Should you open an Instagram Account for your Business?

Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. Who would have thought that looking at pictures of other people could be so addictive? Welcome to the world of Instagram! Instagram is only nine years old but this platform already has 1 billion users and 500 million of these users use the platform every day. Only Facebook and YouTube have more people logging in! And on average, people spend more than 32 minutes per day on Instagram.

However, people still seem to be divided on whether certain businesses should have Instagram accounts. For example, a company that sells luxury handbags or provides travel services will have an abundance of beautiful images to share while an accounting firm might not be so successful. After all, Instagram is all about the visuals.

So, the million-dollar question is, “Should you open an Instagram account for your business?” Here are some of the pros and cons.

Instagram for business

Why you should

Instagram is the fastest-growing social media platform and has a massive audience you can create campaigns for. According to recent stats, 500 million people access the app on a daily basis.

It’s a great place to advertise products (and certain services). According to Instagram, 60% of people discover new products on the platform, and over 200 million users visit at least one business profile per day. That’s a lot of eyes on your business!

Instagram’s advertising algorithm is also much friendlier to businesses than other platforms’ algorithms. Instagram is an organic platform which allows you to reach more people without having to pay for it.

To showcase your beautiful (and we mean beautiful) products or services, Instagram is the perfect platform to show instead of telling people why they should buy from you. Think of posting exciting product features or details, and happy people using your product or service.

Instagrammers are more likely to buy than non-Instagrammers. They are more engaged than users on other platforms. Research shows that Instagrammers are 70% more likely to buy online than non-Instagrammers.

Why you shouldn’t

If you don’t have a business, product or service that is visually exciting, then Instagram might be a waste of time for your company.

Also, if your business isn’t very active on social media, Instagram might not be the right option for you. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to post ALL the time, but you must consider that if you aren’t posting, Instagrammers won’t be able to find you. Remember that social media only works if you’re consistent on it. Even if you post once a week, this is fine as long as you consistently post once a week. An inactive social media profile will give people the impression that your business no longer exists.

Lastly, if you are joining Instagram for the sake of joining without a proper plan or strategy – rather don’t. Instagram offers a world of opportunity for the right business, but you must put some real effort in. All types of digital marketing – and this includes social media marketing – require a plan. If you don’t have this and are just posting just for the sake of it you’ll end up spending a lot of time and not accomplishing much.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

The social media marketing trend is growing, and organisations, companies, small businesses and sole proprietors need to have a solid understanding of how to market and grow their brands on social channels.

As such they need solid social media strategy training. Whether you want to break into the world of social media marketing or want to boost your career with an accredited social media certificate this course is for you! The Social Media Marketing Course from the Digital School of Marketing will enable you to grow your brand strategically on any social channel, increase customer engagement and correctly target those who matter most.