Running a small business with Instagram as an outlet for advertising is good; it shows how well you move with the times. Instagram is considered a really powerful tool, as it is one of the most popular social media platforms—it can also serve as a great advertising and business marketing tool for the average small business.
Forget just posting sunsets, memes and enjoyment videos; Instagram has so much potential as a marketing tool for small businesses—It is estimated to have 1.021 billion users worldwide in 2021 (Statista). That's a lot of people for one photo-sharing network and a big audience for your business. However you think of it, it's a cheap alternative to spending a ton of money on traditional advertising or marketing tools.
This article is for small business owners who want to gain more visibility on Instagram to grow their sales and market their businesses properly. Here are some basics to help your business get noticed on Instagram.
Post the proper attention-grabbing content
Because you are a small business, you should also become a content creator on the side; you must share visually engaging content to hold the attention of your prospective customers. If your business sells and delivers takeout foods, here's how you should get your page noticed;
- Post-clean-looking photos of your foods
- Use a good location
- Plate the food properly
- Use a good light setup
Pro tip- Research how to take good product pictures, create more video content & keep it short and simple.
Content Idea: Showcase the process behind creating your product.
Use hashtags.
Using hashtags tied to your business is a great way to get noticed quickly, and it's also an excellent way to beat the algorithm and get your content on the explore page.
Hashtags serve as keywords to help users find specific types of content. Users can search for hashtags and click on them to see posts relevant to the search—hashtags usually include alphanumeric figures—for Example, #kippa1yeardown, #yourRosetokip etc; using relevant hashtags can be an effective tool to get noticed on time.
Hashtag Tips:
- Use relevant hashtags- Use the hashtags related to your type of content. Look towards other established brands or users and bloggers in your industry for examples of what hashtags to use.
- Don't use excessive hashtags. Instagram allows 30 hashtags in a post or comment (up to 10 in an Instagram story), but that many would be absurd. Using fewer hashtags will enable you to target your business content toward the right audience.
Use Instagram Reels.
Instagram Reels are short portrait videos ranging from 10-90 seconds; they tend to reach a larger audience count than other types of posts. Why? Instagram just designed them that way; the more you leverage reels, the easier it is to get your business account noticed, thereby beating the complicated Instagram algorithm.
Reels are a great way to push a campaign for specific target customers without having to spend money on promoting them.
Pro Tip: Tap into trending songs and sounds to increase your chances of getting noticed by your target market.
Instagram ads and boosting your posts
Although there are other avenues to leverage to get your business noticed without spending a dime, running ads on Instagram is another great way to advertise your business offerings at a cheaper rate.
There are different formats of Instagram ads: Photo, video and carousel ads, video ads do a lot better than photos, but you should decide on a format based on the type of content you're putting out.
Oyindamola Ogunlana
To run a successful ad:
- Be creative with your content offering; use visually captivating posts.
- Set a clear objective.
- Set a target audience for your ad.
- Determine the ad's budget (stay within your means).
- Add a call to action that tells your target audience what to do with the information you have given to them or where to go for more information.
- Monitor your ad performance and see where you can improve on next time.
Oyindamola OgunlanaIf you have decided to use Instagram as an advertising tool for your small business, you should make the most of it; Show what you do creatively–On Instagram, you must understand how to communicate to your customers about the value your product has for them and also make sure it looks aesthetically pleasing to their eyes and ears. Never underestimate the power of social media.
Run your business with Ease,
A crucial part of what the Kippa app does for your business is analyzing financial reports to help you make better business decisions; help you understand cash flow. And overall, it gives you insights that reveal the bigger picture of how your business progresses.
All the tools you need to start/run/ grow your business, your go-to bookkeeping, accounting, and business bank app; Kippa gives your business a way to measure your overall performance. It also provides information to make decisions related to your business and helps you ascertain your revenue and income.
