Social Media
6 Reasons Why Every Business Should Be Using Instagram
Businesses that plan to be around for the long-term need to get the most out of the technologies available to them. Instagram is a well-respected, recognizable platform that has launched careers and can reach every corner of the globe. With this expansive reach, Instagram is a crucial tool for businesses to take advantage of to further their business goals. But should you use Instagram for your business, and how can you use Instagram for your business?
First, What Is Instagram?
A photo and video posting social media platform that has been around for over 11 years, Instagram has become a global sensation, recognized by celebrities, influencers, and companies for its power over the market.
Instagram users can share posts of photos or videos, add temporary stories that disappear from their profile after 24 hours, short-form video Reels, or IGTV videos. Instagram has even given e-commerce brands a foothold, allowing users to shop directly from these brands.
Using these social media tools as resources for building your marketing and engagement for your business won’t only give you massive reach for no investment, but it’s also easy. There are six fundamental reasons you should make the best of this program.
1. Everyone Is Using Instagram
When you’re looking to reach customers, the more, the better. So choosing a widely used platform will get your brand in front of the most potential customers possible.
Instagram brings in over 1 billion active users, over 500 million of which are on the platform daily. Because Instagram was always designed as an app, it has a cleaner look and feel on mobile applications and is much more user-friendly. This cleanliness drives more people to use Instagram, meaning your brand is in front of 500 million people daily.
2. Businesses Big and Small Can Leverage Instagram
Instagram’s user-friendly nature and open platform allow businesses flexibility in choosing what content to publish to bring their customer base in. This works well whether the company has a team of marketers or is a one-man-show operating a small business.
By using stories, reels, and posts, companies of all sizes can engage with their customer base in meaningful ways that let them feel valued. Businesses with Instagram accounts are seen as more human, friendly, and legitimate than companies without accounts. Customers prefer a company they can count on and engage with, and Instagram provides equal opportunities to businesses, big or small, to do that.
Regular posts, such as daily posts, build an active social media presence. By being creative and genuine, household brands and mom-and-pop shops have equal opportunities to reach their audiences.
3. Engagement Garners Loyalty
You cannot only engage with customers in personal ways but also personally interact with them. Unlike a TV or billboard ad, your customers can like, share, and comment on your posts. While sharing broadens your brand’s reach, it also acts as an endorsement from the person sharing your content.
For example, when your friend informs you about their favorite coffee place, you’re more likely to go there than another. Instagram makes word-of-mouth marketing simple, requiring only a few finger taps before zooming off to a new potential customer.
Customers can leave comments on your posts. This serves many purposes but, most importantly, helps them feel valued by your brand. Customers are disillusioned and tired of big companies that don’t respect them. Offering your customers a medium where they can reach out to you and potentially get an answer brings them into the loop and involves them in the process.
4. Build Relatability
There’s a reason so many magazines have come out with “Stars, They’re Just Like Us!” columns over the years. People want to feel that the brands they’re interacting with are similar to them, that they hold the same values, and that the people running those brands understand them.
Instagram’s live posts and stories to show customers your company’s face. Show behind-the-scenes insights into your company, products, process, and the people who work there. You can do this through candid interactions between customers and employees, employees interacting with each other, showing how products are made, or live Q&A sessions.
5. Increase Visibility With Hashtags
Hashtags have become pop culture phenomenons, allowing companies and individuals to reach a vast audience quickly. Several ways to do this include creating your own hashtags, such as Charmin’s #TweetFromThe Seat or Coca-Cola’s #ShareaCoke. Those hashtags became famous and well-known worldwide, further cementing their already rock-solid reputation.
Another option is to leverage existing hashtags. By finding hashtags that are used or trending and applying them to your brand, you can access people watching the trends and engage meaningfully. Making someone laugh, think, or feel something is the best way to connect with them and show that your brand is different.
6. Make Money On Instagram
Instagram has given E-commerce businesses a great tool in the Shop tab. The Shop tab is front and center on the home dock, allowing users to discover and purchase from brands directly through Instagram. This is an excellent platform for businesses with visually appealing products since customers can swipe through the products and find the one they like the most before purchasing directly from the company through the app. 72% of Instagram users have stated they’ve purchased products through the platform at least once.
Leverage Instagram To Boost Your Business
Marketing tools can easily run a business into the hundreds of thousands of dollars of cost without guaranteeing results. However, using a free platform like Instagram with global reach and saturation in every industry and demographic can launch your company into the stratosphere.
