With Instagram expected to reach 1.2 billion users by 2023, it offers huge opportunities for small business owners to scale their marketing efforts, and gain a lot of active Instagram users. According to Social Media Examiner’s 2021 social media marketing report, “78% of marketers are using Instagram.” Marketers are second only to Facebook and 64% of marketers plan to grow their business on Instagram in the next year.

With Instagram, it’s more about user behavior than the number of active users: Instagrammers like to network with brands.

According to Instagram, ninety percent of Instagram users follow a brand on the platform. According to 2019 data commissioned by Facebook, 54% of people purchase after seeing a product or service on Instagram.

Instagram is best for small business owners who don’t have the time or budget for expensive marketing campaigns. Free social media marketing allows you to grow your customer base without the need for your marketing team or a large budget and helps to gain massive views on Instagram. To get started, all you need is a free account and a smartphone camera.

Can your small business be successful on Instagram?

Any business can be successful on Instagram, whether you own a local bookstore, an online store, a gardening and landscaping business, an auto repair shop, or a yoga studio. If your targeted customers already using Instagram, you can be very successful on Instagram.

However, if you only have time to invest in one or two social media platforms, you need to make sure Instagram is popular with your potential customers. Here are some best possible ways to find out.

1. Use hashtags strategically

Instagram Hashtags are one of the most essential features for small businesses. They allow people who don’t follow you to discover your content. Research has shown that it is more effective to use 7 or 30 hashtags per post, but this varies depending on the number of followers. Instagram recently added a feature that allows you to see how many people found your post using hashtags. This will help you measure the effectiveness of your hashtags in generating engagement.

Don’t underestimate the #Hashtag strategy as a truly effective Instagram marketing tip for small businesses! In this blog, you will find 7 quick tips for creating a hashtag strategy on Instagram.

2. Choose the best audience

Now that you have your goals and strategy in place, you want to know exactly who you are targeting on Instagram. Remember: If you try to please everyone, you won’t please anyone. Concentration is key.

Even though you may have already developed your marketing personas in the past, it’s worth taking another look and comparing them to Instagram user demographics. This will give you a better idea of what type of buyer you can reach through this channel.

For example, Millennials who earn between $50,000 and $74,999 and live in urban areas use Instagram more than any other demographic. So if you run an employee engagement software company and have two employees: Molly, a 27-year-old human resources assistant, and Harold, a 65-year-old human resources manager, your time would be better spent running your own business. Create profile and content. This will please and attract Molly.

3. Pay attention to the subtitles

The first line of your caption grabs people’s attention and determines whether they visit your page for more information. Don’t just pay attention to the first line, but also check the rest of the signature. Thanks to Instagram’s recently launched keyword search feature, what you write in your Instagram caption is more important than ever. Previously you could use cute or stylized words. While that doesn’t mean you still can’t do this, make sure you do it.

Words you want others to associate you with. As with basic keyword research, this can include brand and product names or general terms related to your business category.

4. Try new hashtags often

Finally, we can’t talk about the importance of integrating hashtags without mentioning the importance of regularly testing new hashtags. Make a few lists of hashtags you want to use and test them regularly with different hashtags. To make the most of this Instagram tip, pay close attention to which posts and hashtags work best!

5. Publish great content

Instagram content will be one of the most important factors in helping you achieve your goals. First, you want to define your style. This includes a color palette, fonts, filters, captions, and hashtags. A consistent appearance ensures that your company stands out from the crowd and increases recognition on a busy channel.

Then tailor your content to your goals. For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, you can promote company culture and show photos and videos of employees, office life, company initiatives, and events.

If you want to increase your sales, videos with customer testimonials or quotes can also be a good option.

6. Use Instagram Live consistently 

The popularity of brand go-live numbers skyrocketed in 2020 as marketers and entrepreneurs worked from home but still needed to connect with customers on a personal level.

Using Instagram Live offers many advantages. The most important of these is that followers are notified when an account they follow becomes active. This direct communication is essential, especially if you want to stand out online. Some ideas to get started live:

• Look behind the scenes: Take a tour of your space or demonstrate your creative process. The starting point is everything to which the customer does not have public access.
• Ask questions and answers: Instagram has a question-and-answer feature where if you use a related sticker, your story post will also change accordingly. During the live Q&A sessions, you can ask me anything (AMA) or focus on specific products.
• Conduct an interview: Share the live stream with another account. If you have a live guest, you can interview them on-site or give them a microphone to show what they’re passionate about.
• Present your product or service: Is it easier to present your product or service than to tell people about it? Use Live to describe it in detail. When comments are enabled, viewers also tell you what they want to see.

7. Look at your competitors

Your competitors’ customers are also potential new customers for you. So if companies similar to yours are successful on Instagram, chances are your employees are on Instagram too. All you have to do is start posting!

If your competitors aren’t on Instagram, it might not be the right platform. However, if many of your customers have told you that they would follow your brand on Instagram, don’t hesitate to create an account. Instagram may have untapped potential and you will be the first brand in your niche to discover it.