Instagram Marketing Strategy For Startups
INSTAGRAM MARKETING STRATEGY FOR STARTUPS: ORGANIC TRAFFIC
Between August 22nd 2017 and 1st January January 2018, I grew my audience from zero to 10,000 followers.
I have to say this led me to unleash my potential on all fronts. I started getting messages from people on how I did it. Imagine having that amount of attention on YOUR business and what you could potentially do.
Instagram is the number one place for you to grow your business and engage with your audience. And the good thing about it is you can do it in an organic way by just being yourself. Let me run you through the key components of my Instagram Marketing Strategy For Startups.
ORGANIC GROWTH
We live in a society where there is so much things disguised as truth that all people want to see is authenticity. That’s why organic growth is possible. If you are a genuine person and want to sharre your story with your audience, you need to step into this realm.
These are the ways you can grow your business on Instagram.
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- Create content that makes people want to share.
Have you ever watched a trailer and then told everyone that they need to see this movie? That’s how your content needs to be. It’s important that you are offering great design and value.
There’s a saying that goes a picture is worth a thousand words — it’s true on Instagram. I like to use Canva that is absolutely FREE. This app makes your designs look super professional. There is also a desktop version that I love, but if you’re on the move…download the app.
2. Know what you are talking about and gets your audience engaged
When I was at University, I wrote an email to all my contacts with the title, ‘What is Cheating’. The audience loved my approach of using different things to unlock what cheating in a relationship meant to them. My approach to using humour and stories on my Instagram page resonated with my followers.
You need to decide what your audience wants to see by testing what works and then sticking to it. Once you realise what works, keep doing the same thing. If they like images, post images, if they like quotes, post quotes. Just make sure everything ties into your business.
A great way to find out what your customer could potentially like is take a peek at what your competitors are doing. Don’t fall into the trap of wasting time by trying to be reinvent the wheel.
Originality is only putting different things together.
Always give credit to the original.
3. HASHTAG the hell out of your posts
I used to be annoyed by hashtags. #### Hashtag #Sunday brunch. Hashtag #relationshipgoals until I realised the power of hashtags.
Hashtag are a “search” tool that helps people find things that they are interested in.
WHY USE THEM?
Every time you are about to post, go to the comments and drop in your #hashtags. Hashtags make it easier for people who are not part of your followers to become aware of you. I remember when I was looking for a photographer on Instagram and typed ‘Photography London’ and I was able to see the work of all the photographers who have used that hashtag#
Put time into looking at the most popular hashtag around your business niche and save them on notes in your phone. Be careful with your hashtags. There’s really no point putting a hashtag that has under 100 posts.
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4. YOU HELP ME AND I’LL HELP YOU
There’s a concept that is phenomenal. Phenomenal because it’s like an unwritten rule. When you help someone, the chances is they are likely to help you out. The same happens in the Instagram world.
Look at other people in your business space and promote their posts. Repost and tag them on your page. Over time, they will do the same and before you know it, their audience might take a look on your page and even start to follow you.
Having other users share your content is a big deal, especially if they are a big deal. One of the things that people look for on Instagram is credibility. Being co-signed by another account with a large audience especially in the social media world, is a big deal.
5. POST ALL THE TIME.
Unless you are a famous personality who people wait around to hear what is happening in your life, you do not have the luxury of posting when you want to do it.
There is an algorithm that favours accounts that post all the time. Trust me. There isn’t any statistics that highlights this. But I do remember, my engagement and views increasing when I posted 2–4 times a day, compared to when I was doing it when I felt like it.
You should be aiming to post about 4–6 times a day, with content that is giving your customer some value.
7. DIRECT THEM TO DO SOMETHING
You’ve got them with your caption and image that you spent hours putting together. You use your hashtags that reach a lot of people. You post is getting the attention…now what?
This is where people get it wrong, when they don’t say anything else. I’ve seen it on YOUTUBE, Facebook after watching great content, nothing. There’s no call to action.
There’s no like, share, comment and subscribe or go to my website if you want to see more content. People need to be directed to the destination. The destination is where you want to take them.
It’s important to know that every post should not be about selling your services. Keep this is the back of your mind and you will not come off as a sales-person that your audience becomes tired of.
Follow all these steps and you could be growing your audience quickly and organically in no time.
This story was originally published on The Startup Seed Blog.
This story is published on THE STARTUP SEED website. Sharing practical business tips to startup entrepreneurs to get their business idea growing.
