Instagram: A Powerful Tool for Local Businesses
Instagram can be a game-changer for your local business. You might wonder, "How can a platform known for cat videos, influencer posts, and food pics help in gaining more customers and boosting sales?" Believe it or not, Instagram offers much more than just entertainment.
It’s rapidly becoming a marketplace, with 70% of shoppers turning to Instagram for their next purchase, and 50% feeling more interested in a brand upon seeing its advertisements there. With 1.13 billion users and more joining daily, it provides a vast pool of potential customers, explaining why over 200 million businesses have a presence on Instagram.
However, achieving success on Instagram requires more than just creating an account and posting product photos. There’s a method to building a following for your local business, and this guide will provide you with 11 strategies to reach a broader audience, increase engagement, promote your business, and drive sales.
1. Engage with the Community
Instagram, like any social media platform, is a community that requires active participation. To build your reputation on Instagram, engage with influencers, other brands, and users, including your direct competitors. Join conversations, respond to comments, and address any negative feedback to demonstrate that you value your followers’ opinions.
2. Repost Local Content
Bolster your reputation by sharing content from local followers, businesses, and celebrities. This not only pleases the content creators but also exposes your business to their audiences. It creates a perception of your business as a friendly, relatable entity and saves time on creating original content. Always request permission and tag the original creators.
3. Maintain Brand Consistency
Your Instagram account should extend your brand identity. Ensure consistency across platforms in terms of tone and personality. Followers may engage with your brand on multiple channels, so consistency prevents confusion and maintains the customer experience they expect.
4. Avoid Blanket Posting
While maintaining a consistent tone, ensure your content is unique across different platforms. Avoid using identical messages across social media platforms to prevent monotony for followers who engage with your brand on multiple channels.
5. Highlight Your Local Lifestyle
Showcase the lifestyle your products create by featuring them in action within familiar local settings. Use well-known landmarks to help customers envision integrating your products into their lives.
6. Embrace Trends
Leverage trending topics to craft relevant content that captures local attention. Use community-specific holidays and events for inspiration but steer clear of controversial or sensitive topics.
7. Utilize Localized Hashtags
Enrich your local reach by employing hashtags that reflect your area’s specifics, akin to focusing on local SEO keywords. Consider how people search locally to determine the best hashtags to use.
8. Add a Link in Your Bio
Ensure you include a link to your website or desired page in your bio, as it is the only clickable link on Instagram. Include your address and other relevant social media handles.
9. Create High-Quality Content
Invest in creating professional, high-quality visual content. Good photography can enhance perception of your products and brand. Consider hiring a photographer to capture appealing images that resonate with followers.
10. Geotag Your Posts
Geotagging can help followers locate your business. By tagging posts with specific locations, you make it easier for users to find you and engage with location-specific content relevant to your community.
11. Measure Your Results
Always monitor your Instagram activities. Evaluate which content receives engagement and adapt strategies accordingly. Feedback from in-person customers about what led them to your store can provide valuable insights.
Conclusion
Instagram offers a vibrant platform to showcase your business’s unique culture. From storytelling to engagement in comments, opportunities abound for demonstrating what makes your business special.
Whether through organic content or paid promotions, you’ll find various ways for users to discover and interact with your brand. The platform’s enhanced shopping functionalities suggest its viability as a tool for business growth will only increase, with retail social commerce projected to become an $80 billion industry by 2025.
Embrace Instagram to expand your social media footprint while keeping your local community at the forefront. Pay attention to trends, and be open to experimenting with new ideas. Happy posting!
Additional Resources:
- How To Sell On Instagram: 11 Tips
- 10 Companies Winning at Instagram Advertising
- Local SEO: The Definitive Guide to Improve Your Local Search Rankings
Featured Image: Bogdan Sonjachnyj/Shutterstock
