Having a robust social media presence is key to furthering awareness of your brand, gaining customer leads and getting more clicks to your website. However, as social media platforms change, so do their features. Specific to Instagram Business accounts, here are some tools you already have available to you and how to apply them.
Tool 1: Get Your Website in an Instagram Story (Even if You Don’t Have 10,000 Followers)
Instagram Business accounts with 10,000 followers or more are given the privilege of including a link within Instagram Stories thanks to the popular “Swipe up for more” feature. I recently learned there is a way around this, for newer Instagram accounts or for businesses who aren’t at that 10,000-follower milestone.
How to Apply It
Create a Story. Among the sticker options you can choose, there is the “@Mention” sticker, which people usually use to mention other Instagram accounts. If instead you mention your own account, you can direct followers to the link in your bio. You can add text pointing to your mention sticker and ask followers to click on it to view a specific product or take a specific action. This blog post from Brightspark Consulting gives a great example. (Related: If your account is approved for Instagram Shopping, you can add product stickers to Stories, too.)
Tool 2: Keep Videos Simple
During “normal” times, you might have access to a budget and a video production team. We’ve all had to adapt during the pandemic, and slightly lower quality video has become a lot more acceptable, especially for social media.
How to Apply It
According to Instagram, lo-fi style videos with a DIY look and feel are trending amongst businesses and brands looking to engage on an authentic level. Crowdsource content by seeking videos from your satisfied customers and employees who use and love your products. Plus, Stories are no longer limited to their former 24-hour shelf life. Now you can save the videos you love most by pinning them to the top of your profile so they will be the first things your followers see when they view your account.
Tool 3: Cross-Promote Between Instagram Business and Your Facebook Page
Most companies that promote on Instagram also have a Facebook page. If not, you might be missing out. Because Instagram is owned by Facebook, and because Facebook has such targeted advertising options, you can achieve more by sharing your Instagram content to a fresh audience on Facebook. (Related: You also can’t run an Instagram ad without also having an associated Facebook page.)
How to Apply It
Adjust your settings to automatically share your company’s Instagram posts to your company’s Facebook page. The results look seamless since the two are formatted to work well together. Once you’re there, you can set up an ad campaign. You can target ads by ZIP code, very specific demographics and more.
These are just a few examples of how to make the most of Instagram Business account. Check out business.instagram.com for additional case studies and tips.
