Instagram for Beginners

Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform. If your business isn’t on Instagram, you need to get on now! Here are a few quick tips to help you get on Instagram fast:

Instagram Handle. Assuming you haven’t created your Instagram profile yet, take the time to find the ideal Instagram handle. Using a handle that is on-brand is the best way to quickly build a loyal following.

Instagram Profile Image. Use your logo or something that represents your brand as your Instagram Profile image. Adding logo variations or designs specific to a marketing campaign can encourage followers to check out your profile more frequently than they might otherwise.

Add Emojis. Add emojis to your Instagram Profile. The Social Media Lab podcast recently conducted a study which concluded that having emojis in your Instgram Profile will help your business stand out and increase followers.

Instagram Posts. If you sell a product and feature it in your Instagram post, be sure to include Product Tags so your followers can purchase your products right from Instagram. Use multiple images in your posts to tell more of your story.

Instagram Stories. All Stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Creating an Instagram story can give your followers an insight into the daily activities of your company/brand.

Instagram has 1 billion users with 1 million active users daily. Instagram is the hottest social media platform! Set your brand on FIRE and get started on Instagram today.

Frequently Asked Question: Which Social Media Platform Should I Use?

As a social media specialist, one of the most common questions I hear is, “Which Social Media Platform Should I Use?” This is an excellent question and the answer depends on your industry and your target audience. But, my generic answer is that most businesses should be on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and here’s why:

Facebook

Webgirl Technology recommends that every business be on Facebook. Why? Because, everyone is on Facebook, including your target audience. You can setup a FREE Facebook Business Page. In Facebook, you can use hashtags (which are searchable elements). You can create company events on your page and connect with other businesses. Did you know your Facebook Business Page has a news feed? Well, it does, and you can Like, Comment, and Share other business posts while working as your business. Tagging also allows you to connect with businesses that you are trying to get to notice you. This is what is known as business-to-business networking. So, bottom line, Facebook is for every business.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional social network with over 400 million users worldwide. You can use LinkedIn as an individual and create a FREE business page. Keep in mind, a LinkedIn update is just like a Facebook update or a tweet. It will be part of a newsfeed. You can also post blog posts, by creating a post and using an eye-catching graphic to engage your audience. LinkedIn is a great place to be if you are a business owner, marketing representative, human resource specialist, or looking to connect with other professionals.

Instagram

Instagram is a visual social media platform. It has more than 400 million users and it’s free to use. Did you know that 46% of millennials have an Instagram account. Is that your target audience? With Instagram, you can post pictures and videos right from your phone. Every time you post on Instagram, you should caption your photo or video with a sentence or 2 about the image. Hashtag searching is very popular on Instagram, so, be sure to include several hashtags in your caption as well.

There are other big social media platforms like Twitter, Google+, Snapchat, and more. These platforms are good for some, but Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram are good for all. So, when you are focusing your time and energy on your online marketing, I recommend you start with my Big 3: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

How to use Instagram to Grow Your Online Marketing

4 Ways Instagram Can Tell Your Story

Instagram is a visual social media platform. Currently, Instagram has more than 300 million users. It’s free to use and gives you an additional audience to share your brand. In April, Webgirl Technology is going to challenge you to create an Instagram account and sprinkle April shower photographs with your followers. Here are 4 ways Instagram can grow your business online:

1.      Personal phone pictures can tell your story. The pictures you post on Instagram don’t need to be professional images. Take some candid photos of your business. Maybe a nice picture at a staff meeting. Instagram offers filters to help give your image a more polished appearance. You can add a variety of filters to any image you post to Instagram. By showing the staff meeting, you’re giving your customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business operations. The magazine, In Style, recently wrote a super fun article on Instagram filters.  You can read that article here: www.instyle.com/news/instagram-filters-beauty-complaints

 2.      Brand recognition (logo, tagline). The best way to have customers recognize your logo and tagline is to post it on everything, even Instagram. When you create your Instagram account, you may want to use your logo for your profile image. The visual impact of Instagram allows you to use your logo on pictures you share (see image 1 below). Is your company all about trees? Show us pictures of seasonal trees and follow others that show trees. Your stream can go beyond your logo. 

3.      Use Video. Videos can be posted on Instagram. As of March 29, 2016, Instagram is allowing 60 second videos. In the last six months, the time people spent watching video increased by more than 40 percent and Instagram is responding to the need to engage with longer video lengths. 

4.      Hashtags. Every time you post on Instagram, you can caption your photo or video. You can also use hashtags. Hashtags are searchable words/phrases within the Instagram platform that help attract new followers. Simply type the pound sign # and follow it with a word or phrase. You can use numbers, but no special characters. For example, I took this picture when I was visiting Washington DC #CherryBlossoms.

Instagram has lots of great features and advantages for businesses. But, the key to success is consistency. It’s important that you post on a regular basis and provide an educational component to your posts instead of selling products and services. If you are interested in learning more about Instagram, attend our free meetup on Wednesday, April 13. Register here: www.meetup.com/Business-Online-Networking.

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