How to master Instagram marketing

Instagram, owned by Facebook, is arguably the world’s most popular social media channel. Millions of people post all sorts of content on a daily basis, in hopes that their followers will like what they put up. When it comes to marketing a business on Instagram, the rules change a bit. Instagrammers are wise, and can instantly tell when someone is trying to sell to them. Let’s take a look at how to attract Instagram followers and new leads by getting your Instagram business account in tip-top shape:

Get your branding on point

Does your Instagram account feature the same business logo that you’ve been using since you opened in 2007? The first step to rocking Instagram marketing is to get a good-looking brand together. This includes your profile picture and your cover image. Remember: your logo should already be in your profile picture, so it doesn’t have to be on your cover image. Also, make sure that other branding elements are present, like your contact information, website address, etc.

Get to know your audience

Another good question to ask yourself before launching head-first into an Instagram marketing campaign is this: who am I attempting to target with my marketing content? Target is such an ugly word, so we’re going to rephrase it. Who will have their life changed by my product/service? By building a comprehensive persona of the ideal person (or people) you’re hoping to attract through Instagram, you’ll get a better idea of what they’d want to see – which should influence your content choices.

Get to know your fellow ‘grammers

Now that you have an inkling of who you’re talking to, you should get to know who else is vying for their attention. Who are your fellow industry players that market themselves on Instagram? See how they’ve constructed their profile, and what sort of content they’re putting out there. Are they getting the type of engagement that you want? Then they’re obviously doing something right that you aren’t. Also, reaching out to fellow industry professionals opens up doors for marketing collaboration.

Bio, photos, and stories

Finally, you should have a look at the content you’re planning to (or already are) posting. Instagram is all about visual appeal, and photographs that aren’t good-looking are destined to be scrolled over. Avoid smothering your Instagram photos with logos and ‘salesy’ text. In fact, your Instagram photos don’t need text at all. Next is Stories, which is something Facebook has also recently introduced. These are sharable across both platforms (Facebook and Instagram), which means you can easily integrate marketing campaigns between the two.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

Are you a social media mastermind? Got a knack for posting stuff that gets everyone talking? Have a look at the Social Media Marketing course from DSM! We’re also able to offer a wide range of other digital marketing qualifications in South Africa, so contact us soon to find your next career kick-starter.