Instagram in your Business

Instagram is a free photo-sharing program and social network that was launched in October 2010 and by now, you probably have seen a  vintage styled image from this platform. Instagram is like an online photo journal that enables you to share your life’s experiences with friends and family in a fun and imaginative way using your mobile phone. The mobile app is free to download and use and you can share many outlets including Twitter and Facebook. Snap, filter, post!

Now if you haven’t used Instagram yet, not to worry. The Instagram interface is very user friendly to use using your iPhone or Android Smart phone.

Instagram can be used for a lot more than just personal use.. Much like Pinterest these days, Instagram can help build and expand your business exposure and needs.

With Instagram, you can develop a strong online presence, and get your name out there using images. This is a great way to leverage online and social media marketing into your strategies with a potential audience reach of over 37 million users as well as the ability to get instant feedback with this personalized outreach marketing by posting images of products or services you are currently selling or ones you are testing.

When using Instagram, make sure that you are using the appropriate tag words for your business, products or services so that people have a chance of finding you in their search results. Also make sure that include a good description to help people along.

Much like on other Social platforms, you will begin to see a major shift once you start interacting with consumers on an individual basis by commenting and liking their images (if you feel it is an image worth “liking” or commenting on. This will start to build social proof and in turn, make you Front-of-Mind and a great choice to work with as they will like and trust you easier.

Here are some tips to use Intagram in your business model:

– Double tap when you want to like an image including your own (sounds odd but it works)
– Add in Hash Tags or keywords to help people know about your business and be able to find you in searches
– Add in a good description of the image
– GeoTag your location so that the images can be found via GeoMapping or via an online GPS Map system
– Comment and Like other users images that fit with your Demographic, i.e. If your market is brides-to-be, if you find images from those users, like and comment on them and they will notice you Account and most likely return the favour.

I am still tinkering around in Instagram but I will post more tidbits as I get them

Got any tips you want to share? Post them below.

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