Back when we were kids, most of us at one time dreamed of being a celebrity.
Aaaaah… being famous… a person with adoring fans clamoring for us! We’d have to run and literally dive into the waiting limo out of reach of the crazy mob.
Well what if I told you that dreams could be a business reality?
Not like those childish dreams… and not like Kardashian famous.
I’m talking a solid follower base on Instagram.
Enough to grow your company and help you feel confident in your lead flow.
Reaching out to new customers on Instagram can make you a “star”… IF your business uses and manages it correctly.
First of all, why should your business have a presence on Instagram and social media in general?
Let’s answer that with another question. Have you ever witnessed a person walking down the street with their smartphone in their face? Of course you have… and in the office, at coffee shops, at the hockey rink… literally everywhere.
That is social media at work. Social media is the new norm for staying informed and reading and being entertained.
Another reason to use social media… because your competition is there. Scooping up your customers. Your customers get to know, like, and trust that your competition can deliver the goods or services.
So, if you want to get your message and business in front of your customers, you have to be where the customer is hanging out.
Keep in mind that social media is viewed as “info-tainment”. So yes… you must deliver your information in an entertaining way. Humour, how-to’s, heartwarming stories, new innovations are all examples.
Instagram is a visual medium as opposed to a text medium. So you’re going to need lots of images. Like of your products or services. Images of you and employees if you have any. Images of customers smiling and happy while completing a purchase.
One Instagram example I will share here is my great client @atWorkLondon . What we have established for them is a mix of product shots, motivational quotes, article shares and family-friendly office humour. Oh, and cool happenings around their company. We are actually light on the product images as they know not everyone wants to see filing cabinets and desks again and again. And in that vein, we actually only post twice a week generally.
How often should you post an image on Instagram? According to Buffer, a social media scheduling tool, it is recommended posting two times a day. And they go on to say that posting between 8 and 9 am, then again around 2 pm is optimal. I actually prefer once a day.. But ideal posting frequency and times differ for each business.
By now you might be thinking “how do I get started?” Here’s your 3 steps…
- Go to Instagram and set up an account.
- Second, your profile is important, so get all your contact information in there. Use the bio to explain who you are, who you serve, and what you offer… even business hours.
- Third, gather up some images of your business in action, great shots of your products, your team serving customers, your cool workplace and start sharing.
Now this is a simplified explanation for using Instagram. There are tons of tips and tricks you need to learn. Way more than we can cover in this article. So, do your research. (Here’s a good article to start!)
Ok, I hear you though. You’re busy and who has time for all of this?
You are right. It is challenging. Using social media as a marketing medium is time consuming. Rather than “set it and forget it” social media takes time and effort – but it works to bring new customers.
To save time I suggest finding a social media manager to do this work for you. A good manager will bring more sales into your business. More than enough to pay for itself and increase profit.
There’s no better time than now to realize your dreams of your company being an industry star!
Cassie Vivyurka is Vivify, a social media manager for hire. She is hired by businesses such as yours to start, manage and teach social media advertising. Clients include food industry, automotive, construction, B2B companies, beauty care, family entertainment venues and more!
Feel free to reach out to Cassie with any questions… Visit the Vivify website or find her on Instagram and Facebook
