5 ways to use Instagram for business. Most people think of Instagram as a quick and convenient way to take photos of their friends, family and vacations. While it is great for pleasure, you can also use Instagram for business as well.
In fact, not only does it serve as a great way to take quick photos, but you can also customize the look of your photos using various filters and tilt-shift blur (adding a blur to the background while keeping a single point on the photo sharp).
So now that you’re aware of what Instagram can do, how can you use Instagram for business and what are some of the benefits of using Instagram for business?
5 ways to use Instagram for business
Behind-the-scenes
Most businesses think that the only product the customer should see is the final product. I tend to disagree. With the advent of social media, it has not made our lives more transparent. This doesn’t just apply to letting people know what you are doing. In fact, because our lives are more transparent, we expect businesses to be more transparent too! Take photos of your products in-the-wild, such as hanging around the office or at a location where it might be used. Remember, your customers are everywhere – not just on your website
Testimonials
How many times have you had a customer send you an email or hand-written note thanking you for the great service that they received? Most businesses internalize this and keep it between themselves and their employees. If you’re serious about growing your business, take photos of the notes that you receive (be sure to blur out email addresses and phone numbers) and post them to Instagram. This way you take all of the warm and fuzzy comments you have received from satisfied customers and share it so that you can bring in new customers.
Position yourself as an expert
While I don’t believe in experts, I do believe in super-smart, extremely knowledgeable people. One great way to use Instagram for your business is to show yourself in the element. For example, if you are speaking at an event, encourage the crowd to take and post photos of you on Instagram and to tag you by doing @ + your name. Not only will this make the presentation more enjoyable and keep the audience entertained (not that they would get bored to begin with), but your business should see a boost in activity on Instagram, which leads to more opportunities to reach current and new customers!
Encourage customers to share your products
Owning a business doesn’t just mean opening a shop and expecting people to just come. Sometimes it requires stirring the pot. Encourage customers to post photos on Instagram. If you are a restaurant, consider having an instruction card on the table with instructions. This way they can share the delicious food that they are eating. If you sell physical goods, such as t-shirts, ask customers to take a photo of them wearing your product.
Connect your Instagram account to your Facebook Page
By now, you probably have a Facebook Page for your business. You probably post status updates and a few photos from time to time. Up the interaction on your Facebook Page by linking your Instagram account to your businesses Facebook Page. Not only will it make your page more exciting for fans, but it will give them another reason to connect with you on Instagram too to join in on the action!
While these are just a few examples, there are plenty of other ways to use Instagram to promote your businesses products. Remember, be creative and don’t worry about the photo being perfect. It isn’t intended to. Also, just because you take fifty photos at one time doesn’t mean you need to post them all at once. Post a few each day and continue to build up a catalog of Instagram photos for your business.
If you’re not currently using Instagram, I have included links to download Instagram below.
Start using Instagram for business (download):
Try putting some of these items into action and post your results below. Did you see better engagement on Instagram, your businesses Facebook Page? Leave a comment below.