The importance of social media for brands is becoming more and more evident and definitive. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, of course YouTube, and Instagram have made digital marketing evolve to levels that still amaze. What these networks offer today means a succulent range of almost infinite possibilities for companies. Assuming the powerful influence of Instagram as the champion of Social Media, from the Línea Gráfica blog we analyze its virtues; both social to connect with the audience, and promotional to promote our online store, for the benefit of our products. We already anticipated that this basic guide is designed for all levels, so if you still don't know how to control this network in an orderly manner or if you need a new point of view to achieve more ambitious goals, welcome. It's time to take advantage of everything Instagram offers for what is really important in our projects: selling more.
What do you need to enjoy this feature?
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Have a worked profile and 100% “your brand”
If you set out to find a client via Instagram, go for it. Showing off a harmonious profile that is worked out down to the last detail will not only speak well of your project and your products, but will also convey a sense of seriousness to the community. The user who wanders around Instagram hungry for content greatly values the care of a profile with its posts, the regularity of publications and even the “attractiveness” of its main photo and bio (the only space we have to define our store). That is why, before starting with our new marketing strategy on the platform, we must do self-criticism: are we offering the image that our products deserve? In the bio, tell in a few words what you do and what sets you apart from the rest . Decorate it with emoticons that fit your philosophy (without saturating), and above all, add a link to your website to channel the audience. Do you have no space left after all this? Remember that using a link shortener like
Convert your personal Instagram account into a business one
Another essential step to achieve maximum performance from our catalogue. Make yourself known as a company thanks to 'Instagram Business'. Turn your Instagram profile into a brand profile by clicking here to enjoy the following features on your profile:- Get real-time results on how your stories and promoted posts are performing throughout the day.
- Get statistics about your followers and how they interact with your posts and stories.
- Add information about your business , such as business hours, address, and phone number.
Taking advantage of the 'Instagram Stories' hook
Because a good photo isn't everything. One of the most fun tools on Instagram and the one that offers the most creative possibilities to its users is ' Instagram Stories '. Launched at the end of 2016, this add-on allows us to add small video fragments, gifs, stickers and boomerangs in a publication diary that is stored 24 hours after we post. Said like that, it may not mean much, but the truth is that this simple addition boasts of surpassing 300 million active users per day . Stories has offered a new stage from which to approach the audience and we, as a brand looking for potential clients, must make the most of it with the best practices. As companies, our objective on Instagram is not only to release information about our products, we must engage, entertain and make our content appealing to strengthen ties with our audience. So it is abundantly clear that overloading our followers with disguised spam is the worst strategy, even with the option of adding links in our Stories (for those companies that exceed the not inconsiderable figure of ten thousand followers). Stories are a great way to give a face to the talent behind your brand, to carry out daring promotional campaigns or even easy "get followers" giveaways. Making videos with your work team, celebrating special days or giving your products a different point of view are also good options. The idea is to be as attractive as possible for the user!
Knowing your audience thoroughly
There's no point in working on content if we don't know the user who visits us . And we're not just referring to the type of post that receives the most interaction on a certain date or at a certain time. The key to understanding audience tides is a much deeper step that requires experience, dedication and even more work. Luckily, Instagram Insights (another of Instagram's brand features) gives us the essential information to position our profile in the best way: by understanding how users act. Instagram Insight provides:-
Account Information:
- Impressions: number of times our posts have been viewed
- Scope of our activity
- Click on the link in our bio
- Number of visits to our profile
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Post and story information:
- Number of times our profile has been viewed through posts
- Followers
- Scope of the posts
- Total number of visits through hashtags, stories and posts.
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Story-focused information:
- Taps forward and backward
- Number of visits
- Number of people who have not seen the entire story
- Answers
Tagging products in posts - Shopping on Instagram
The real turning point for companies that have chosen to promote themselves on Instagram is tagging products in their posts . Shopping on Instagram not only improves the user experience (the magic of buying in one click is something to celebrate) but also exponentially increases conversions and revenue. This tool launched in 2017 allows purchases to be made directly from the application without the need to go to another site to see the catalogue. Now, when a user visits a product photo, they will see its price and the link to complete the purchase . In addition, if as customers we enter a profile with the "store" button available, the entire catalogue of tagged photos will automatically appear as if it were an e-commerce site. What do you need to enjoy this feature?
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Your business must sell physical products that comply with the Merchant Agreement and Instagram Commerce Policies .
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Convert your Instagram account into a business profile .
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Your business profile must be connected to a Facebook listing , which you can create and manage in Business Manager through the Shopify and BigCommerce platforms, or directly on your business's Facebook page.
Expand the brand by connecting with other profiles
Does this sound familiar to you about influencers ? Well, it should be noted that brands rely on the popularity of these 2.0 celebrities not with the ultimate goal of selling immediately (which is also true) but as a way of reaching new audiences and creating a hook . Working with other brands to carry out joint promotions or giveaways is another very interesting way to grow our number of followers. In addition to offering a less aggressive view of the competition, of course. The wars between leading brands with that “ Sega does what Nintendon't ” are long gone. Good vibes prevail and that is beneficial for all of us who love Social Media. And be careful, our brand on Instagram does not only live from the relationship with other companies or protagonists, feedback from our followers is essential and therefore we must be active both when communicating and when listening. Answer their questions attentively, comment on their photos and invite them to be part of the brand. Let them consider it theirs . That is where the formula for success begins.
