Instagram is one of many platforms that small businesses can use to actively communicate with customers. The platform offers many features that may be attractive to business users, for everything from marketing and sales to customer service. To help you make the most of your Instagram and overall content marketing strategy, here are some tips from members of the online small business community.
Achieve Instagram Marketing Success
Today’s businesses need social media to reach customers where they actually spend time daily. Platforms like Instagram are constantly changing. So it may be necessary to get some expert insights to really make the most of it. Here’s a guide from Andrew Page of Agiliron to help you achieve Instagram marketing success.
Use Facebook and Instagram Stories to Grow Your Brand
Both Facebook and Instagram offer users the opportunity to create and share “stories,” which are usually fairly informal posts that can help customers really get to know your brand. If you’re interested in utilizing these features for your own business social media strategy, check out this post on The Power of Marketing by Hernan Vasquez.
Learn from the Top 50 Social Media Marketing Influencers
If you want to keep up with the trends surrounding social media, you need to know the players. This TopRank Marketing post includes a list of 50 influencers who are especially popular in the industry right now. You can also see commentary on the post over on BizSugar.
Grow Your Instagram Following Strategically
If you want your Instagram content to have a major impact for your business, you need to accrue some followers who will actually see your posts. But how can you get more people to follow you? Amanda Bond shares some strategies in this Social Media Examiner post.
Calculate Your Influencer Marketing ROI
Influencer marketing can give businesses the perfect opportunity to connect with more customers on social media. But you need to make sure that your investment is actually worth it. In this Content Marketing Institute post, Shane Barker goes over a five-step process for calculating your ROI.
Create a Balance Between Informative and Profitable Content
Whether you’re creating content for social media or your blog or website, there should always be a purpose behind it. Often, that purpose is to inform your readers or customers. But it’s also necessary to take your bottom line into account. In this Iris Content post, Annie Ianko discusses creating a balance between informative and profitable content.
Make Use of Instagram’s In-App Checkout Feature
Instagram recently unveiled a new option for ecommerce brands that will allow customers to actually complete the checkout process without leaving the app. To learn more about the feature and how to take full advantage of it for your small business, read this Marketing Land post by Amy Gesenhues.
Generate More Leads for Your Company
In order to make sales, you first need to generate leads. Social media platforms and forum sites offer some opportunities for doing just that. Lisa Sicard elaborates on some others in this Inspire to Thrive post. BizSugar members also chimed in with their thoughts here.
Update Your Customer Service in the Social Media Age
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram aren’t just for pushing sales or sharing product photos. They can also be powerful customer service channels. And today’s customers often expect them to be. Learn more about how social media has changed customer service in this Social Media HQ post by Eric Gordon.
Redefine Your Target Audience with Market Segmentation
It’s always important to understand exactly who you’re creating posts or content for. Even if you feel like you have a pretty good idea of your target audience, it may help to get even more specific. Kiesha Joseph offers some thoughts about market segmentation in this Content Marketing Geek post.
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