How to successfully promote and use Instagram to increase business sales
Instagram is one of the top-performing social media platforms today. More than two billion use the platform every month, and 1.9 billion are active daily.
Businesses are also active on Instagram, with more than 200 million sharing content every month. So how can you successfully promote and use Instagram to improve your business’ sales? Before we answer you that, if you are looking to get some more likes on your posts then you can buy Instagram likes at iDigic.
Here are 18 suggestions to try.
1) Post regularly
The first thing to do is to post regularly. Those companies publishing new content every day have better results. Experts recommend that daily posting one piece of new content is best. If you must publish more regularly than this, never make more than three posts.
2) Use plenty of videos
Videos are more enticing to audiences across all platforms. On Instagram, you can publish videos of several different varieties. One of the most successful video styles available is a time-lapse video. A time-lapse video could be one of you building your product, an event you’ve attended, and more.
3) Use high-quality images
Taking images on your phone and using them doesn’t guarantee quality. Instead, focus on snapping high-quality photos that promote your business. Use the right equipment for your images, including a high-grade camera and editing software. Always take time when taking photographs. If there are any blurred parts of a photo, reject and restart.
4) Ensure you have the most followers
Part of the success of your Instagram is about getting the most from your current followers. There are lots of ways that you can grow the number of followers that you have on Instagram. Here are a few ways that you can build your following:
- Use a variety of hashtags on your posts to attract a wider audience.
- Search for relevant people and follow them; many real people will follow you back.
- When promoting a live Instagram video, you can buy live views from real accounts.
- Ask friends and family to follow you.
- Include your Instagram name on other content like blog posts, leaflets, etc.
5) Hold contests
Running contests are a good way for you to build engagement on any account. Run competitions to advertise your brand to new users and engage other users who might have forgotten about you. When starting a contest, use a prize valuable to your audiences, like a coupon or free product.
You should also have some terms and conditions for the giveaway, like following your account, commenting on the post, and liking it. You can also do cross-platform contests where you advertise your Facebook account.
6) Share live videos
Live video broadcasts are an excellent way for you to engage new audiences. You can host regular live videos where you can host lots of different content. Here are some of the live video ideas that you use on your Instagram account:
- Facility tours that showcase your building, office, warehouse, or another area.
- Live question and answer sessions from fans of your brand.
- New product/service reveals.
- Reviews of your services/products.
7) Promote your account on other channels
It is vital to get your Instagram promoted on other channels. If you have a YouTube channel, include a link to your Instagram account. You can also use updates on Twitter and Facebook to promote your channel regularly. This tactic allows your followers on these channels to move to Instagram and start to follow you there.
8) Use hashtags
Hashtags are a way to get noticed on Instagram. Each post on Instagram should have at least two or three hashtags. There are numerous tools that can help you choose the best hashtags for your post. If you’re using the Meta Business Suite, you can use the hashtag finder to help you find the hashtags that have the most usage. At most, you want to use between one and three hashtags per post, any more than this, and you will lose engagement with your audience.
9) Use Instagram on your website
Another thing that you can do is to create a feed on your site that showcases all of your Instagram images. These images can be a brilliant introduction to your brand and help add new followers to your Instagram account.
10) Publish at the right time
If you want to make the most out of your content, you need to ensure that you’re publishing at the right time. The optimal time can depend on your audience. For instance, those looking to market to other brands might need to ensure they’re publishing at a time when other businesses are online. If selling to consumers, you might need to adjust your schedule. The best time, according to research, tend to be:
- Publish on a Monday at about 11 am.
- Publish new content on Tuesday or Wednesday between 10 am and 1 pm.
- On Thursday and Friday, you need to aim to publish content between 10 am and 11 am.
11) Avoid Sundays
You should avoid publishing new content on a Sunday. According to research, Sunday is the worst-performing day. Perhaps because on this day, people are more concentrated on other tasks such as home chores, family events, and so on.
12) Use a scheduler
Ensure that you’re getting your content out at the right time by using a scheduler. There are numerous premium schedulers available to help you post any social media content at the right time. The added benefit of these schedulers is that you can create all your posts for a week in advance and then set them for specific times.
13) Use an editor
When creating and uploading content to Instagram, use an editor to make your image look more professional. There are free options available such as Canva. This tool includes the ability to add features to content to make them unique. For instance, some images can have animations, borders, etc.
14) Use Stories
Stories on Instagram are there to help promote specific messages about your brand. You can use these irregularly to highlight important events for your brand. But these will disappear after 24 hours which can restrict their reach. If there is a story that you particularly like, you have the option to make it a Story Highlight.
15) Be social
While the idea of the campaign is to get more people to follow you and promote your brand, don’t forget that being more active, liking other content, and connecting with other content creators will get you more exposure. Look for content on Instagram that will engage with a similar audience. Follow those accounts and comment on the posts.
16) Include a call-to-action
When writing your caption for the image, include a call-to-action that directs the audience to do something. You could ask the audience to visit a landing page, follow you on the platform, share your content or ask audiences a question. Add a little ownership to the call-to-action by adding words like ‘you’ and ‘your.’
17) Don’t forget your bio
Optimize your bio for Instagram. A good introduction on the platform includes a branded hashtag to encourage your audience to tag and share. Include a slogan or brief description that matches your brand. Finally, you want a link to your website or landing page. You can make adjustments to all of these elements whenever you want.
18) Monitor success
Be sure to monitor what content is performing well. If you notice content with products in the background performing better than images without any, then stick to that style. Monitoring is a long-term project as sometimes the timing of the content can impact its success.
How can you grow your Instagram account?
So, as you can see, there are so many different strategies that can help you promote your IG profile to increase your sales. You don’t have to use them all! Just pick some of the most attractive, test them, and see the magic happening.
