MY TOP 10 HOTTEST INSTAGRAM MARKETING TIPS FOR BUSINESSES Jolynn Oblak, December 17, 2014

Instagram can be used as a powerful tool for brand building, boosting sales and strengthening

customer engagement.

Instagram is an effective visual marketing tool that is often overlooked as a business and marketing

tool. A recent study by Forrester Research found that social engagement on Instagram is 20 times

better than Twitter! Nate Elliott states:

Our study found that top brands’ Instagram posts generated a per-follower engagement rate of

4.21%. That means Instagram delivered these brands 58 times more engagement per follower than

Facebook, and 120 times more engagement per follower than Twitter.

With Instagram emerging as the king of social engagement, now is the time for businesses to

leverage the social platform. Here are 10 hot marketing tips that will help you do just that.

1. Reward Your Followers

Always remember, the success or failure of any business depends on how well you take care of your

loyal customers. These people have stood by you in the long run, so you need to devise suitable

strategies to keep them engaged in the long run.

This is the essence of relationship marketing. Give them a sneak peek into your product before you

make it available to general buyers. Make them feel connected to your organization by taking their

valuable feedback. Certain points like additional discounts and free shipping, etc. can make your

customers turn into loyalists. Always ensure they feel connected to your brand on a personal level.

2. Showcase Your Products Like Never Before

Instagram enables you to present your products to your customers in an uncomplicated and dignified

manner. Certain exclusive features allow you to create extremely eye-pleasing images for your

products that will lure your customers into purchasing. The key to a successful product lies in the

effective depiction of its features to the customer base. The characteristics of your product and its

features can be easily highlighted with Instagram’s help. Share the snapshots of your product and its

features with your customers.

3. Highlight Your Product Creation Process

One of the basic doubts in the minds of the customer is how the product gets manufactured: what

are the basic processes that your company puts into practice before the manufacturing process gets

operational? Do you follow the pre-defined industry standards or not? The answer to all these mind

boggling queries is Instagram.

Create a sequential and step-by-step photo series that showcases the complete manufacturing

process. Also, if you find that the process is quite complex, you can create more than one guide and

show the different stages right from planning to production to delivery.

4. Show Multiple Uses of Your Product

“DEMAND CAN OFTEN BE CREATED” — the words of a famous author have stood firmly in the

business industry. We all know the fact that if we are able to constantly innovate and renovate the

utilities of our product, we can sustain ourselves in the long run. More often than not, companies that

constantly evolve their products are more likely to attain the path of success.

Sephora, a well-known business identity, used Instagram to highlight a product that women seldom

preferred, converted it into a profitable brand, and the rest, as they say, is history.

5. Let Your Office Be Accessible to Them

They have been using your products over a continuous span of time, and now it’s time for you to

connect with them on a personal level. Make your work premises and shop floor accessible to your

customer base. Make them aware of the efforts you put in at your end. Let them feel they are a part

of you. This will make them feel connected to your brand, which ensures they become your loyal

customers. A recent study suggested that success of a business can be accelerated by having a

close and interactive relationship with your clientele.

6. Have a Thorough Understanding of Your Consumers

If you have a deep knowledge of your customer base, it enables you to design suitable plans,

policies and strategies for their benefit. It enables you to have a deep insight and identify the ins-

and-outs regarding their likes and dislikes. Instagram helps its users get a clear picture of the

anticipation of customers. It ensures that the marketing strategies are not obsolete and they always

remain per the taste and preferences of buyers. Many successful business enterprises like Red Bull

and Southwest Airlines have availed themselves of the benefits of Instagram through developing

sound strategies for their customers.

7. Keep Changing

“NOTHING IS PERMANENT, EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY.” In today’s scenario, businesses

have to constantly engage in delivering something new to the customers. Whether you provide a

service or you manufacture a certain product, you always have to be on your toes, as innovation

holds the key to success.

Keep on giving something new and attractive to gain their attention. It enables the customer base to

become curious about your products. Share images about your employees and post about the work

environment so as to boost the profit margins. Evolution is a pre-requisite for every phase of

attaining and retaining customers.

8. Make Proper Use of #Hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to build a community. They have often been improperly used. Before

releasing any particular image, make sure you search around for available content on the net, and

use relevant hashtags that are most likely to generate more engagement and lead to customer

conversion.

For example, if you are running a photo contest for your business on Instagram, use a tag which has

been designed exclusively for that campaign. Be smart and let the images speak for themselves,

rather than creating a commotion for the users.

9. Consistency Holds the Key to Success

Success in everything needs consistency. You might have the best technology available, you might

have the best manpower resources at your disposal, but still, it’s not a guarantee your business will

generate fruitful results. The reason behind this is you might not be consistent with your efforts.

Proper use of Instagram ensures all of your marketing efforts are headed in the right direction. Post

snapshots at fixed time intervals about your product. For example, most of the companies dealing

with consumer durables cannot even think of compromising on the quality aspect. They have to be

up-to-date for ensuring growth in the long run.

10. Create a Useful Instagram Video

It has long been neglected by the power houses, but now, slowly and gradually, you should learn to

make use of this excellent tool. With Instagram, you have the power to create a short 15-second

video and share it at your convenience with your customers. Another feature is that it enables you to

take the benefits of its unique editing function and show various stages of the product creation

process. It will ensure that your customers continue to remain with you as you march onward in the

path of prosperity.

Jolynn Oblak operates Oblak Marketing and Consulting, a marketing consultancy that offers digital

training products that help entrepreneurs to grow their business by leveraging inbound marketing

strategies. Jolynn brings more than a decade of direct and inbound marketing success to help

businesses drive their products and services to a larger clientele by developing effective sales

funnels and marketing plans that will turn prospects into customers and customers into lifelong fans.

She shares actionable tips on business blogging, social media marketing and engagement and

email via her blog. You can get in touch with Jolynn via her website at www.jolynnoblak.com or

via Facebook or Twitter.