Does Your Instagram Reach Its Full Potential?

Instagram has become a cool way for companies to reach out and engage with customers as well as tell visual stories regarding the company. Last October, Instagram announced a new way to advertise on the platform with sponsored ads. This concept is similar to the sponsored ads on its parent company, Facebook. An issue with sponsored ads on Instagram is: only a few partner companies are able to use them. So, how do you stand out and market on Instagram without access to these sponsored ads? First things first, you want to make sure your profile is as accessible and searchable as possible.

1. Optimize your profile. Use the company website URL in the profile to increase SEO value. Make the profile picture consistent across all platforms to brand the company in social media. The more recognizable the company is, the more likely a consumer is to follow it.
2. Make sure your profile is public, not private. If your company profile is set on private, a user must be logged in and an accepted follower to view the profile.  You want the profile to always be accessible to whoever would like to view it.
3. Open sharing of Instagram posts to your various, relevant social media platforms. If your company has an active Twitter or Facebook page, why not share Instagram photos on them as well? You can easily link the platforms under Settings. Tip: Avoid positing a picture on an additional platform if it has already been posted. Posting duplicates is one way to lose followers.
4. Utilize Instagram badges on your website. You can find this tool in the navigation bar under Badges. Displaying these on the company website will drive Instagram users to follow your company.
5. Create a branded hashtag for your posts. If your company has a unique name, it can be as simple as the company name. However, a company with a common name could add some flair to their hashtag to brand themselves.

We love seeing Starbucks use branded hashtags.

According to the Instagram website, the 200 million active users share an average of 60 million photos a day. That comes out to over 21 billion photos shared every year! So, now that you know best practices to get the most out of your profile, how can you post attention-grabbing content?

• Promote content located on your site. Content could include landing pages, blog posts or a campaign launch. This could potentially have a follower visit the page and convert into a lead.
• Utilize the video feature. Instagram allows 15 second videos, which could be used for many reasons like demos and tutorials. Another idea is to use the feature to post client testimonials to display the expertise of your company.
• Share company news, history and culture.  If you have a picture from the past to go along with an anniversary coming up, post it! The post could create an emotional connection with a follower. The Throwback Thursday hashtag, #tbt, is a great way to share historic photos consistently. Company culture can also be interesting to see.  If you go to trivia on Tuesday nights like the Pyxl Tempe office does, then share it with your followers!

Instagram is a great way to build brand awareness and engage followers. If you decide to use Instagram as a marketing tool, be sure to post consistently and create a voice for your page.

Check out our Instagram to see what we have to share!

Updated: Apr 13, 2022