Instagram has made its way into becoming a lot more than just a social media website. Before, people only used it to post pictures and videos and make some memories. Now, it is one of the best platforms for DTC brands to create an identity. Brands are using it to run ads for customer engagement, lead generation, and even centralized hiring. It can be a great way to increase brand awareness and gauge customer interest in your product.
Other than targeted ads for your audience, there are different ways to market your product on the website. Many influencers use Instagram as their primary traffic-generating platform. So, it also provides opportunities for influencer marketing. With so many options for running campaigns, it can get a bit daunting. Instead of trying your luck on hits and misses, here are some effective Instagram marketing techniques that you can try.
Use a Business Profile
If you haven’t already, you should shift to an Instagram business account. It should be the first step before you even make a marketing plan. You can go to Settings -> Switch to Business Profile to do so. There are many free marketing tools on Instagram that only business accounts have access to. Moreover, you can directly run ads from your profile without using Facebook tools.
A business profile can allow you to look at Insights and impressions for your posts. It can tell you how many people liked or shared your content. Moreover, insights can also group data according to demographics such as age or gender. Another important addition is a call-to-action button on business profiles. As a result, your audience can call or message you directly. So, if you want to optimize your content based on metrics, a business profile could be the only way to use appropriate strategies for acquiring qualified talent.
Utilize Hashtags
Hashtags can be a great way to shift the algorithm in your favor. They are a part of almost all social media platforms. Using hashtags can make categorizing your content simple. Moreover, it can also tell the algorithm what your post is all about and boost it accordingly. Hashtags can make a lot of difference on Instagram. Because the Explore tab can generate new leads for you. Instagram uses hashtags to group relevant posts in one category. So, if you use the right hashtags, you could bring organic traffic your way.
For example, a user is looking for a beauty product. So, they might explore hashtags like beauty, makeup, etc. If your post uses one of these relevant hashtags, it will pop up in the explore tab.
Boost User-Generated Content
UGC is any content that people create themselves. Other users usually find UGC more reliable and trustworthy than branded content. It might not be professional, but it adds a great human element to the brand. So, it could be the online equivalent of word-of-mouth marketing. Brands should utilize and boost user-generated content as much as they can.
Many brands run contests where people have to post their pictures. Some also pair up with online influencers to create a campaign. So, the more you can involve the general public in your campaigns, the better. It can produce much better results and increase engagement with posts.
Create Laid Back Posts
Many times, brands can be too pushy with their constant stream of ads. If you are trying too hard, it will likely put your customers off. So, it can help to have a laid-back approach sometimes. You can try creating product teasers instead of directly selling something. Another way is to link to something free to get more engagement. So, if you don’t want your customers to drop like flies, you shouldn’t bombard them with direct marketing. A relatively balanced mix of direct and indirect marketing can help your cause a lot more.
Make an Influencer Strategy
Instagram is probably the largest hub of online influencers. These are people who already have an audience who listens to what they have to say. Instagram influencers can help you in boosting your brand’s reach. Moreover, influencers are usually people that the audience trusts. So, an endorsement can go a long way for your product.
But it is not as easy as it seems. Choosing the right influencer can make or break your campaign. So, it is crucial that you develop an influencer marketing strategy before you start. You should make sure that the brand and influencer’s audiences are compatible. Moreover, they should have the same values that you are trying to promote. A good influencer can share recorded insights of a successful campaign with you.
