By Elissa Berger
(Editor’s Note: This is a little off-topic for our cybersecurity blog, but many of my readers are small business owners, and this topic may be something you have been considering for your business)
Instagram, which is anticipated to have 1.2 billion users by 2023, provides a huge opportunity for small business owners to expand their marketing efforts, and marketers all over the world are aware of this. According to the Social Media Examiner’s social media marketing report for 2021, “78% of marketers are using Instagram.” Marketers regard it as the second most significant social media site behind Facebook, with 64% wanting to increase their Instagram participation in the following year.
Instead of a large number of active users, Instagram’s potential is built on user behavior: Instagrammers like communicating with advertisers. According to Instagram, ninety percent of users follow a brand on the network. According to Facebook-commissioned statistics from 2019, 54% of individuals have purchased after viewing a product or service on Instagram.
Instagram is ideal for small company owners that don’t have the time or money to invest in costly marketing initiatives. Without a specialized marketing staff or a large budget, you may increase your consumer base through unpaid social media marketing – all you need is a free account and a smartphone camera to get started. To grow your Instagram brand you could visit Skweezer.
Is it possible for your small business to succeed on Instagram?
Whether you own a small bookstore, an e-commerce store, a landscaping company, an auto repair shop, or a yoga class, Instagram can help you grow your business. You can be successful on Instagram if your clients are on it.
If you only have time to spend on one or two social media channels, make sure that Instagram is well-liked by your potential clients. Here are several options for finding out.
- Consult your clients
The simplest way to find out if your consumers are active on Instagram is to just ask!
If you already have an email list, send a quick poll to your customers about their social media habits. Inquire about their favorite mode of contact and how they prefer to keep up with businesses.
For polling your audience, SurveyMonkey and Typeform are two free options. Typeform’s social media survey template may also inspire. Customize it with questions that will offer you information about your customers.
- Make a comparison between your target audience and the Instagram audience.
On different social media sites, different groups of people are more engaged than others. Compare the demographics (age, gender, income, geographic area, and so on) and psychographics (psychological factors like interests, personality, and values) of your target audience to the social media platforms you’re investigating.
For example, the 18-29-year-olds are the most active on Instagram, while the 50-64 year olds are the most active on Pinterest.
- Evaluate your rivals
Clients who shop at your competitors’ stores are potential new customers for you. So, if businesses similar to yours are doing well on Instagram, it’s likely that your consumers are doing well as well. All that’s left for you to do now is start blogging!
If none of your rivals are using Instagram, it may not be the best platform for you. However, if enough consumers have indicated that they would like to follow your brand on Instagram, go ahead and create an account. You may be the first brand in your sector to uncover Instagram’s untapped potential.
As a small business, getting started with an Instagram strategy
Whether you’re brand new to Instagram and getting ready to publish your first post or you’re a seasoned pro trying to expand your reach, it’s critical to start with clear goals in mind to dictate the type of material you should share.
Small business Instagram objectives
You may upload a wide variety of content on Instagram. Setting goals can aid in the definition of your Instagram marketing plan and the narrowing of your emphasis, making it much easier to decide what to post!
Here are some frequent objectives for small businesses:
Boost your sales
- Increase the size of their audience
- Brand loyalty should be improved.
- Boost brand recognition
- Increase the number of visitors to your website
Form business alliances (with influencers or complementary brands)
Choose one or two goals for your Instagram page and create content around them.
Create content pillars or topics that are relevant to your target audience.
After you’ve established your objectives, selecting themes to drive your material might be beneficial. Your brand will be more consistent, and your audience will be more thrilled to connect with you since they will know what to anticipate. Behind-the-scenes content, for example, might be used as a content pillar (or theme).
To get you started, here are some examples of Instagram content pillars:
- Content from behind the scenes
- Content created by users
- Polls
- Giveaways
- Demonstrations of products
- Pedagogical (e.g. tips or tutorials)
- an emphasis on culture (showing the human side of your company)
- Customer testimonials
- Launches of new products
- Travel \sProductivity
- Motivation \sFood \sExercise
- Body positivity and mental health
- Environmentalism
