PR BUZZ: How to Utilize Instagram for Business

Photo via Digital Trends

Instagram is a fantastic platform for networking, branding, and visibility.  Users can share and curate images to create a unique visual experience tied to your brand.  However, creating this authentic feed that grows organically has a unique set of rules for businesses.  Also, Instagram just announced a new feature that shows in-app analytics that will be a great addition to the app. Businesses will no longer have to look towards other software or sites to provide up to date statistics on their users.  Here 6 quick tips to consider when using Instagram for you business:

1. Engage. It is important for your brand to feel authentic, less robotic, so remember to like and comment on the content others are producing as well. Join conversations, follow hashtags, and interact!  Also, reply to comments on your own photos too. With Instagram’s new algorithm this is the best thing you can be doing to keep your content at the top of the feed.
    
2. Create a look. This is tricky but will come with time. You want an Instagram user to immediately know your aesthetic, style, etc. with a quick swipe through your feed.  This signature look not only improves engagement, but helps to keep your feed organized and improves engagement.
    
3. Plan ahead. Just as you would plan for your next big event, you need to plan your weekly Instagram schedule.  While it may seem tedious at the time, trust us when we say it will definitely pay off in the long run!  When you already have the caption written and the hashtags chosen for a specific post, you spend much less time posting.
    
4. Use relevant hashtags. Now don’t go hashtag crazy but we do recommend using them. Use all 30 that Instagram allows!  They are the number one way people will come across your content without following your feed.  Therefore, it is important to keep the hashtags industry specific on relevant content.
    
5. Use the link in your bio. One major area where Instagram is lacking is the ability to link information.  Because they only give you one link space, you have to use it to your advantage! Advertise new products, a recent blog post, or giveaways right in your bio.  To direct people to click the link, create call to actions within your individual posts.  This helps to generate traffic back to your company website.
    
6. Analyze your account and users. With Instagram’s new feature, this will become a much simpler task.  Keep track of how many likes certain photos get, what time of day earns the most engagements, and many others.  This will help you increase enagement and ensure your posts are being seen!

And while these are all wonderful tips, as a business you will find what works best for your company! Are you inspired to start using Instagram for your business?

Annie Belgrade, Summer 2016 Social Media Intern