Instagram Stories for Business | What’s it All About

August 6, 2018 Tags: instagram, Instagram marketing, instagram strategy Joe Ruley

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” – Seth Godin

In today’s market, it’s essential to be connected through social media. With the ease of reach, and the fact that one out of every five minutes someone spends on their phone they’re looking at some form of social media, it’s imperative to garner that audience. One of those ways is through Instagram. Instagram is famous for being able to display creative-heavy content right in front of your audience. Instagram hosts many features for displaying content.

One of those features is Instagram Stories. What is it you might ask? When Instagram Stories first came out in August of 2017, all anyone could talk about was that it was a straight up rip of Snapchat – or at least, that’s how it was perceived. And, in all honesty, that’s a decent argument. The functionality is the same. The feel is similar. Hell, the story disappears after 24 hours. But, there’s a key difference. Instagram, unlike Snapchat at the time, managed to turn their Stories into an effective tool for businesses without ruining it for consumers. It’s attractive to both consumers and business.

Leveraging Instagram to Boost Your B2B Brand

February 13, 2017 Tags: b2b, B2B marketing, digital marketing, instagram, Instagram marketing, instagram strategy Carol Kessel

Consider: 600 million monthly users, 300 million daily users, and 1.5 businesses worldwide. What do all these numbers reference? Instagram. In 2016. Instagram was used by 48.8% of brands – a number that is expected to rise to 70.7% by 2017.

Selfies, food images, and more flood Instagram news feeds daily. In this Millennial-driven world, Instagram would lend itself more to B2C brands, wouldn’t it? You’re not wrong, it does. According to Instagram, some of the industries that have found early success using its ads include “e-commerce, travel, entertainment, and retail.” But does that mean that B2B businesses can’t leverage Instagram? Absolutely not!

4 Tips for Creating a Successful Instagram Marketing Strategy

April 24, 2015 Tags: hashtags, instagram, Instagram marketing, instagram strategy, user-generated content Slava Vidomanets

Using Instagram is more than just posting photos via the mobile app and adding cool filters. If you wish to build your brand’s digital presence using the social media platform, you better be thinking strategically. Follow these tips to ensure you have a successful Instagram marketing strategy.

1. Find A Clear Goal

What are you looking for by starting an Instagram account? Are you wanting to increase brand awareness? Increase your sales? Or are you looking to explore connecting with a new demographic that you haven’t already reached with other digital media platforms? By first addressing what you wish to accomplish, you can better hone in on exactly what to post and your voice will be better heard.

2. Be Consistent

Many brands fall into the trap of not regularly posting. As an Instagram user this is definitely a red-flag to unfollow. Most users are looking to follow accounts who post at least two times a day with relevant and engaging content. Don’t fall victim to the inconsistent posting patterns that a lot of brands do.

3. Balance

Balance is key to creating an Instagram campaign that is engaging and also informational. People who use Instagram are interested in viewing photos that are aesthetically pleasing and shareable. All too often I see brands solely promoting their products rather than trying to tell a story.

Lilly Pulitzer used the branded hashtag #lillyfortarget to promote their collaboration line.

Instagram is meant to be a more informal social platform where it’s okay to be personable,human, and even funny. Your profile should include a well-represented mix of fun and business related content. Try these examples:

Create how-to videos of certain products you sell
Spotlight employees
Repost fans photos using a Repost app
Find creative ways to display your products on Instagram
Participate in iconic hashtag says throughout the week: #ManCrushMonday, #WomenCrushWednesday, #ThrowbackThrusday and #SelfieSunday

4. Branded Hashtag

A branded hashtag is perfect for giving your brand a presence on Instagram. Although it might take some time before your hashtag takes off, don’t ;et this stop you from creating one. Once your account gains more popularity, a branded hashtag will help you connect and engage with followers.

In the end, Instagram isn’t a tool to drive traffic to your website. It’s really hard to do. In fact, Instgram only allows one hyperlinked address and that’s on the profile page of an account. Rather, brands should use it to build an audience using interesting, fun, and entertaining images than are worth sharing.

Need help kick-starting your Instagram marketing and brand strategy? Let us offer our expertise. Click below to contact us today to get the conversation started.