Facebook is an excellent platform for businesses to keep in touch with their customers, and many businesses use it well. However, if you aren’t utilizing Instagram as well, you’re missing a huge opportunity to bring in new potential customers and establish stronger connections with loyal customers.

Instagram is huge and only continues to grow in popularity. As of October 2020, there are 1 billion (yes, you read that right!) active users worldwide on Instagram, with over 130 million in the United States. It is also the second most visited platform, behind Facebook.

Here are just a few tips to take your Instagram page to the next level:

Keep a Consistent Publishing Schedule

With all social media, keeping up with a schedule is the best way to generate a following. If your customers expect to see at least one post from you every other day, customers will anticipate seeing something from you on their feed (if Instagram’s algorithms decide to play fair

A good publishing schedule is a couple posts per week. Publishing too much can make your message lost in all the noise!

Give People an Incentive to Follow You

One method to keep people engaged with your profile is by giving them a reason to follow you in the first place. Awesome posts about your products or the services you offer are great, but customers need a reason to revisit your page.

An excellent way to do that is with exclusive deals, or giving people a first look at upcoming products/projects. Also be sure to utilize Instagram with up-to-date information-- a bakery showcasing their flavors of the week, for example.

Broadcast More Than Just Your Product

It is important to establish an emotional connection with your customers. What does this mean? People tend to follow a brand or company for more than just product photos of products.

Some companies create easily shareable memes to garner traction to their page, or companies (like fashion brands) share photos from their followers showcasing their product, or highlight the awesome people that work for your company. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Improve Your Photography Skills

A reason people are drawn to Instagram over other social media platforms is due to the graphic-heavy nature of the website. That means that good photography skills are vital to maintain a quality Instagram feed.

If you think you need help improve up your photography skills, ISU’s CEWT is offering an upcoming class on photography. This class will help you learn how to use your camera, alongside lighting for studio work and capturing images in low light in the outdoors.

With these skills, your photography will be taken to the next level! Click here to register or for more information.

As the world grows ever more digital, gaining a good understanding on these major social media platforms is a must. Instagram is a beneficial tool to help bring in new customers, establish stronger connections with loyal fans, and give an inside-look into you and your business!