Today, Instagram is one of the leading marketing tools for business. Millions of businesses run their operations on this platform. And many people depend on the tool to sell, buy, connect with friends, catch up with pop icons, or scroll through the feed to pass the time. Some of them could be your new customers.
Marketing is an important aspect of business growth. The shift to online advertising by most companies, particularly on Instagram, is a strategic move that boosts sales and helps raise awareness of a brand. With so many people spending several hours on social media every day, you need to seize the opportunity to capitalize on high traffic and improve brand visibility.
However, social media advertising doesn’t come without shortfalls. Part of learning the ropes is identifying common mistakes local businesses make when promoting on Instagram and knowing how to avoid them. Read below for details:
1. Small Number Of Followers
A business that has a huge customer base does well. This is no different on Instagram. Your follower count can be more or less interpreted as your authenticity. Thus, you’ll need to build a large following to convince potential customers that you’re worth supporting or doing business. That means more sales, hence more profit.
Getting organic followers may take quite some time, especially if your Instagram account is new. In that case, a better option would be to buy followers. Ensure that you get followers from your target geographical region. For instance, if your business operates in London, buy Instagram followers from the UK, not other countries. Such targeting is key to reaching the appropriate audience. Make sure you use a trusted site for this too.
You can then look for ways to retain your followers and attract others. Below are some tips for your consideration:
- Create and host contests and challenges and reward winners with your products.
- Take advantage of Instagram Stories daily.
- Pin your best comments.
- Hold Instagram live sessions with fans.
- Hire influencers.
2. Failure To Optimize Your Bio
Your bio on Instagram tells your followers more about your business. When you fail to set up your bio, your followers won’t have any information regarding your brand or the products you sell. Therefore, it’s important to add some information to your bio so users visiting your page have an idea of what your business is all about.
See to it that you keep the information simple. Using heavy words may be a turn-off to your customers, so you should go with simple words and give your followers a call to action to keep them involved.
Most importantly, link your business account to your website. This will lead to more traffic to your website and higher sales.
3. Wrong Use Of Hashtags
Potential customers usually use hashtags to get what they’re looking for. With the right hashtags on your posts, other users will be able to discover your page quickly.
By default, Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post. But that’s too much. You don’t have to use all of them. 5 to 11 hashtags or even less will get the job done.
The more relevant hashtags you use on your posts, the better your chances for effective engagement with your followers. Straight-to-the-point tags will direct potential customers to your profile. Some of the best hashtags include #fashion, #art, #love, and #photography.
4. Irrelevant Content
Once you go off the mark on content, you’ll have lost it all. Content in online marketing compares to the location of your business in real-time. What you put out there is what your consumers will take your business for; hence, how you bring out the content to your followers matters.
Quality content maintains the value of your brand. To do so, you need to make your content exciting and interesting. You’ll win more likes, comments, shares, and downloads with captivating content. A following trend is a reliable approach to posting great content. For example, on Throwback Thursdays, you can offer your audience a peek at your business’ history.
Additionally, use reels and Insta-stories to make your content more engaging. Visuals are equally important in helping you stand out.
5. Poor Images
The use of low-quality images leaves a bad impression on your followers. If you think your photos aren’t good enough, don’t post them.
High-profile pictures of your products say a lot to your audience. If your target audience finds your account uninspiring, they’ll have no confidence in your brand and products.
So, before posting, check whether your pictures look striking. Steer clear of overexposed photos which are too bright. When photos are too vivid, details of the image go missing. So, your photos should be bright enough.
Don’t be afraid to play around with different backgrounds. You can use free online photo editing tools to polish your photos for the best results.
Conclusion
Advertising your business on Instagram is a sure-fire way to increase brand visibility, generate more sales, and raise more profit. However, it’s crucial to follow best practices so that your marketing campaigns will be successful. Knowing major mistakes to avoid when promoting your business on the platform is just as helpful and vital.
Check out: How To Make A Successful Instagram Profile For Your Business