everyone loves a good story! So why not tell a story with the images you’re putting on your Instagram. Create different image galleries where you can showcase images from particular events or campaigns. You can do that by bulk uploading up to 10 photos to one social post. Let your brand tell a story. Let your work speak for itself. You'll attract the kind of clients you looking for naturally. And, don’t forget to use video. Some great add-on apps you can use when posting images and videos include: - Layout - Boomerang - Hyperlapse - Wipeable - If you need help coming up with a catchy caption, there are many apps and websites to assist in this area. Get Your Customers Involved. With over 500 million active monthly users, it’s no surprise the platform is used by 48.8% of businesses -- and it doesn’t hurt that consumers and users on Instagram upload somewhere up to 40 million photos a day! Your products and or services might end up on someone else page, free publicity anyone? Wouldn’t you want to find a way to get your audience involved in your content creation? Instagram users enjoy taking photos of brands and companies they love. Some ways you can involve your audience include creating a unique hashtag your followers can use when posting photos of your brand and products. You can even then comment on those photos and repost your favorites to your account. Direct Traffic In Your Caption. Despite barring links from its captions, did you know that compelling images on your Instagram page could actually drive more traffic to your bio or website? 75% of Instagram users take action, such as visiting a website, after looking at an Instagram advertising post. Knowing this, instead of just posting a random photo or video, use it to grab the attention of your viewer and direct them to your website where you can create a deeper engagement with your visitors. Unfortunately, you can’t add a link directly to each post, but you can direct your audience to the link in your bio. Some companies also use their Instagram posts to promote any sales that they’re having, by mentioning a promo code in the caption of the post or within the photo or video itself. Some brands use Instagram to highlight and promote their campaign around equality to connect with their audience, build awareness, and generate engagement. Another way to connect with your audience is by asking people to comment on your posts and getting testimonials from those who have benefited from your business and or content. They also use hashtags to get people engaged around a topic. If you’re not using hashtags, you should. Posts with two hashtags yield the most likes and comments from fans. When it comes to social media the best tactic is building engagement and a network of like-minded, passionate individuals, and, by using a hashtag, you’re able to generate user-curated content easily. When you’re posting on Instagram, it’s important to keep your brand intact. With millions of Instagram accounts out there, I’m sure there’s a bunch you can learn and grow from. Which ones are your favorite? I’d love to know which brands on Instagram are knocking it out of the park! Or does your brand have any unique Instagram marketing tactics they’ve seen a return from? Share them by sending me a message or send me an Email with your story. Who knows, you may be giving someone a tactic or strategy that saves their brand from misery or even failure. For freelancers and consultants wanting to make an extra buck this year and increase their overall revenues, having expertise in Instagram Marketing can be a strong boost for their career. For professionals working in advertising and marketing agencies, Instagram will help them serve clients better.