How to Use Instagram for Your Business

How to Use Instagram for Your Business

May 21, 2021

Instagram is a powerful platform for businesses to reach and engage with their audience through visual content. With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram offers numerous opportunities for businesses to showcase their products, build brand awareness, and drive engagement. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the steps to set up and use Instagram for your business, from creating your account to optimizing your posts and leveraging Instagram's features.

1. Understanding the Importance of Instagram for Your Business

a. Why Instagram Matters for Your Business

Instagram is an essential tool for businesses for several reasons:

  • Wide Reach: Instagram's vast user base allows you to reach a broad and diverse audience.
  • Visual Engagement: Visual content is highly engaging and can help you connect with your audience on a deeper level.
  • Brand Building: Regularly posting high-quality content helps build your brand's presence and authority in your industry.
  • Sales and Conversions: Instagram offers features like shopping tags and links that can drive sales and conversions (https://www.hubspot.com/instagram-marketing).
b. Types of Content to Share on Instagram

You can share various types of content on Instagram to engage your audience:

  • Images: High-quality photos of your products, services, team, or events.
  • Videos: Short videos showcasing products, tutorials, or behind-the-scenes content.
  • Stories: Temporary content that can include images, videos, and interactive elements like polls and questions.
  • Reels: Short, engaging videos set to music or audio, ideal for viral content.
  • IGTV: Longer videos for in-depth content like tutorials, interviews, or product launches (https://neilpatel.com/blog/types-of-instagram-content/).

2. Setting Up Your Instagram Business Account

a. Create Your Instagram Account
  1. Download the Instagram App: Download the Instagram app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
  2. Sign Up for an Account: Open the app and sign up using your email address, phone number, or Facebook account. Choose a username that reflects your business name.
  3. Switch to a Business Account: Go to your profile, tap the three lines in the top right corner, select "Settings," then "Account," and choose "Switch to Professional Account." Select "Business" and follow the prompts to complete the setup (https://help.instagram.com/502981923235522).
b. Optimize Your Profile
  1. Profile Picture: Upload a high-quality profile picture, typically your business logo.
  2. Bio: Write a compelling bio that describes your business and includes relevant keywords. Use this space to highlight what makes your business unique and include a call to action.
  3. Contact Information: Add your business email, phone number, and address to make it easy for customers to contact you.
  4. Website Link: Include a link to your website or a specific landing page. Use link-in-bio tools like Linktree to share multiple links (https://www.hubspot.com/instagram-profile-optimization).
c. Set Up Instagram Shopping
  1. Eligibility: Ensure your business meets Instagram’s eligibility requirements for shopping.
  2. Product Catalog: Connect your Instagram account to a product catalog via Facebook Business Manager or an e-commerce platform like Shopify or BigCommerce.
  3. Account Review: Submit your account for review. Once approved, you can tag products in your posts and stories to drive sales (https://help.instagram.com/191462054687226).

3. Creating Engaging Content

a. Content Strategy
  1. Content Calendar: Create a content calendar to plan and schedule your posts. This helps you maintain consistency and ensures a steady flow of content.
  2. Content Themes: Identify key themes that align with your brand and resonate with your audience. These could include product highlights, customer stories, behind-the-scenes, and industry insights.
  3. Visual Style: Develop a consistent visual style for your posts, including color schemes, filters, and branding elements (https://www.hubspot.com/instagram-content-strategy).
b. Posting Photos and Videos
  1. High-Quality Images: Use high-quality photos that are well-lit and visually appealing. Ensure your images are relevant to your brand and message.
  2. Engaging Videos: Create short, engaging videos that capture attention. Use features like slow motion, time-lapse, and music to enhance your videos.
  3. Captions: Write compelling captions that tell a story, provide context, and include a call to action. Use relevant hashtags to increase reach and visibility (https://neilpatel.com/blog/instagram-captions/).
c. Utilizing Instagram Stories
  1. Create Stories: Share photos, videos, and interactive content in your Instagram Stories. Stories are temporary but can be saved as highlights on your profile.
  2. Interactive Elements: Use interactive elements like polls, questions, and quizzes to engage with your audience and gather feedback.
  3. Story Highlights: Create story highlights to showcase important content, such as product launches, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes moments (https://www.hubspot.com/instagram-stories).
d. Leveraging Instagram Reels
  1. Create Reels: Use Instagram Reels to create short, engaging videos set to music or audio. Reels are ideal for showcasing products, sharing tips, or participating in trends.
  2. Trending Content: Stay updated with current trends and incorporate them into your Reels to increase visibility and engagement.
  3. Call to Action: Include a call to action in your Reels to encourage viewers to visit your profile, website, or shop (https://www.hubspot.com/instagram-reels).

4. Growing Your Instagram Following

a. Engage with Your Audience
  1. Respond to Comments: Engage with your audience by responding to comments on your posts. Show appreciation for positive feedback and address any concerns.
  2. Direct Messages: Monitor and respond to direct messages to build relationships with your followers.
  3. Interactive Posts: Create posts that encourage interaction, such as asking questions, hosting contests, or running polls (https://neilpatel.com/blog/instagram-engagement/).
b. Collaborate with Influencers
  1. Identify Influencers: Find influencers in your industry who align with your brand values and have an engaged following.
  2. Collaborate on Content: Partner with influencers to create sponsored posts, product reviews, or takeovers. This can help you reach a wider audience and build credibility.
  3. Measure Impact: Track the performance of influencer collaborations to measure their impact on your brand and engagement (https://www.hubspot.com/influencer-marketing).
c. Use Instagram Ads
  1. Create Ad Campaigns: Use Instagram Ads to promote your content to a larger audience. You can create ads through Facebook Ads Manager.
  2. Targeting Options: Take advantage of Instagram’s advanced targeting options to reach your ideal audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
  3. Monitor Performance: Track the performance of your ads using Instagram’s analytics tools and adjust your strategy as needed (https://www.hubspot.com/instagram-ads).

5. Analyzing Performance

a. Instagram Insights
  1. Access Insights: Use Instagram Insights to monitor the performance of your posts, stories, and profile.
  2. Key Metrics: Track key metrics such as impressions, reach, engagement, and follower growth.
  3. Audience Insights: Analyze your audience demographics, including age, gender, location, and activity times (https://help.instagram.com/1533933820244654).
b. Analyzing Content Performance
  1. Top-Performing Posts: Identify your top-performing posts to understand what content resonates with your audience.
  2. Engagement Rate: Calculate the engagement rate by dividing the total number of likes, comments, and shares by the total number of followers.
  3. Content Optimization: Use insights from your analysis to refine your content strategy and create more of what works (https://neilpatel.com/blog/instagram-analytics/).
c. Tracking Follower Growth
  1. Monitor Growth: Track the growth of your followers over time to understand the impact of your content and campaigns.
  2. Engagement Metrics: Monitor engagement metrics to see how well your content is resonating with your audience.
  3. Adjust Strategy: Use growth and engagement data to adjust your Instagram strategy and focus on the tactics that drive the best results (https://www.hubspot.com/social-media-analytics).

6. Best Practices for Using Instagram

a. Maintain Consistency
  1. Consistent Posting: Maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep your audience engaged and informed.
  2. Content Calendar: Use a content calendar to plan and organize your posts in advance.
  3. Regular Updates: Regularly update your profile and content to keep it fresh and relevant (https://www.hubspot.com/social-media-strategy).
b. Engage with Your Community
  1. Respond Promptly: Respond to comments, direct messages, and mentions promptly to show that you value your followers.
  2. Encourage Interaction: Encourage interaction by asking questions, hosting contests, and running polls.
  3. Share User-Generated Content: Share content created by your followers to build community and increase engagement (https://neilpatel.com/blog/social-media-engagement/).
c. Optimize for Mobile
  1. Mobile-Friendly Content: Ensure your images and videos are optimized for mobile viewing, as most Instagram users access the platform via mobile devices.
  2. Vertical Videos: Create vertical videos for better viewing experiences on mobile devices.
  3. Thumbnails and Titles: Make sure your thumbnails and titles are clear and readable on smaller screens (https://neilpatel.com/blog/mobile-optimization/).

Conclusion

Using Instagram effectively can significantly enhance your business’s online presence and engagement. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a compelling Instagram profile, produce high-quality content, grow your following, and analyze your performance. Regularly review and optimize your Instagram strategy to achieve your marketing goals and drive business growth.


For further assistance on setting up and optimizing Instagram for your business, consider partnering with Eastmoor Digital. Schedule a discovery call today at Eastmoor Digital Discovery Call or call us at 302-514-7003. Let our experts help you maximize the potential of Instagram to enhance your marketing strategy and achieve your business objectives.