How To Use Instagram for Business

In 2021, it’s no wonder that 90% of people follow at least one business or brand on Instagram. 

In just over 10 years, Instagram has become a hub for businesses. Its users can now run events, book reservations, and advertise themselves through this application.

In this blog, you will learn how to use Instagram for business, from creating a new account to tracking your progress.

Step 1: Get a business account 

You can start by creating a business account or simply switching from your account to a business account.

• Start by downloading the Instagram app or open the web version of Instagram
• Open the application and Sign up.
• When signing up, enter your email address.
• Finally choose your username and password and fill in your bio info.
• Now to change your personal account to a business account:
• Tap on your profile picture in the bottom right and go to your profile. Tap in the top right.
• Tap settings. Some users may notice, choose a Professional Account. Tap it if you find one. If not, continue to the next step.
• Tap Account. 
• Select Business.
• Choose your business category and enter your contact information.
• And you’re good to go! Easy, right? Now, onto step number 2..

Step 2: Create a successful Instagram strategy 

Find your target audience: 

Knowing your audience is the first step to developing a social media strategy. For example, if you’re targeting 25-34-year-olds you are targeting the largest audience on the site. Get a sense of the audience size and characteristics of Instagram by studying the demographic data of the platform. This will help you identify key segments and target different audiences.

Knowing who your audience helps you create content that engages them. That’s why a good social media strategy starts with understanding your target audience.

Identify your goal:

A successful Instagram strategy should start with a clear goal and timeline.

Creating a strategy for Instagram is an important step, as it will help you establish what your goals are on the platform. It can also help you reach them in a variety of ways. Use the SMART framework to make sure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

Track important social media metrics:

Specific goals for each business should be aligned with the goals outlined in the four phases of the customer journey.

Awareness: Metrics such as follower growth rate, post impressions, and accounts reached are examples of awareness metrics.

Engagement: Metrics include the rate of engagement (based on likes and comments) and the rate of amplification (based on shares).

Conversion: This includes metrics such as click-through rate and bounce rate in addition to conversion rate. Conversion metrics include cost per click and CPM if you use paid ads.

Customer: These metrics are based on customer actions, such as retention, repeat customer rate, and so on.

Build a content calendar 

With predefined goals and audiences, you can plan your Instagram content with purpose. A well-organized social media calendar helps keep you on track and allows you to allot more time for creative production.

By planning out events that your customers will attend or participate in, you can improve your sales. This may involve planning for a specific holiday or occasion, as well as a variety of other days and times.

Also, you can create a series or theme that can be built into a regular installment, look for opportunities to develop recurring themes or series. These are the kinds of content buckets that allow you to check certain boxes off without overthinking creation.

Posts that people are actively looking for will improve your organic reach. That’s why it’s important to note that “recency” is an important ranking signal.

Therefore, a business account lets you check the days and hours where your audience is most active:

• Tap insights on your profile.
• Beside your audience, tap All.
• Scroll down to see which are the most active times. 

Step 3: Optimize your Instagram profile 

A good Instagram business profile is ideal for people who are focused on building a brand. It gives them access to all of the information they need to know about it.

Write a good bio 

Your bio should be short, brief, and sweet to attract potential followers. It should also show why followers have to follow you as well as describe your brand voice, just in 150 characters.

Here are a few tips for a crucial bio:

• LINE BREAKS. USE LINE BREAKS. It’s a good way to organize bios that include various information.
• Add a CTA (call to action). If you want people to click on your link, tell them why they should.
• Use Emoji. The right emoji can help draw attention to a certain point or make a brand stand out.

Put a profile picture 

When using Instagram for business, put your logo as your profile picture.

Your profile photo should be at 320 x 320 pixels, so make sure that it fits within the size range that you set.

Use your link wisely in your bio 

This is the only place on Instagram that allows users with less than 10,000 followers to post an organic link. So be sure to include one!

Add relevant contact details 

When creating a profile for a business, it’s important to include a contact form so that people can easily contact you. When you add contact information, buttons such as call, text, email, or get directions will be created.

Create action buttons 

Instagram accounts can also include buttons that allow customers to book or reserve appointments. This feature is only available for business accounts.

Add some story highlights and covers

Instagram Story Highlights are a way to organize all your Instagram Stories into saved collections. These are organized by topics, such as recipes, tips, and user-generated content.

Step 4: Share high quality-content 

Having a recognizable visual identity is key to making your Instagram stand out. There are a variety of ways to do this, but here are some ideas to help you create a compelling visual presence. It’s important to have a consistent visual identity. 

Create thumb-stopping photos

To make Instagram work for you, you simply need to have great photos. There are no requirements to become a photographer.

Some pointers for you to help you take better photos with your phone:

• Use natural light instead of flash. It makes the most of the light’s natural light and doesn’t affect the parts of the face that are most prone to getting damaged.
• Use the rule of thirds to get the most out of your phone camera. Place the grid lines in the center of your subject to create a balanced and interesting photo.
• Stand on a chair or sit down and try different angles when shooting. Doing so will help get the most out of your shot.
• Make sure the visual is easy to take in and read. Make sure the contrast is good. 

Even though great photos are often great, there’s a chance that you’ll need to get creative with them someday. Editing tools can help you get rid of them and create new ones. There are a lot of free resources out there for photographers, such as Instagram’s built-in editing tools. If those tools don’t cut it, try experimenting with mobile photo editing apps.

Explore Instagram various formats

Instagram has evolved from a simple photo-sharing app to a full-fledged social platform. With over 200 million monthly users, it’s no wonder that many of its features are now available as standalone apps.

• Instagram Carousels: Post up to 10 photos in a single post. These posts frequently have higher engagement.
• Instagram Reels: The platform now has its own tab for this TikTok-like format.
• Instagram TV (IGTV): Long-form video format that is ideal for recurring content series.
• Instagram Live: Up to four people can now broadcast live on Instagram at the same time.
• Instagram Guides: Brands have discovered a variety of ways to use this format to share products, company news, how- to’s, and more.

To attract the attention of your followers, you need to regularly post useful and interesting content. This is also why you should regularly update your Instagram account to show that you’re serious about running a business.

Keep in mind that people also need to take vacations and sleep, YOU need to take a break. That’s why you must schedule your Instagram posts in advance. It saves you time and helps keep a consistent content calendar.

Step 5: Engage your audience 

Respond to comments

Encourage users to interact with your brand through Instagram comments and mentions. Responding to comments and mentions keeps your followers motivated in engaging with your brand. You might be tempted to use bots to automate your engagement. But it doesn’t work out that well. Automated engagement bots are not going to work. 

Use specific hashtags

Captions are not searchable, but hashtags are. And they are often used to describe the content on Instagram. When someone clicks on a hashtag, they see all of the associated content. A branded hashtag can help promote your brand and encourage followers to share photos and videos. It can also be a great way to interact with the community.

Influencer marketing 

Through influencer marketing, you can gain access to a huge following on Instagram and other social media platforms.

Even small brands can use influencers for their marketing efforts. They can reach out to them through social media and even they can create their influencers. While they may have a smaller following, these influencers can still exert a lot of influence in their chosen domain.

Use Instagram Ads

Instagram ads are a great way to reach a wider audience and keep your content in front of them. Instagram ads extend the reach of your content by giving users a call-to-action button that takes action straight from their Instagram account.

Step 6: Measure your success

When you create a business profile on Instagram, it’s important to keep track of all of your data collected within the platform. With Instagram Insights, you can easily see how many followers you have and track all of your posts.

Other tools can help you monitor and report on Instagram’s longer time frames.

A/B testing

Different types of content can help improve your results. By testing different content types, you can learn what works for your audience and develop a strategy that works for them. 

Go beyond the A/B testing. There has always been a need to learn and experiment with new formats on social media platforms.

Wrapping it up 

Instagram is more than a photo-sharing platform. It’s also a marketing and sales tool. Creating a profile on the platform gives you access to all of the features that make it work seamlessly for businesses.

Instagram is a great platform for businesses. And in this blog, we provided some tips to implement in your business.