Not every small business has the time and energy to put together an elaborate website.
But it’s 2017 – practically everybody has a mobile device now, and free wifi is almost everywhere.
So you should really take advantage of the free marketing resources available to you. Instagram is one of the best of these – it’s growing incredibly, recently shooting past 700 million users.
1. Setup an Instagram account of your own
Instagram themselves have a simple-yet comprehensive guide to this, and you’ll want to check it out and follow the steps: Instagram’s Guide To Getting Started (For Businesses)
2. Have a simple, clear hashtag for your customers to use
One of the best things about Instagram is that it allows people to collaboratively put together collections of images, just by using the same hashtag.
As a business owner, you want to encourage your customers to post images of your products on Instagram.
It becomes a quick and easy way for potential customers to see how happy your existing customers are with your product.
3. Post behind-the-scenes content that your customers will want to see!
You don’t need to be overly serious or “business-y” – focus on what your customers like, and what you like about your customers and your business.
Sharing a human side of things can go a long way. Starbucks, for example, share stories about its baristas and partners – humanizing the brand, helping to make it warm and approachable.
4. Keep posting and learning about what works and what doesn’t
Instagram’s business blog is a pretty good read.
Another simple and really effective way to learn about how to approach Instagram as a business is to follow other businesses that are doing it well.
Sprout Social has a blogpost with a nice list of businesses worth following.
Pay attention to what sort of content they post that gets the best engagement from their fans.
Conclusion: Instagram is just another way of connecting with your customers
You don’t need to be forced or artificial, or overly polished.
Just take pictures of what you care about, what your business cares about, and use the captions to speak directly to your customers.
A little warmth goes a long way!
Ready to get more advanced? Learn from some of the top Instagram experts on how to grow your Instagram following in a short period of time.