Our Marketing and Social Media Lead, Harriet Emery, is running Instagram training for start-ups and small businesses.

Why is Instagram a new essential for business marketing?

Instagram is one of the most popular photo and video-sharing apps that allows you and your business to connect with other businesses, brands, influencers, friends, family and celebrities. Today, 30 million people use Instagram in the UK alone and for businesses, it can be a game changer. The platform is growing for business marketing, with 90% of users following at least one business on the platform.

Can our business actually benefit from Instagram?

All businesses can benefit from a professional Instagram account, but it’s the consistency and time that you put into your content that will produce results. Just one example is the beauty and cosmetics brand Huda Beauty, Huda is an American make-up artist who began documenting her journey and career on Instagram. She kept up to date with the latest Instagram trends and tools and was able to grow her business from her Instagram blog – she now has a net worth of $510 million.

Huda had a consistent Instagram content schedule that included 3-5 posts per day. Each post was very different, 70% of Instagram posts don’t get viewed, so the more that you post, the more chance your posts have. However, that does not mean that you should just post for the sake of it – your content should be engaging and relevant.

Understanding Instagram

If your business is new to Instagram or you have an Instagram account but find it daunting to navigate your way through the platform, you’re not alone. So many people and businesses just don’t know where to begin and getting started is usually the hardest part – having to learn all the jargon and get in the routine.

Our FREE Instagram Toolkit is designed to help you understand the Instagram jargon, smarten up your professional account, including making sure that all your settings are correct for your business, and use this platform strategically and creatively.

5 Ways to Grow Your Business on Instagram

1. Reels – It’s so important to keep up to date with the most current trends and tools that Instagram has to offer. Reels are one of the most successful tools for the Instagram algorithm and is something that all businesses should and can include in their marketing plans. The reason that reels are so important is because they keep your audience engaged on your post for longer and they will be more likely to comment, like and share. Business ideas for Reels include, behind the scenes, meeting the team, tutorials, top tips and challenges.

2. A Snappy Bio – Your bio (biography) is the first thing people see when landing on your profile page. This is your opportunity to really grab your audience and ensure that they don’t leave your page without scrolling and following. Instagram gives you 150 characters to do this, so make sure you include all the vital information (Who you are, what you offer and why someone should follow you).

3. Linktree – Unlike other social media platforms, you can’t include a URL in your Instagram posts. That’s where Linktree comes in. It enables you to create a simple landing page that hosts multiple links – usually to your other social media channels and to key pages on your website.

4. Hashtags – Instagram allows a maximum of 30 hashtags per post and we recommend using your maximum allowance. Use them correctly and you’ll get your posts seen by more people. But use them badly and you can actually do damage, from annoying potential followers to getting penalised by Instagram’s algorithm. It’s important to research the most effective hashtags for your business before you use them, if not, then your posts are at risk of getting lost.

5. Highlights – Highlights are a tool used to permanently keep and categorise your stories (not posts). They are underneath your bio on your profile page. You can add a story to your Highlights at any time while the story is live for or ‘Edit Highlight’ to add previous stories. Highlight icons (Instagram calls them covers) should be on brand with your business colours and logo to provide a professional, clean look.

Instagram Health Check

Do you have an Instagram account to promote your business but are unsure about best practice and how to use it effectively? Or are you already using most of the tools on Instagram but would like to work with a professional to grow your audience and business through the platform?

Invest in one of our Instagram Health Checks and we will help you become Instagram savvy, confident and strategic – helping you use this social media channel to effectively grow your business. Get in touch with our resident Instagram expert, Harriet Emery, harriet@pilkington-comms.co.uk.