5 Fail-Proof Ideas for Your Business Instagram
What generates over 95 million photos and videos each day, 4.2 billion likes daily and has 700 million active users? You guessed it – Instagram. This photo and video sharing social platform have really taken off over the past few years and many businesses are starting to take note. If you’ve been putting off your Instagram debut because you’re not quite sure how it works, you’re in luck. Even if you think your brand isn’t camera-ready, these Instagram ideas can work for even the least photogenic brands.
First, here is the cardinal rule of Instagram: upload quality content. Instagram is a visual platform, take advantage of it. A few other guidelines to follow are to be creative, to think of clever captions, to tag relevant people and businesses, to add locations and to use appropriate hashtags.
Let’s say your team volunteers with Habitat for Humanity to build houses in the community. Tagging Habitat for Humanity, using relevant hashtags, such as #habitatforhumanity (encourage everyone at the event to use the same hashtag) and adding the neighborhood as the location will help people with similar interests find your posts. Habitat for Humanity will be notified that you tagged them and could share your post, furthering your reach.
Stumped on what to post? Give these ideas a try to engage your followers and accelerate your growth on Instagram:
Expose your company culture
Followers love seeing the people behind the closed doors of your office. You can take images “behind the scenes” of a current project, or show “a day in the life” of someone at your company. Find the beauty in your brand (even if what you offer isn’t all that photogenic).
Encourage customers to post photos using your products
There’s no better way to create awareness for your brand than by getting a first-hand testimonial from your most communicative customers. And with Instagram, it’s now easier than ever to get those testimonials shared with the whole World Wide Web! By inspiring your clients to post photos with your products and services, you can multiply your efforts in delivering your content to as many people as possible. Come up with a unique hashtag and ask your customers to tag you in every post. You can bring it back full-circle by reposting their photos and featuring them on your account. It’s a win-win for you and all your socially-savvy followers.
Share your experiences
Does your company take part in volunteer work, team building or other activities outside the office? If so, this is a prime opportunity for you to build on your corporate reputation. Just like you, your followers are human beings that like being able to relate to your company culture and welcome all philanthropic efforts of your team. Anytime you spend the day contributing to a greater cause, encourage your staff to commemorate their experience and share it on your Instagram platform.
Create your own #Hashtag
Ever since they came into existence in 2007, hashtags have been all the rage on social media. From (hash)tagging a company-wide event, to creating a catchphrase that can be associated with your business, hashtags are a great way to drive attention to your brand. Take some time and come up with a unique hashtag that encapsulates your company culture and the services you provide. Don’t be afraid to use it for any company gathering and have your staff to add the hashtag to the pictures they take at the soiree. This way you can repost pictures taken by employees and create some much-needed buzz for your brand.
Look for inspiration
Still looking for more ideas to revive your social media presence? Research other companies that relate to your business offering and see what’s working for them. You may choose to adopt their themes and styling tips, and even follow them to reference their ideas in your stream reel. And keep your eyes open as your own following grows, you never know when you will become the next Instagram guru!
Even if you’re still learning about social media, these five tips will help you increase your brand’s reach on Instagram. Make sure you engage with your followers and share what’s going on behind the scenes of your company. Over time, you’ll turn into an Instagram guru!