Below is our list of eight “must do” items to set yourself up for a successful (and growing!) Instagram account for your business. Let’s get started.
- Write an informative bio: Your bio needs to state exactly who you are and what your business does. It needs to be descriptive, compelling, align with your content and inform people about what makes your business unique. Your bio is how people discover your account, understand what messages you are conveying, and ultimately, how they decide to follow you or not; it’s important to put the required time and effort into making it right!
- Develop a thoughtful theme: Take a look at any of the larger Instagram accounts and you will discover that they all have a consistent theme which makes their grids appealing, cohesive and visually engaging. Instagram is all about visuals; what does your feed say about your company? What is your feed’s theme? Be thoughtful and strategic about both.
- Tell a story: Social media is no different in its human instincts for users’ thrill of getting a peek behind the scenes. How do you do what you do? What happens during a typical day? What is your process? What is your workplace culture like? Post stories that give users the satisfaction of seeing an insiders’ perspective and you will be rewarded with likes, followers and comments.
- Be consistent: You’ve heard it before, but it’s true: when it comes to growing a social media account, the most important thing is regularly showing up. Consistently provide new content — it’s vital, and we can’t state it enough. If this is a challenge and you’re not sure what to post, give us a call! We can consult with you, help you create a strategic content calendar and more, depending on what you need assistance with. Learn more about our social media marketing services here.
- Use Reels: Reels is Instagram’s answer to TikTok. It’s a way to create short, entertaining videos that you can share. You can record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects and different tools. Videos get views; they entertain and draw audiences in. Incorporating Reels into your regular content is an excellent way to expand your reach. Learn more about Instagram Reels here.
- Engage with captions: Don’t skimp on the captions! It’s so disappointing when I come across great content but with ineffective captions. Your captions should add to your content and be equally considered when you post. Captions are your opportunity to tell more after doing the difficult work of capturing peoples’ initial short-lived attention; tell the rest of the story or provide more information about what you are sharing.
- Use hashtags: Hashtags are a tool for users who are looking for you — or vise versa — you looking for specific keywords. Be sure to remember to end your post with a few key hashtags for users trying to find you. For example, we use hashtags such as #brandingagency, #logodesign and #marketing. You can also create your own — in fact, we recommend it for your company name and/or product, or industry-specific terms. Also consider regional hashtags such as #connecticutgraphicdesign, for example. Vary your hashtags to find the ones that work best for your business; testing and tweaking the hashtags that appear in your content ensures you get as many views as possible.
- Make connections: Don’t just push out your own content — engage with others! Spend a little more time each day to respond to comments on your posts, and also reach out to others in your industry by liking and commenting on their posts. Commenting on content, direct messaging creators and getting involved in your community is an important part of using social media successfully. It’s part of building (and being a part of) your community!
We would love to lend a hand in ramping up Instagram (and all other social media platforms) for your business. Let’s get started at amy@elementsdesign.com or 203-776-1323.
– Amy
