Using Instagram for small business marketing. Is it worth it? The short answer is yes. The detailed answers are just below. The digital age arrived with multiple access points to reach people from all across the globe making the market reach wider and more accessible. 

The best part is that you only have to set up an account online to reach them. Social media marketing is now a standard practice for building relationships with customers and promoting their brand identity. 

Many social media platforms can be used to increase engagement and receive potential customers. The one we will be discussing today is using Instagram for business.

Not only is it accessible to almost all parts of the world, but Instagram also has a built-in tool that encourages businesses to track their engagement, offers rates and provides analytics for advertisements and posts.

It’s the perfect tool proven to reach an audience with over 90% of users following a business. However, why would it matter when you’re just starting? Learn more about why you need your Instagram account for your brand and how it affects your growth below.

Benefits of Instagram for Small Business Owners

There are many who still undermine the effectiveness of using social media to attract customers. However, those who do know of its potential to generate income take advantage of its benefits. 

Instagram for small business owners is like an all-access pass to their target market. Within just one platform, businesses can communicate with their customers, promote their ads, and build their brand reputation conveniently. 

While other social media platforms do create similar benefits, social media for small businesses requires a more hands-on approach where they can attract more customers. Below are the benefits small business owners acquire when creating their own Instagram business account.

Convenient Purchasing

The most obvious benefit is the sales you will gain from utilising Instagram for small business marketing. Aside from gaining the attention of consumers, you can also receive income through two ways: direct sales and in-app checkouts. 

Direct sales is a convenient way for your customers to purchase your products by simply tapping on icons and links with tags and product prices. Alongside the image of your choosing you can add a link which says “shop now” that can redirect your consumer to your online website for browsing other products and even checking out items. 

Another option is utilising the in-app checkout in Instagram shop which boosts your conversions and gives your customers a comfortable way of shopping without leaving the Instagram platform at all.

Partnerships with Brand Ambassadors

The best part about Instagram for small business owners is that it’s relatable to your users. Depending on how you frame your content, you can easily gain the attention of your target market and have them browsing through your platform in no time. 

However, if you want to up the ante of your marketing it’s also possible to partner up with brand ambassadors. These brand ambassadors don’t have to be A-list celebrities. They can be social media influencers that have followers on Instagram. 

The ambassador can simply have sponsored posts and images with your products or services while tagging your Instagram business account. By doing so, this could generate more sales leads and increase your sales rate. 

Direct Communication with Consumers

An Instagram business profile makes it easier to converse with your consumers and build a relationship with them. Direct communication through live events, Instagram stories, and even direct messaging makes your consumers feel more comfortable with your brand as it’s not as faceless compared to big companies. 

Aside from conversing regarding their products, you can easily answer their inquiries without them with a personal touch. This entices users to continuously buy your products and services since it’s easier to reach out for concerns and requests compared to larger brands.

Variety of Outputs

Instagram for small business owners offer a wide range of options to share information in a creative way. Just like with a personal account, Instagram lets businesses post stories, archive them, post instagram pictures, videos, and utilise hashtags. 

Designing an infographic with various helpful information and posting it on the archive acts as a FAQ board which you can keep archived on your account for customers to view regardless of how much time has passed.

Hosting lives and actively communicating with your consumers as well as posting 24-hr long stories about events and discounts can also be done on Instagram.

Last but not least, posting videos and images related to your brand on your Instagram business account are the ways to produce an output that can grab your target audience’s attention. 

Instagram Insights

The best part about using Instagram for small business marketing is it’s convenient way to analyse your social media’s performance. Compared to other social media platforms, Instagram offers a collection of data which can pinpoint which of your reels, videos, stories, and other posts performs well or otherwise.

This built-in analytics is called Instagram Insights. It’s accessible for anyone holding an Instagram for business which gives you an idea of what type of content your target audience responds to more positively and where you need to improve your advertising. 

Setting Up Your Instagram Business Profile

Now that we know all about the convenient, seamless, and simple navigation of Instagram for small business accounts, it’s time to learn how to set up your own profile to start reaping the rewards. 

Below is a step-by-step instruction on how to set your business profile with some optional steps you may want to implement as well. 

Click on Your Profile Picture

The first step is to log on to your personal account on Instagram and then click on your own profile picture. 

Edit Your Profile

Once you have done that it will redirect you to a page where you can edit your profile. There will be a wide range of options like changing your profile picture, name, username and more. However, the option we are looking for will be on the bottom of the page.

Switch to Professional Account

Look for the option “Switch to Professional Account” and tap on it. Once you do, it will redirect you to another page. This page will have a list of options to categorise the nature of your business. 

Select the Category for Your Business

Carefully look through the options and click on what applies to your brand. Following that, choose “business account” or “professional account” once again.”

Optional Choices

There are extra steps you could take when you create an Instagram business account. The first option is to either display or hide your business contact information and category label. You can easily go to your profile display under edit profile and switch between hiding or showing your brand’s category and contact information.

Another option is to link it with your Facebook page. By linking it with the Accounts Center, your Instagram business account will now be affiliated with your Facebook page. This is an option that comes during the process of setting up your business profile. However, you can also skip this step instead.

Tips on Instagram for Small Business Marketing

Before you head off setting up your account, why not learn a few effective tips? We know there are many small businesses on Instagram ideas that you can take advantage of. However, if you look closely they all have four common factors at play. These four common factors are listed below. 

Creating Engaging Content

The difference between an Instagram business account VS a personal account is its content. While personal accounts can have random content dedicated to the person owning said account, business accounts need to be in uniform with the company’s colours, have high quality images, and other factors to improve their authority and validity.

A prime example of this is having customer testimonials which provide an insight to potential customers on how your brand interacts with them.  Reels can be utilised to post new content or rules on stories and saved for future customers to browse through.

Another example is to use high-quality images and videos that provide visually pleasing images with helpful information regarding your products or services. Alongside these images should be well-thought-of captions, hashtags, and great geotags. 

Building and Engaging Your Audience

Building an audience on Instagram for small business owners requires hashtags, and strategies to increase follower engagement. Conduct heavy research on your target audience and create a buyer persona that highlights what the majority of your audience requires, looks for, and is interested in.

It’s also important to continue engaging with your customers through quick responses to comments and direct messages. Additionally, providing interactive stickers, polls, or live Q&A can provide feedback for your brand and build the relationship with each customer every company strives for.

Last but not least, content must be scheduled and up-to-date. Some Instagram business accounts forget to update themselves, making them seem closed or unavailable to reach. Always post at a regular interval to keep your company’s impressions and engagements high.

Using Instagram Ads for Small Business Growth

Just like with any other social media posts tip, advertising is the key to growth. Instagram ads come in many forms, from photos, videos, and even carousel ads. Unfortunately, with these three options it can be overwhelming to track the performance of your advertisement and could go over budget.

One of the best Instagram marketing tips is to ensure you have a specific budget and that this budget is utilised to target the correct audience. Be aware of your ad’s performance with the use of Instagram Insights as well as with the use of variant testing like A/B testing which provides differences to a specific ad and compares which one works and which one doesn’t.

Measuring Success on Instagram

Utilising Instagram for small business marketing isn’t just about posting and hoping to gain a sale blindly. Behind the scenes and with the use of Instagram Insight you can track key metrics such as engagement, reach, follower growth, and clicks on links you have provided. 

With the help of Instagram Insight and a well-developed marketing team, you reach your KPIs and set realistic goals accurately.

Conclusion

This concludes all you need to know about using Instagram for small business marketing. We hope you enjoyed learning all about the different ways in improving your Instagram business account to suit your company’s growth. 

If you find yourself overwhelmed by all the necessities required to utilise Instagram, you’re not alone. Feel free to browse through other articles in our blog to find out more about social media marketing!