There’s no getting around the fact that we live in a world that’s developing and changing almost on a daily basis, so understanding new trends can be quite difficult and knowing which ones to follow can be even harder. There’s one thing we do know, however, and that is that Instagram has taken the top spot in the world of social media, not only does it act as a good platform for you to share photos with your friends but it also acts as one of the most effective marketing platforms for small businesses.
What is Instagram?
Instagram is a free application for your smartphone that allows you to share pictures and videos to a profile for anyone or a group of friends to see. The followers of your profile will receive a notification every time a photo is uploaded, giving them a chance to interact with it or give it a ‘like’. If a profile becomes popular then it will gain traction in the advertising world, this usually happens when a profile reaches 10, 000 followers or more and will start receiving offers to advertise products to their fan base for a fee. There are many people that can now live off their income from Instagram.
Why should I start using it for my business?
Instagram now boasts over 800 million users, 500 million of which are using the application on a daily basis, making it one of the most popular social media sites to date, which also makes it a perfect marketing opportunity. There are people of all ages using Instagram and depending on your marketing strategy you can appeal to any group that’s desired, whether it be Millennials or an older generation, making your business potential endless. Take a look at this article if you’re interested in the marketing side of Instagram but don’t know anything about it. Understanding the statistics behind Instagram can help you build a personalized marketing strategy that’s bound for success.
It doesn’t matter what type of business you have
The good thing about Instagram is that it doesn’t matter what business you’ve chosen to get into, there will be a market for it on Instagram. It also means it doesn’t discriminate on the size of your business. A small start-up company can get just as much out of the platform as a large established company, sometimes they can even outperform. The thing to remember is that success doesn’t happen overnight and that is the same on Instagram. Having a good marketing team or a good strategy will help you reap the rewards Instagram can offer. The best way to do this is to keep active and keep your content fresh. No matter who you are, your followers don’t want to see the same picture being uploaded every week; it’s boring and won’t gain any interest.
You can make money, directly from Instagram!
Yes, you heard me correctly. Money can be made directly from Instagram. Having evolved a fair bit since its launch in 2010 and has recently introduced something they call “shoppable posts” which allows you to link any products you are selling from an online shop to your post on Instagram. This opens up an entirely new customer base as people that don’t normally browse your website will be able to see your product and have a chance to buy it then and there.
There are other ways to make money from Instagram and that’s to advertise products. If you’re a company then collaborating with another might be a good way to start building a follower base to get you to a point where your brand is big enough to advertise.
Being relatable
One of the best things about Instagram is that it isn’t an advertising campaign with a corporate background. This is run by people and consumed by people. Having a story of what inspired you to start your company, and how you got to where you are today will help you relate to your customer base, being relatable helps people feel like they want to be a part of your brand.
Word of mouth
If you can tick all the boxes, create a brand that looks cool, make the public feel involved, and have an amazing product, then there is a high chance that a lot of advertising will be done for you. Instagram gives the ability to talk about anything a person wants which means if they really like your company, they can share and talk about it which doesn’t cost a thing. There are of course paid ways of this happening, but as of very recently, a rule has come into place stating that any paid advertising has to be clearly stated in a post. So any genuine love for your company will stand out as real appreciation and not paid for.
If you’re not involved in Instagram yet, then what are you waiting for? There is an entire world of media-consuming individuals that are waiting for more content to be thrown their way. As long as you have everything in place, then you’ll have no problem in building a successful Instagram for your business.