The verdict is in: Instagram is the fastest growing social network out there today. Between July 2013 and January 2014, Instagram successfully increased its active user base by a whopping 23% (don’t believe us? Here’s proof!). If you’re a new user (or *gasp* still don’t have an account), you’re probably wondering how you can leverage the site to build your business – without spending hours a day uploading and hashtagging your pics. Well, you’re in luck! Here are our 5 tips for getting started with Instagram.
1. Give your own profile some TLC
Chances are when another Instagram user wants to know more about you, they will click on your profile to read your bio and check out your profile picture. Make sure to complete this section so others can easily find out who you are, what you look like, and what you do! Failing to complete your bio, or worse, using a photo of something or someone that isn’t you is a BIG no-no!
Helpful tip: When filling out your bio, you will notice a text box that says “website,” where you can include a link to your portal. Should you? We think so, because other than this section on your profile, this is the only place on Instagram that you can post a clickable website address. This means that when you post a link in the caption of a pic, it’s not going to work – period. Take advantage of this feature and link directly to your portal.
2. Share pics and interact with others often
Just like with any other social network, the key to building a solid network and following is being consistent. Post photos and videos frequently and interact with those you follow and who follow you. If someone comments on one of your photos, comment back to them. Don’t leave ‘em hanging! The more active you are on Instagram, the more likely you are to gain new followers and build a network composed of potential customers and business prospects!
3. Share your personal and professional story with the world
Even if you’re using Instagram to build your business, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with it! Other users are more likely to follow and engage with you if you post content that tells a story about who you are – personally and professionally.
Helpful tip: A few examples of business-related photos to post (that aren’t yawn-inducing):
Share a before-and-after photo of a makeover you gave a bride and bridal party using Motives®.
Re-post a business partner’s photo of the UBP you hosted the night before
Snap a selfie showing you working from home during a blizzard
Share a pic of the Choice Energy Bars you brought along with you on your hike
4. What’s this photo about? Tell ‘em in the caption!
Don’t forget to include a short caption with your photo. Posting a caption is crucial, because there is nothing more boring, confusing, and downright strange about a photo with no description! Go a step further by including relevant hashtags (see #4 for more tips) or mentions in your caption. Adding hashtags to photos makes it easier for users who are searching for that keyword or phrase to find your photo, and mentions (i.e. @username) are similar to tagging someone in your status on Facebook. How so? Mentioning someone in a caption sends them a notification that you a) posted a photo of them, or b) that you posted a photo you would like them to see or comment on.
5. Use hashtags, but don’t go overboard, please!
Like we mentioned in #4, hashtags are an essential component of a photo caption. But wait! That doesn’t mean you should go overboard with them. The magic number for hashtags is somewhere between 3 and 7, and depends on the subject matter of the photo. Use your judgment!
When tagging your pics, it’s important to only use hashtags that are relevant. Seems like a no brainer, but once you become accustom to using Instagram, you will notice other users tagging their pictures with irrelevant hashtags just so they show up in top search results. For example, someone might post a photo of their family at the beach, but rather than including relevant hashtags like #beach or #familyvacation, they’ll also include #girl, #shopping, and #fashion in their caption. Including totally irrelevant hashtags makes your photos look super spam-y, and it’s not beneficial to building your network in the long run.
Tip: Tag your Market America – related photos with #IHeartMA, our official hashtag! Each week, we choose our favorite #IHeartMA photo to post on the Market America social media channels as our #IHeartMA Pick of the Week. If you want to see your pics front and center on our pages, make sure to tag them with our hashtag!
These are our 5 tips for making the most of Instagram, but we want to hear what yours are! Post them in the comment section below, and we might share them in an upcoming Social Media Monday feature on our blog!