Instagram has over 1 billion active users on it – and you need to be one of them.
This platform is arguably the most popular of all social media channels. It’s where people go to connect with friends, discover new trends, and engage with the companies/influencers they admire. With an Instagram business profile, you can make yourself a popular brand that people want to know more about.
Such an account takes social media marketing to a whole new level. Instagram business functions allow you to better reach and convert your audience in a way that feels fun and natural to them.
But, you have to know what you’re doing in order to get the most out of this tool!
Here are 7 things you need to do to create a strong business profile on Instagram.
1. Create a Catchy Handle and Bio
If you’re running the Instagram business profile of a large company, it’s usually best to use the company name for your handle. This improves the brand recognition of the company’s presence in your entire market, not just on Instagram. It makes it easy for current customers to find you and for potential users to learn more about you.
But, sometimes it’s better to mix things up if you run a small business or if you’re a solo entrepreneur. You may want to make your handle a play on words or use a keyword that will generate a lot of attention amongst people in your target market.
Whatever your handle is, though, the more important thing is to create an informative and engaging bio. Your bio is your chance to share who you are, what you do, and what you value. It creates one of the first impressions new followers will have of your business profile and your actual business.
This is also a great opportunity to convert people who are further along in the buying cycle than the typical new user. Make sure the last line of your profile’s bio has a CTA that relates to the link on your page.
2. Display Your Contact Information
One of the coolest things about Instagram business profiles is how easy it is for users to contact you. Once you upgrade Instagram to a business account, you can input all your contact information and choose the action buttons that best fit your profile. This way, users can make contact with just one click of a button.
This creates less friction between you and your audience. It makes you incredibly approachable and it allows you to encourage the most desired behaviors you’d like to see from users.
If you prefer to handle customer conversations via email instead of phone calls, for example, your action button can be catered to that. You can even send users directly to your website’s product pages by putting the “Shop” button at the top of your profile.
3. Edit Photos with Presets
No matter what kind of conversions you’re trying to create, you first have to engage your audience. You have to make your products/services desirable, which is best done by producing amazing content.
On Instagram, content comes down to the photos you share. Informative captions are valuable too, but it’s the visual content that hooks a user’s attention and makes them read what you have to say.
As such, you should take the time to create presets for editing photos. This will help you create a sense of brand consistency and it makes the editing process a breeze.
With the right presets, you can do all edits straight from your phone. This allows you to spend more time creating your content calendar and engaging directly with your Instagram followers.
4. Use the Products Feature
Another great Instagram business tool is the products feature. This allows you to tag all the products showcased in the photos you take, bringing the concept of product photography to a whole new level!
Not only will you be able to share the items you have available, but you’ll make it much easier for users to purchase them. The product tags on your Instagram business profile will lead people straight to your website’s product pages.
Plus, you can tag more than one product at a time.
Even if you sell services rather than tangible goods, it’s a feature worth using. You just have to get creative about the photos you take. Use images of you interacting with clients or pitching projects when tagging services.
5. Take Advantage of the Story Feature
Whether you sell tangible goods or services, you absolutely need to use Instagram stories to your advantage. Stories give you a chance to be more personal and transparent with your audience.
You can go live to give sneak peeks of your day to day or of upcoming releases, or just to chat with your audience. You can use stories to create polls and generate feedback, and to resolve any customer service issues, too.
6. Build Your IGTV Presence
As if all the benefits of a standard Instagram business profile aren’t enough, you also have IGTV available to you. IGTV is technically a separate platform, but it can be accessed directly through your Instagram profile.
Use this when you want your “stories” to be longer or more informative. Take the time to create episodes based on trends you see happening in your audience or to talk about internal plans you’re about to roll out.
Truly, you can talk about anything you’d like on IGTV. But, you can’t afford to overlook this content sharing opportunity!
7. Track Your Profile’s Analytics
The final way to make your Instagram business profile succeed is to take a look at where it’s falling short. You need to be assessing your weekly analytics and finding ways to create more of the results you’re looking for.
Pay attention to the average number of new followers you get every day/week and the page visits you receive. Notice how many click-throughs you’re getting and take a look at your website to see how the time of page visits and conversions have gone up, too.
Even if business good, there’s room to improve. Find the best opportunities for growth by going over all the analytics available to you.
How to Leverage the Success of Your Instagram Business Profile
It’s one thing to create a popular Instagram business profile and another to see how your online popularity relates to your company’s bottom line. No matter what tool you’re using or the kind of campaign you’re running, you have to be thinking about the big picture.
Your Instagram presence is a reflection of your brand. It needs to make your values clear and your products desirable. For tips and tricks on how to best leverage this platform to meet the goals of your business, click here.