One of the main benefits of Instagram that separates it from all other social media platforms is that it’s photo-centric by design. Unlike other social media sites, Instagram is comprised solely of photos and videos that can be accompanied with text, but text is not mandatory. This is helpful to your business because most people remember more of what they see than what they read or hear!
Research has shown that videos tend to outperform images on social media when it comes to engagement and results, but both videos and images outperform social media posts without either. This instantly gives Instagram the leg up on other social media platforms that don’t require one of the two to post successfully. Another advantage of a business account is the “Later” function which allows you to build a series of posts for the upcoming week and then schedule them to go live later at predetermined times so you can “set and forget” your posting schedule.
Having a photo- or video-centric platform allows your followers to remember your brand better and it makes them more likely to engage with your content, but there are some best practices that you can follow to maximize the role Instagram can have on your business including:
Instagram is a photo-sharing social media platform, so it's important to share visually pleasing content. Generic photos just won't cut it, so be sure to take photos and edit them carefully. To add a new photo, tap the camera button at the bottom of your screen. You can take a new photo or select one from your camera roll. On the next screen, there are multiple options to personalize your post. You can add a filter, tag other users, write a caption and add a location.
Instagram Stories is one of the channel's most popular features. These photos and videos disappear 24 hours after they're posted. Instagram offers many tools that make it easy to create engaging and creative stories. On Instagram Stories, you can post recorded videos, still photos, live videos, boomerangs (videos that loop back and forth), basic text, music and focused photos. You can also add stickers for polls, questions, or the Ask Me Anything feature, which is a fun way to answer common questions and promote your expertise.
Hashtags are a great way to help users find content on Instagram. Hashtags can include letters and numbers, but they can't contain any non-numerical characters. For example, #TiresAndWheels works as a hashtag, but #Tires&Wheels does not. Hashtags such as #nofilter (a photo that hasn't been heavily edited with filters), #selfie (a picture of yourself), and #tbt or #throwbackthursday (old photos) are popular on Instagram, but they may not work for you or your dealership’s brand. It's a good idea to look at other established brands (or even personal users and bloggers) in your industry for examples of what hashtags to use to be successful.
The company has been rolling out an in-app payment feature known as “Checkout on Instagram” that allows users to purchase items without ever leaving the post they are on. To do this, you need to create a product catalog and connect it to your account. Then you tag the product, similar to how you tag a person in a post. To create a shoppable post you must have a business account and you must sell physical goods that comply with Instagram's merchant agreement and commerce policies, but it essentially turns the social platform into another, user-friendly eCommerce site.
Bottom line: If you are not using Instagram to promote your business, enhance your brand, engage a new generation of customers, and sell products and services directly, you’re leaving money on the table!
Want to take your social media to the next level? With our new Instagram capabilities and multiple package options to fit your unique needs, our Social Media Master Tech is even more powerful than before. Contact your Account Manager or CLICK HERE to learn more about SMMT Plus.
Please click anywhere to continue browsing our site.