Instagram is the new player in the social networking world. The user base of this simple photo sharing application has exploded in recent times and has gained a lot of attention from social media marketers. It was originally created to allow Apple device users to add filters to images and to share them with other Instagram users. People immediately latched on to this product as it allowed them to transform photos to look like old acetate film based photos and Polaroids. It is now available on Android devices and currently boasts over 80 million registered users. If you could reach out to such a large market base, imagine the effect it would have on your business.
Businesses can improve brand awareness if they can effectively use this photo sharing platform. Instagram is like a social network where users can view, like and comment on images from other users. Social media giant- Facebook, recently acquired Instagram – making it the next big platform for businesses looking to improve their social media strategy. Instagram hashtags categorize public images under custom or user-defined tags. Hashtags make Instagram an excellent mobile marketing tool. Businesses can optimize their Instagram content by using proper hashtags that allow more users to view their content. Another useful tip to make more people view your content on Instagram is by growing Instagram likes. Having plenty of likes is a strong social signal that tells the Instagram algorithm to show your content to more users in their feeds, explore page, and hashtag page.
Use Instagram with Other Social Networks
Only images can be shared using Instagram and it is still a mobile app. Add Instagram photos to company profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and company blogs. The visual impact of Instagram images cannot be ignored. Businesses are advised to hire the services of a good copywriting agency to create image captions and company profiles on Instagram. Good captions and informative company bio will attract more visitors and your content will be shared more.
Encourage Employee Participation
The best way to improve Instagram content is to get your employees involved. Businesses should ask their employees to share relevant photos and hashtags. Encourage them to follow the company and to share photos on other social networks. Employees often come up with interesting and attractive content that can be shared. Extensive employee participation leads to better and more interesting content. Businesses should clearly define the type of pictures and captions that are allowed. Employee participation is a legitimate way of improving brand awareness and loyalty using Instagram. Good content writers can create exciting content to match employee generated images so that companies can share them on their websites and social network pages.
Generate Customized Instagram Hashtags
Popular hashtags on Instagram are not permanent. There is no tool to effectively monitor popular hashtags and keywords and these hashtags constantly change. Instead of using popular hashtags in the hopes of attracting visitors, businesses should create their own hashtags. Relevant hashtags will allow all your Instagram content to be grouped under relevant categories. Customers familiar with the brand will know exactly where to look for company related content. Employees can also post their images under company created hashtags. Once a person likes your image on Instagram, it is posted on their Facebook wall. If personalized hashtags are used, his/her friends can follow this image and view other business specific content on Instagram. These hashtags are an excellent way to check the fan base and potential customer base of a brand.