Growing your following is easier said than done. I've been there before -- it's a tedious and extremely time-consuming. We started launched and marketed our first product on Instagram a year before it was available for purchase.
I will never forget how hard it was to obtain & keep our first 1,000 followers. I won't even go into how difficult it was to convert an Instagram user into a sale on our website -- that will have to be a different blog post.
Let's face it, Instagram is one of the most popular platforms to market on. That's why brands and influencers alike have flocked to this app to extend their reach and build their communities. There's over 25 million business profiles on Instagram it's beginning to become a very saturated social media platform to market on. You have to attract the right kind of Instagram users to gain that crucial social proof to help your brand stand out.
Whether we like to admit it or not, you could have the best product in the world, but if you only have a few followers on Instagram people will immediately begin to discredit it.
At the same time, your competitor could have a mediocre product, but be driving more sales than you because of the social validation they’ve gotten from their followers on Instagram.
Create a cohesive Instagram brand that naturally speaks to your target audience
Quality Content
First impressions matter in real life & in the digital world.
- Authentic
- Credibility: Vamp your bio to look aesthetically pleasing & include a call-to-action.
- Engaging Photos & videos.
- Variety is key (lifestyle + product shots)
Instagram Captions that match your brand voice
- Ditch the sales pitch & offer value to your followers.
- Brand voice = personality
- Don't over do the call-to-action tag lines.
Hashtags & how to use them to increase brand awareness
- Specific hashtags vs. hashtags with the most posts related to it.
- Post hashtags in the actual caption area instead of commenting the hashtags.
Instagram Stories
- Best way to interact with followers
- Instagram highlights confirm credibility & a hub for new customers
- Stay organized with key values of brand
- Show your team & personality of the brand. Not everything has to be about your product.
Instagram Giveaways & Collaborations
- Collaborating with brands that share your same target audience.
- Instagram accounts that host giveaways achieve a faster follower
- Comment to win // Follow to win // Post to win
Influencer Marketing
- Reach out to Instagram users with a following 10-20k.
- Have the mind-set of consumers testing your product vs. enforcing them to post.
- Once the Influencer tries your product ask them to do an, "Instagram Story Takeover"