Here Are The Best Instagram Business Tips Ever!
Everyone knows that you shouldn’t eat an ice cream upside down, but do we all know the juiciest Instagram business tips? I think not!
I mean, how do you use Instagram for business anyway?
Today we’re going to go through some of the obvious things, and the not-so-obvious, unwritten rules of using Instagram for business that you should know about.
Keen as a bean to get started?
I know you are.
Hold onto your socks because we’re about to knock them off with these helpful Instagram business tips.
Create a Flowing Grid
Whether you are using Instagram for business or not, it is super important to make sure that your Instagram grid is cohesive and visually flows.
Now, what the heck does that mean?
Well, you gem… I’m glad you asked.
Here are two different mocked-up ‘grids’.
Can you tell which one would be more visually appealing on Instagram?
The grid that flows better has:
- ✔ Images of the same color palette/filter
- ✔ Tells a story
- ✔ Showcases a lifestyle
- ✔ Makes you want to keep scrolling
Schedule Your Content in Advance
I know that a lot of Instagram business owners prefer to write their captions ‘on the fly’ so it sounds more authentic and they can share any lessons or journeys from their day… but honestly?
Writing a caption on the spot can be tricky sometimes.
Not to mention if you have a screaming baby in the background, or if you’re *just* about to head in to watch a movie right at the time you usually post to the ‘gram.
Time crunches and (welcome) distractions? Not the best things for creative thinking!
By planning even a handful of content in advance for Instagram, you’ll be able to quickly post in any of these situations without stressing about what to say.
It’ll also mean that you can be more present in your day-to-day life if your best posting times happen to be at busy times in your day.
And the whole reason to use Instagram for business in the first place – it’s to GROW your business, not your stress levels!
Use a Content Plan
As we mentioned before, having a backup plan (or even a plan at all!) can really save your butt when times are busy.
But (and this is a big BUT) there is a big difference between casually planning out a few pieces of content and actually following a strategic content marketing plan.
The difference is in the results you’ll get.
If you were to plan ahead three days in advance and came up with some semi-interesting points about one of your products, a client photo etc… you might be able to rustle up some likes, comments, and maybe a handful of new followers too.
But what do you think would happen if you shared strategic content that focused on your seasonal offers with an Instagram-exclusive upgrade/discount, included jaw-dropping (staged) photos of your products and featured a professional headshot of yourself one day with a little story about why you started your business?
Well, my guess would be that with the content plan, your engagement (and sales) would SKYROCKET!
Having a strategy for your content is game-changing, and that’s why right inside the Plann app we’ve created a strategy section for you to plan ahead.
Perfect for Instagram businesses!
Be Consistent with Instagram Stories
If you’re still wondering how to use Instagram for your business, this tip is really going to help you out!
The trick with Instagram Stories (to increase business results) is to make sure that you consistently share high-quality content.
No re-sharing your funny filtered Snapchat videos here!
If you want your followers to check into your Instagram Stories each time they are posted, you really need to prioritise the content you are creating.
Business Instagram Stories content should be:
- Valuable (educational, something new)
- Entertaining (funny, interesting)
- Unique (to the platform, sized for stories)
Create Strategic Instagram Story Highlights
Just like your Instagram feed content, your Instagram Story highlights should be super strategic!
It’s easy to just whip up a few custom Instagram Story graphics and highlight covers and call it a day… but taking the time to think about what would help convert your Instagram followers into paying customers is a whole other story.
Let’s use a hair salon as an example.
Basic Instagram Story Highlights for a Salon:
- Hair – a couple of stories from your archive of hair work
- Team – a couple of random (old) stories that show your team
- Contact Us – one graphic with your contact details
Impactful Instagram Story Highlights for a Salon:
- Blondes – if you specialise in blondes, show off that hair work
- Brunettes – if you specialise in brunettes, show off that hair work
- Before/After – dedicated before and after content
- “Insert Month Here” Offer – updated monthly, a new seasonal offer for IG followers
- Team – at least one video of each team member introducing themselves
Don’t Spam When You Have a Sale
Promoting a sale on Instagram can get tricky, especially if your sale is going to last more than a week.
It can be tempting to share the same story every single day that says “SALE NOW ON” with a line at the bottom of the graphic with your website address… but is that really going to help you to get more people on your site?
We think not.
Instead, here’s a better way to successfully promote a sale on Instagram.
Show Your Face
It can be scary showing your face on social media, especially if you usually shy away from the camera.
Don’t we know it!
But, using Instagram for your business means it is super important to introduce yourself to your audience.
Sharing high-quality headshots (not grainy or animal-filtered photos) and captioning your images with personal stories about your business journey you can connect with your followers on a level that they may not get from other accounts they follow.
The best way to stand out from your competitors? BE YOURSELF!
Tell Stories More Often
Going on from our last point, telling stories about your business journey, your products, and your clients (with approval) can help to increase comments on your posts and build trust with your audience.
Create a Brand Hashtag
Don’t have a branded hashtag yet? It’s time to make one for yourself!
For example, at Plann we have the hashtag #plannthat. Usually, your brand hashtag will be a variation on your business name or even a slogan of yours (if it is a short one!).
Have Multiple Links in Your Bio
To make sure that your Instagram audience is going from being casual scrollers to paying customers you’ll need to make it as easy as possible for them to find your ‘stuff’.
How can you do that?
With multiple links in your Instagram bio!
And yes… I can already hear you asking… “But Mackayla! You can only have ONE clickable link on Instagram” and yes, that’s true.
BUT – here is where linktr.ee comes in. It’s free to get started and it means you can direct your Instagram audience to different areas on your website as well as to other links like one to sign up to your email list.
Cool hey?!
Engage with Others
The last secret to growing your business on Instagram is to make time to engage with other Instagrammers.
Seems simple right?
This happens to be one of the things that *a lot* of business owners forget to do because…
- ▪ They’re too busy
- ▪ They don’t think it’s important
- ▪ They think people will just flock to their Instagram because it’s pretty
If you want to grow your Instagram following quickly, increase your engagement on your posts and find people to collaborate with on Instagram it is essential to engage with others.
There are a few ways you could go about this.
You can go through the hashtags you use to find similar, like-minded Instagrammers and leave them some nice comments. You could also go to your Explore tab and engage with people in there.
And lastly, it can help you a *tonne* if you take some time each day to leave lovely comments on the posts from the people that follow YOU on Instagram and like your posts.
#RelationshipBuilding
Did you enjoy these tips for Instagram business owners? I hope you did!
Be sure to share this blog around with your fellow business peeps to help them out.
