Instagram Marketing: The Ultimate Guide

Posted August 23, 2022
|
By Cyril Maithily Gupta

Instagram first came to the notice of people in the year 2010 and it was just like any other social platform. The platform was filled with selfies of people and pictures of food with boring captions. 

Now, in 2022, posting on Instagram and getting followers on Instagram is not at all easy. It has become a full-on marketing channel.

In the last few years, the platform has released new tools for businesses like advanced analytics and new ways to drive traffic from Instagram ads.

No matter whether you work in the e-commerce, media, or education sector, creating an Instagram account is the need for the hour. 

If you want to get ahead in Instagram postings and Instagram marketing, you need to know the platform throughout. You must know your Instagram users and everything required for your Instagram business account to grow.

Let's first have a look at why Instagram marketing is effective for your business.

Why Should You Market Your Business On Instagram?

Several reasons make it necessary to promote your business on Instagram. Some of these reasons are:

  • Reach more customers using Instagram ads
  • Attract audiences visually by showcasing product images and make short videos
  • Helps in tracking your competitor activities
  • Gain useful feedback & insights
  • Engage with your target audience easily
  • Reach out a wider audience with a few clicks
  • Make money from Instagram by influencer marketing
  • Increase your business visibility with the help of hashtags

Types Of Instagram Posts

There are several types of Instagram posts which marketers make to attract their target audiences.

All you can do on Instagram is:

  • Create a reel
  • Post a story
  • Upload a full-length long video
  • Posts which will consist of a single image
  • Carousels which consists of several images
  • Instagram live

However, below we have listed some of the most common types of Instagram posts for your business that can help it grow. Each of these is known to attract potential customers and increase brand loyalty.

  • Giveaway post
  • Product display post
  • Customer testimonial post
  • Sneak peek post 
  • Instagram stories
  • Poll stories
  • Sale announcement post
  • Behind the scene reels
  • Open-ended questions
  • Promotional posts
  • Instagram live

How To Set Up An Instagram Business Account?

 

Below mentioned are the steps you need to follow to create a business account on Instagram:

1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap the 3 horizontal lines Menu in the top right-hand corner.

2. Tap Settings.

3. For some accounts, the Switch to Professional Account option will be listed directly under Settings. If it's not in your case then tap Account and click on ''Switch to Professional Account''.

4. Tap Continue and select a Category for your business and then tap Done.

5. Tap OK to confirm and click on Business.

6. Tap Next and add the contact details and the again tap Next or tap ''don't use my contact info'' to skip this step.

7. If you'd want to connect your Instagram page with your Facebook page, you can keep on following the steps. This step is completely optional.

8. Tap X on the top right corner to return to your profile.

Tips And Tricks To Grow On Instagram

What exactly defines Instagram growth?

It actually starts with the number of followers you have or you will gain. Growing your Instagram followers will help you to reach your target audiences, boost your engagement rate, and turn leads into potential customers.

So, are you ready to grow your Instagram followers & become Instagram famous?

Here are 10 proven strategies that will help you to grow your followers on Instagram.

1. Post Relevant Content

It is important to remember that content plays an important role in the growth of your Instagram business page.

Instagram has over 400 million users and you need to figure out ways to get your account to stand out from the crowd. The content you post on social media needs to appear perfect to your audience. 

2. Hashtags are crucial

You, as a business owner might find Instagram hashtags annoying but they are a critical part of the Instagram algorithm. Hashtags make your account visible to users all over Instagram.

You can use tools such as Viral Reach to get maximum reach. On average, you must use eleven hashtags per post.

3. Work for increasing your followers

To grow your business, you must work on getting more Instagram followers. This can be done by attracting your competitors followers because you don't have to guess about their interest in your content since they are already following similar accounts.

You can post engaging content to get more engagement on your Instagram page. 

4. Be consistent 

Posting content consistently on Instagram can help you grow your business following on Instagram quickly.

Some studies prove that Instagram pages with a great number of followers usually post two to three times per week. 

To grow, you must be consistent in posting images, reels, and stories on Instagram.

5. Add CTA in captions

Every time you post on Instagram, you must remember to have a strong call to action in the caption. 

CTA is important because your prospects don't know what they should do next. Sometimes getting users to do exactly what you want can be simple, just ask them to do it. 

Some CTAs that you can use is asking your followers to ''double tap'' if they like a post or to ''tag a friend'' in the comments. You can also direct them to sign up for your email list or purchase your product. 

6. Do giveaways of your products

Giveaway posts can result in hundreds of new followers with little effort on your part. You can keep the price of entering the giveaway as liking a post, following you, and tagging a friend to increase engagement on your page.

7. Instagram shout-outs

An Instagram shout-out involves a popular Instagram user mentioning your account in one of their posts. It is an efficient way to grow your following. 

The shout-out can place your account in front of new users that you likely would not have had access to before. 

If you want an Instagram shout-out, you must first find the users that have a similar audience to your page and also have high engagement.

8. Tap into the power of UGC (User Generated Content)

User-generated content is one of the strongest and most effective way to grow your Instagram business organically.

You should have a branded hashtag for your business. Convince your customers to use your brand's hashtag and post Instagram using that hashtag. You can take a screenshot of that post and promote it as your story on Instagram.

Such pieces of content allows you to boost your brand's reach without spending a cent. User-generated content works great when it comes to Instagram marketing.

9. Optimize your bio

Instagram bio is the brief lines of text that comes under your profile picture. The purpose of the bio is to quickly explain to visitors who you are and what you do. 

You can use your Instagram bio to introduce your brand's personality to new followers. You can optimize your bio by adding branded hashtags and keywords in your bio.

10. Use variety of content formats (Stories, Reels, Static Images, Carousels)

When you offer a variety of content to your followers, they tend to spread your brand's name to more people. There are three main types of posts that you can add to your Instagram: show off the details of a product, shots of a model using the product, and flat lay.

You can also add custom graphics with quotes or advice or even customer testimonials in your Instagram posts. Try and leverage all the Instagram features to attract your audiences.

You can also make your page interesting by adding some customer shoutouts once in a while. 

Conclusion

Use the above-mentioned Instagram hacks to improve your Instagram marketing and witness the growth of your business on Instagram. 

Now that you have gone over many Instagram tips and tricks in this blog, we are sure that you no longer feel overwhelmed. You can also try your hands on social media tools that offer social media services to build better connections with your prospects.

Let us know in the comments if you use any other hack to promote your Instagram page and grow your business on Instagram.

Content

Subscribe to our newsletter

We’ll keep you in the loop on our best advice and strategies for social media marketing and growing a small business.
Got something to say?