The internet and social media have never been a more prevalent part of daily life. Almost 4 billion people worldwide use social media, and the average person has 8 accounts across the various platforms.
Because social media is so widely used, it’s more important than ever that businesses take advantage of it. In fact, having at least one social media account for your business is crucial to your success.
And there’s no better option than Instagram. However, to get the most out of your efforts, you need to know some Instagram tricks for business.
Believe it or not, gaining a following on social media isn’t as simple as posting here and there. There’s quite a bit of strategy and hard work involved!
Listed below are 5 of the best Instagram tips and tricks to make your business account the best it can be.
1. Use a Business Account
First and foremost, if you’re using a personal account rather than taking advantage of Instagram’s business option, you need to make the switch as soon as possible. Don’t worry, you don’t have to create a new account, Instagram has made it very easy to change your account type.
All you have to do is go into settings and select “Switch to Business Profile”.
A business profile provides a variety of benefits that you don’t get from a personal account. Perhaps the most important of which is that you’ll be able to see your analytics, which can make all the difference in growing your following.
In addition, a contact button will be added to your profile, giving your followers the option to call or email you with a tap of their finger. You’ll also gain access to Instagram ads, which you can create and publish to your account yourself.
And because you get all of these perks free of charge, making the jump is an absolute no-brainer.
2. Publish Quality Content
Once you have your business account set up, it’s time to start posting content. As with anything related to your brand, each one of your posts should be high-quality. Remember, building a strong Instagram account will help build your business – taking the time to craft your posts carefully is worth it.
Be sure that each of your pictures is the correct size. Although you can post a variety of image sizes to the platform, Instagram profiles are designed for square photos. If you’re unsure of the ideal size for Instagram photos, read this article to learn everything you need to know.
3. Post Consistently
When you’re growing your Instagram account, you need to post every day. If possible, post to both your profile and your stories. Now, it’s possible to overdo it – you can post to your stories as much as you want, but limit yourself to one new photo on your profile per day.
The analytics you gain access to will give you insight into the best times to post. You’ll be able to see the demographics of your followers, including their ages, locations, and active times.
For the best results, you need to post when your followers are most active. In the beginning, this will take some trial and error. But the more followers you have, the easier it will become to create an effective posting schedule.
4. Use Hashtags
Few Instagram tricks are more powerful than the use of hashtags. Hashtags truly can make or break your business account. It’s a good idea to have one or two hashtags that you created for your business, but you’ll also need to use popular options.
Instagram allows you to use 30 hashtags per post – don’t be afraid to use them all. The more hashtags, the better, but always use a minimum of 11.
All of your hashtags should be relevant to your content. Posting irrelevant hashtags in an effort to gain attention won’t gain the right attention.
One of the best things you can do is to check out the hashtags your competition is using and adopt a few of them. Just be sure to check that your chosen hashtags mean what you think they mean before you use them in your posts.
5. Use Instagram Stories
Posting to your Instagram profile is important, but if you want to take it up a notch, you need to use Instagram stories as well. Instead of popping up in your followers’ news feeds, your Instagram story will be shown among a row of other stories at the top of the page.
Unlike your Instagram profile, you don’t have to worry if your story photos or videos match the aesthetic of the rest of your page. The media also doesn’t have to be as high-quality.
The most helpful Instagram story tricks are to use all of the features at your disposal and to tag other brands or influencers in your posts (when relevant, of course).
Instagram stories offer the ability to add filters, text, stickers, and hashtags to your pictures or videos. You can also create a GIF using the boomerang feature. Have fun with your stories and your following will have fun with you!
Use These Instagram Tricks for Business to Build a Successful Account
As you can see, building a thriving Instagram account takes work. But by using these Instagram tricks for business, you’ll find much greater success in far less time.
Remember, consistency is key. It might take a few months before you start to see real results, but you’ll thank yourself for your patience and effort when you’ve built a loyal following and improved your business in the process.
For more tips to get the most out of your technology, take a look at our blog!
