Is Instagram Right for Your Brand?
Instagram is a social media platform with a strong focus on sharing visual content. It is used by over a billion users worldwide. Is the platform a good place to market your business?
Instagram by the Numbers
While Instagram continues to rise in popularity, its daily login is still second to Facebook. 63% of Instagram users login at least daily, while 74% of Facebook users login at least daily.
According to Statista, demographics break down as follows:
- 43% of women, 31% men
- 75% age18–24
- 57% age 25–30
- 47% age 30–49
- 23% age 50–64
- 8% age 65+
Is Instagram the platform for you?
Instagram is generally considered to be a great platform for:
- Businesses that have great photography to share
- Businesses that sell physical products
- Businesses that are community-oriented or that have an informal approach to their marketing
Instagram is an informal platform with a strong focus on visual content. To succeed you need to have original visual content to share.
Setting up Instagram for Your Business
- Download the app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Open the app and click on ‘Sign up’ to enter your information.
- To let Instagram know that this account is for your business, go to Settings in the app. (Find Settings under the icon shaped like a person in the bottom right corner of your screen.) Click on the hamburger menu in the top right corner. In Settings, go to Account and click ‘Switch to Professional account.’
- When you’ve switched to a business account, make sure to add information about your business to your account.
Getting Started
The best way to engage on Instagram is to start posting. Try different ideas and see what connects you with your target audience.
A great source of ideas is to look at the feed of similar businesses to see what they’re posting. You can also research best practices in your industry or field.
Let people know that you have a new account on Instagram. Add a link to your website and email signature. Mention it on your other social channels. Follow customers and people in your target audience for the hope of getting a follow in return.
Content Tips
Take some time to define the story you want to tell. Can you photograph people using or wearing your product? Can you use your posts to introduce the people working at your business? This is a great platform to help people see inside your business and to get to know you and your mission better.
Be consistent in how much you post and the overall look and tone of your posts. People who connect with you will expect consistency.
Research and use relevant hashtags. Adding the right hashtags will help people see your post. Research to discover the hashtags you can use to reach the right people. Use the hashtags that are most relevant to each post.
