13 Instagram Best Practices for Business Growth

Instagram, like any other social media platform with the exception, is a platform that is exclusively based on sharing photos and videos rather than words. Instagram has become a cultural powerhouse as a result of this visual twist, and “Instagramming” is now a verb. Instagram, which was purchased by Facebook in 2012, has over a billion registered accounts and has become a part of our daily lives.Everyone seems to be on Instagram these days, from little businesses to huge enterprises, news organizations to cultural institutions, celebrities, photographers, and artists, and also the army of influencers who have risen in its wake. Hence to promote your business through Instagram, it is important to understand what are Instagram’s Best Practices in Business.

What is Social Media?

Social media communication is a kind of communication that takes place on the internet. Users can share information, produce web content and hold conversations on social media sites. Various types of social media are blogs, microblogs, wikis, social networking sites, photo-sharing sites, instant messaging, video-sharing sites, podcasts, widgets, virtual worlds, and other types of social media exist.

Facebook (and its affiliated Facebook Messenger), WeChat, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn are some of the most popular social networking websites, with over 100 million registered members. YouTube, Quora, Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, Snapchat, Pinterest, Viber, Reddit, Microsoft Teams, and others are examples of prominent platforms that are sometimes referred to as social media services, depending on interpretation. 

There are millions of people who use social media to share information and connect with others all over the world. Social media allows us to contact friends and family, learn new things, develop our interests, and be entertained on a personal basis.

On a professional level, we can utilize social media to expand our expertise in a certain subject and improve our professional network by engaging with other industry professionals. At the corporate level, social media allows us to engage with our audience, gather feedback from customers, and raise our brand. 

What Are the Benefits of Using Instagram?

Instagram may assist you in growing an audience, selling products, and engaging with customers. It’s also simple to use — all you need is a smartphone and a plan to get started. 

• Expand your audience 
• Through the app, you may sell things directly. 
• Customers should be engaged. 
• Collaborate with market influencers. 
• Look at what your competitors are doing. 
• Share background information, personal anecdotes, and facts about your company. 
• Make ties with other companies. 
• Understand the latest market and consumer trends. 
• Expand your marketing strategy by collecting customer data.

Here are the essential tips for Instagram Marketing

Why use Instagram Best Practices in Business?

Instagram is the social media advertising darling. And that’s no wonder, given that 13% of people use it, and 80% of them are addicted to brands.  According to Forrester (Forrester is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world.

It helps business and technology leaders use customer obsession to accelerate growth), Instagram user engagement is around 4.21 percent, which is 10 times higher than Facebook, 84 times more than Twitter, and 54 times higher than Pinterest. Even with such excellent data, issues continue to arise that limit Instagram’s marketing potential in this fast-evolving social media age.

It’s mostly due to lower user engagement rates and competitors like other video sharing nibbling into the market share. Nonetheless, we can always look for ways to boost Instagram user engagement. Being active on Instagram entails much more than simply posting photographs and videos of your company. It’s vital to plan your strategy with Instagram best practices in Business in mind if you want to grow your followers.

What advertising methods have shown to be successful in the past and can help in Instagram Best Practices in Business?

Whether you are considering launching a new product, revamping the old product, or planning some promotional events, From teases to announcements to collaborations, plan Instagram content for each step of the process. You may create an Instagram calendar on a whiteboard, spreadsheet, or collaborative platform that works for your team and add content ideas to your marketing calendar. That way, you can make sure your Instagram strategy is in line with your marketing objectives.

For Instance, Your Objectives Could Be: 

• Increasing the visibility of your brand 
• Getting your audience to know you and your brand 
• Clicks to your website from your bio or Instagram tales 
• Using your Instagram shop or website to sell things

How to Leverage Instagram Best Practices in Business?

Because Instagram is a visual platform, you must demonstrate how your company distinguishes out visually. Furthermore, to promote, advertise, and engage on Instagram, you must have a thorough grasp of your audience and business and it is important to know how to leverage Instagram best practices in business. Before you strategize the Instagram best practices, you must know the answers to the following questions: 

First and Foremost, Know Your Audience:

As per Statistica, Instagram has over a billion users and so it is the ideal platform for increasing your brand value and recognition. First, find your target audience and then set S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely) goals – it is critical for gaining traffic, a loyal audience, and brand awareness. We all desire millions of followers, but we need to start small and build up from there.

Maintaining continuous material that is appealing, sparks dialogue, and encourages your followers to share it with others is the key to establishing a new audience. Consider what you want to achieve in the first month, the first six months, and so on. Maintaining loyal followers is just as crucial as getting new ones. The audience is kept interested by keeping content fresh but on-brand.

There are many ways to succeed and fail on Instagram, but by following a few Instagram best practices in Business, you may increase the likelihood of keeping your users happy and addicted. Instagram is still a game-changer in the world of online marketing. Understandably, there are so many different ways to present your brand.

Also Read: How to Make Money on Instagram

1. Maintain Consistency – Use a Content Calendar

Businesses must be active to attract followers and boost engagement rates – but how active should they be? According to studies, 1-2 posts a day are recommended. This keeps your feed current and fresh, attracting more attention. With Instagram’s algorithmic timeline, knowing when to post is equally key. 

Many experts recommend posting between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. or 2 p.m. and 5 a.m. for your first post and 5 a.m. for your second; this discrepancy can cause serious misunderstanding among content planners. It’s important to stay consistent, yet remembering to post frequently isn’t always simple. You’ll be able to keep up if you can plan and schedule your postings ahead of time. 

When creating material, keep the following in mind: How frequently do you want new content added to your page? The post should be frequent enough that people don’t forget about you. On the other hand, don’t publish so frequently that people’s timelines become clogged. Unfortunately, this may result in a mute or unfollow.

Consistency in style. Make your content distinctive by using the same photo filter for all of it or utilizing a selected color palette. Put all of your material in one location. You can avoid the hassle of scrambling for a fresh post by having your material and captions ready ahead of time.

It’ll be easier to remember to post during holidays or special promotions if you plan ahead of time. This is the first and foremost in the list of Instagram best practices in business.

2. Post Quality Content

For Instagram, it’s all about quality above quantity. Consider what you post and why you post it. What does it mean for your business? Will your fans enjoy it and participate in it? How will this be beneficial for your company? You may use Instagram analytics to see which material is most popular with your followers.

3. Tell Stories

People nowadays yearn for emotional connection, and storytelling is one of the best ways to achieve it. The emotional connection has a high probability of engaging with your brand and company. Instagram is all about visualization, and the more aesthetically appealing your content is, the higher your user engagement will be. 

For the photographs, take advantage of the various effects and upload spontaneous shots with minimal alteration. Stick to two or three editing styles in your visual feed to maintain consistency. With 600 million daily users, Instagram stories are the most popular feature. Stories may take the place of feed as the main feature.

Because Instagram has grown so popular, it’s simple to spot when a person or brand is not sharing a true message. Focus on using photos, video, and text to communicate your story and make relationships with your audience. Followers are significantly more inclined to interact and become loyal followers when they sense an emotional connection to your material.

4. Maintain The Brand’s Solid Value

For businesses looking to grow their business on Instagram, the three pillars are creativity, consistency, and clarity. Unorganized and disorganized approaches do not succeed. Focus on crucial elements like profile presentation, creating a style pattern that keeps the photographs current, and owning the use of a hashtag. To establish a rapport with followers, you must interact with them. You can convey a consistent and positive brand to your Instagram fans by properly designing and planning.

You may also want to learn Facebook Marketing

5. Use Hashtags and Emojis That Are Relevant and Popular

Your Instagram posts will show at the top of the stream if you use the most relevant and appropriate hashtags. If you use generic hashtags, your post will compete with many others. Instead, combine the most recent trends with industry-specific hashtags to create the most appropriate hashtag for connecting with your Instagram audience.

Once your company is well-known, strive to build a branded hashtag. Using a branded hashtag makes your company more visible and builds a strong user base. Emojis have more power than photographs, especially on Instagram. Emojis are utilized by 92 percent of the online population, according to research.

6. Make Data-driven Decisions

Instagram statistics show you what’s working and what’s no longer relevant. You can gradually construct your database to track and measure performance. Knowing where you are among your competition provides a lot of advantages.

You can do the following with one of the Instagram analytics tools: 

• Keep track of what happened after the post. 
• Consider the latest Instagram trends. 
• Keep track of hashtags and comments. 
• Assess audience participation and identify influencers 

7. To Establish True Branding, Collaborate With Micro-influencers

Instagram influencer marketing is becoming increasingly popular, allowing businesses to collaborate with major thought leaders in their field and reach a larger audience and it helps in leveraging Instagram best practices in business.

Here are the best Digital Marketing Courses in India

8. Make Instagram Competitions and Use Interactive Features

On Instagram, contests are a strong tool. Content generates 3.5 times more likes and 64 times more comments than ordinary posts, according to studies. Consider making use of the vote, quiz, and question/answer buttons. These interactive aspects not only help you get to know your audience but also provide valuable insight into their preferences. Place these items on top of images or videos of your brand. Fun, interactive content, such as a cosmetics business asking its fans to grade celebrity event attire, can generate a lot of interaction.

9. Promote Instagram Channel on Other Social Media

Spread your Instagram channel on every social media platform such as Facebook. Ensure on your Facebook page that you have a clickable link to your Instagram page

10. Instagram Success Stories

Learn from the companies that are using social media correctly, whose social media marketing is spot on, and have seen extraordinary growth in a short time. Make your own Instagram posts that keep your customers engaged and come back to learn from companies who are using Instagram best practices in business and use their tactics as inspiration.

11. Instagram Reels 

The Instagram Reels function is a fantastic way to make your content more accessible. Plus, text bubbles might provide additional information that doesn’t necessarily fit in your video. While using your reel to promote a product –  Tag it so that your audience can see how awesome it is and buy it right away. Reels, like Instagram stories, are a terrific way to show off your brand’s personality. Whether it’s through entertaining product films, behind-the-scenes interviews with employees, or other innovative ideas,

Also Read: Social Media Optimization Hacks for Brand Awareness

12. Instagram Bio

Your Instagram bio gives a good idea of what to expect from your business. Big brands appear to be following the current trend of keeping bios simple. However, don’t be hesitant to mix things up by introducing sales, news, or other features when it’s appropriate. Additionally, provide your website or a highlighted link to encourage readers to learn more about you.

Consider a short, clever, and entertaining statement to convey your brand’s personality. This is where you may tell the world who you are, what you do, and what makes you unique. Consider acquiring that blue check and asking for Instagram verification to give your name more credibility. Verification on Instagram might help your company account appear more professional. 

13. Keep Up With the Latest Instagram News and Developments and Examine the Performance

Instagram is always changing, and you need to stay aware of new trends, features, and changes. Instagram’s interface has been modified in recent years, and new features have been added. Examining the performance of your content may be done in a variety of ways. Of course, we all want our following to grow, but the amount of interaction your audience has with your content is just as vital. 

You may see how your audience interacts with your content using Instagram’s insights. Knowing how and when your audience interacts makes it easier to decide what to post. You can click ‘View insights’ in the bottom left corner of any post. You can see how many likes, comments, and shares you have from this page. Insights provide an in-depth look at a topic.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is Instagram?

Instagram is a free photo and video-sharing app primarily used on mobiles. People can browse, comment on, and like Instagram posts published by their pals. Anyone above the age of 13 can form an account by providing an email address and a username. 

2. What is the history of Instagram?

Instagram was started in San Francisco by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, who turned their attention exclusively to photo sharing. The word Instagram is an amalgamation of “instant camera” and “telegram.” The iOS app was released in Oct 2010 and the Android app was released in April 20212. The platform’s popularity skyrocketed, with the company reporting more than 40 million active users just two years after launch. The increasing popularity of Instagram attracted Facebook’s notice, and it bought Instagram for $1 billion in the summer of 2012.

3. What is the deal with Instagram? 

Instagram’s main feature is that it is based on visual material. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, which support a wide range of information and media, everything on Instagram concentrates around images or videos. When you post a photo to Instagram, it appears in your followers’ feeds, where they can like, comment, or share it. The more likes or comments your post receives, the more “relevant” it gets and the higher it appears in your followers’ feeds. This algorithm is crucial to Instagram’s success.

Conclusion:

Instagram is a terrific place to be whether you are an aspiring influencer, owner of a business house, a photography enthusiast, or just a regular social media user. Since Instagram is the most influential platform on social media, Instagram Best Practices in Business helps in gauging more customers to your business. Brand exposure, sales, and audience engagement can all be increased by using Instagram best practices in business. It’s a great approach to finding customers in places where they already spend time. It can also provide useful audience information for all of your marketing strategies.