Hey friends! Instagram can be a tricky social media platform to tackle as a business owner and/or blogger, and it is admittedly my fave platform so I'm here to help you out. A few years back when I had to drop my blogging dramatically, Instagram really became my go-to and I've been hooked ever since, even through all the changes.
I promise you though......when all the pieces come together, it's really quite simple.
1. Make The Process of Working with You EASY.
I have worked with many businesses and bloggers who focus SO MUCH on what their Instagram feeds looks like, that they neglect the next steps for a potential client. I love sharing how I found my current hairstylist through Instagram because after I saw her pretty work, I wanted to move forward with booking her for a hair consultation. She had a clear call to action in her profile (i.e. click below for our services and schedule) and a link to get the ball rolling on an appt. I LOVE HER, and I'm so happy I found her through Instagram. Make the process as easy as possible. Answers frequent questions so your potential customer doesn't have to, or worse, just leaves.
2. Speaking of Being Found, you guessed it........HASHTAGS ARE HUGE!
Love 'em or hate 'em, I don't thing they are going away anytime soon. You are currently able to attach 30 hashtags to your photo or video on Instagram and this is a huge part of Instagram strategy. It's a brilliant way to categorize your work, connect with your ideal client or blog follower, be found through the search feature, etc.
With that said, I don't believe it to be the best advice to use all popular hashtags, because the goal for your business is likely to be profitable and not popular. It's unreal the number of people that are popular on Instagram that don't make nearly as much income as a business on Instagram that is purposeful, well connected, and intentional about what they are putting out there!
Here's a bit of homework for you.
Set some time aside to create 3-5 blocks of 30 hashtags that are a mix of a few different elements to save on your phone, mobile device, or laptop. This will save you HOURS of time in the long run! It’s important to mix up the hashtags you use and share a variety. Some examples include:
- Broad topics (i.e. #interiordesign)
- Focused topics (i.e. #plankedwall)
- Hashtags conveying brand values (i.e. #familyfirst)
- Hashtags relating to customer pain points or needs (i.e. #seattleinteriordesigner)
- As well as avoid banned hashtags (some are obvious, some are not - Google it folks).
3. Start From the End and Work Backwards, then Focus on Optimizing Your Post Time.
This should go without saying, but so many well intentioned business owners and bloggers get so sucked into numbers, and likes, follows, comments, shares, etc. Those elements all have there place, but they are not the end goal. I'm guessing it's your goal to make a profit along the way while inspiring, encouraging, entertaining, educating, etc.
Once you know your end goals and work backwards, take all the elements you know about hashtags, great captions, call to actions, etc. and use an app/service like Iconosquare to post at an optimized time. The fee for a Pro account is nominal and dare I say essential, because posting once a day at an optimized time is a way better use of your time than posting 2-3 times a day when no one will ever see what you post.
If you're looking for some more in depth tips for Instagram, I created an easy to implement 10+ page PDF to help you out. Click below to grab yours now!
I hope these tips help you be more efficient and productive when it comes to using Instagram for your business or blog.
Speaking of, I'd love to have you follow along on my Instagram accounts if they look like the kind of thing you're into!
Click on any photo below to follow along!
From the beach,
Anneke
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