Instagram is the perfect place to SHOW the world your business story in pictures. Although the 4-5 photos you upload a day are competing with 70 MILLION photos (per day!), and you might start to wonder how you can even make a splash, much less, hook new followers, in a sea of nostalgically edited squares.
The number 1 answer to breaking into Instagram is thoughtful composition and content. Snap pics of your products in the process of manufacture, or in everyday use. Show the behind-the-scenes of your office and services, and let your customers get a glimpse of the beauty in your process. Even businesses have enough personality to hold their own on Instagram. Show your story. Write thoughtful captions. People want to see and hear your process, it makes your product or service more valuable to them.
Point number 2: Instagram is useless to you if you can’t get your message to the people. Start by adding links to your Instagram feed from your website or other social media platforms so your clients and prospects can easily find you there.
But what about the other almost 300 million (I assume you know a few) Instagrammers?
I’m going to clue you in on a little secret – webstagram.
Remember (old school) high school? When you bought the Cliff’s Notes for every book you were assigned? Well websta is your Instagram “cheat sheet”, and you can use it to ace your account.
Take special notice of the “HOT” tab. This lists the top 100 hashtags on Instagram. These are the hashtags you want to appropriately tag onto your photos. Posting something cute? Hashtag it #cute (number 5). Posting Valentine’s Day content? Hashtag it #love (number 1). Want a bunch of pre-teen girls to see your awesome custom concert t-shirts? Hashtag it #harrystyles and THEY WILL SEE IT.
Participate in throwback Thursdays #tbt (number 4). I happen to grab a shot of the #sunset at least 4 days of the week, and now that I hashtag them #sun and #beach I get more outside likes on those posts than when I was hashtagging them with only #sunset.
Chances are, your picture fits a category in this top 100 hashtags list – even if it as simple as #photooftheday (number 8), and if you are using our hashtag tips [CV1] from a few weeks ago, you will get your pics right into the current of sharing and liking. And don’t forget to get lost for a few minutes in a few hashtags that appeal to you and like and follow as well. Your eyes will thank you again and again as you are inspired and entertained by some of the most beautiful content the Internet has to offer.