Marketing With Instagram

December 12, 2016 By Heather Serdoz,

Rome wasn't built in a day, and quite frankly neither are social strategies. It takes time, the development of ideas and research, lots of research. Recently, Instagram has become a popular marketing platform and it’s not just because you have the option to run ads now. We’re all visual to some degree and Instagram provides us with an outlet to share our visual experiences with the world. If you’re a brand, company, or just an individual looking to connect with a greater following, Instagram may be the perfect soundboard. How do you get started marketing with Instagram you ask? Keep reading, we’ve got you covered.

Do your research

Before you just start pumping funds into an ad account it’s really important to do your research first. Take a moment and learn from those who are already doing it. Ask yourself a few questions-

Who are the big industry influencers and what kind of content works for them?
What are your competitors doing?

Pay attention to what kinds of stories they’re telling, both with their products and their behind the scenes action. Now ask yourself these questions-

What draws you to your competitors posts?
How often are they posting?
What do you dislike about their posts?
What type of information do they have in their profile?
Is there a consistent theme?

Set Goals

When it comes to Instagram, what kinds of goals should you be setting? Increasing follower count, growing brand awareness and increasing engagement on posts are all so important. Setting more “traditional” goals are important too, can you use Instagram to generate leads or increase overall sales? As you’re going through and choosing your own goals for your brand it’s really important you keep your goals clear and SMART-

Smart
Measureable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Record Your Data

In the spirit of keeping SMART goals, you’ve got to be able to measure them. Keeping track of your performance allows you to see if your strategy is actually working. You should be measuring the following 5 items in each post-

Date
Total followers
Type of post (culture, product, inspiration, etc.)
Time/Day
Engagement after “X” amount of time

From this data pool you’ll be able to make smart, strategic decisions about future posts.

Tell Your Story

Stories sell a brand, you become relatable and memorable. Brainstorm how to connect the story of your product to your audience. If you’re struggling to find your narrative, try asking yourself these 3 questions-

What is the core idea behind our product?
What do people love about our product?
What would our audience miss about our business if we closed our doors tomorrow?

Now combine your narrative with your goal and you, my friends have got an Instagram strategy. If you’d like a professional, expert opinion or you just want and agency specializing in all things digital marketing, just holler! We’ll be here. Cheers!