Instagram for business: how to use the social network professionally in your company

If you’re considering using Instagram for business, you’re probably making the right decision. The social network has over 1 billion monthly active users, with over 500 million active users daily. Stories alone receive over 400 million views and 95 million photos are posted daily.

Furthermore, engagement is higher than on other social networks. In the first quarter of 2020 alone, the total was 16 times higher than in the same period in 2019 and 28% higher than the likes, comments, and shares verified on Facebook.

All this data shows that using Instagram for your business is a good idea. However, the results may be below expectations if you don’t know how to use the social network most appropriately. You need to optimize your actions and act professionally. After all, there are many professional features on Instagram to explore. Depending on your company’s goals, it may be worth taking an  Instagram course to update yourself on the features and best practices of Instagram for business.

How can you reach this level? In this post, we will give you some tips to help you put these ideas into practice. Check it out!

Have an Instagram Business Profile

To improve the results obtained by brands, Instagram has launched its business version. It has more features and uses algorithms that can:

• Measure engagement and reach of published posts;
• Promote a post.

In addition to having access to these benefits, Instagram for business allows you to associate your profile with your Facebook fan page. You just need to have the latter registered as public.

More than that, make sure your profile information is optimized. It is essential to have:

• Appropriate username equivalent to other social networks;
• Self-explanatory description, including your link in the bio;
• Profile photo, preferably with the logo to help identify users.

Set goals for your business

The use of Instagram should be guided by specific objectives. These can vary depending on what your brand needs most at the moment. For example, this could be:

• More sales;
• Higher revenue;
• Increased interactions;
• More engagement.

In any case, you need to know where you want to go so you have a clear idea of ​​what to post and what campaigns to create. From there, it is essential to plan your posts. This way, you can schedule your posts and avoid missing the timing of an interesting strategy.

Create relevant content

Anyone who thinks that business content on Instagram is easy to implement is mistaken. Even though it is a social network, it requires attention and good structuring.

Here, different variables need to be considered :

• Frequency and best times for posting: this definition must be based on data, especially that collected by specialized tools;
• Topics to be addressed: must always generate value for the target audience;
• Style guidelines: what should be followed in the language and formats of posts, such as the use of hashtags, emojis, and more;
• Engagement: how your business will interact on Instagram. For example, whether comments will be responded to, whether customer photos will be liked, etc.

Remember that you must invest in diversified content.

In addition to static images, invest in videos. After all, a survey by E-marketer indicates that 78% of mobile data consumed in 2021 will be spent on videos. Therefore, invest in IGTV and place videos in the feed, Stories, and the Close Friends tool.

Invest in Instagram Ads

Although organic strategies are the best for achieving effective results in the long term, it is important to combine them with sponsored ads. They provide faster returns and help close more sales in the short term.

On Instagram Ads, you have 5 main ad options:

• In photo;
• In videos up to 60 seconds long;
• No Stories;
• In carousel format, which allows you to see more than one photo or video in just one ad;
• Collectibles, favor the focus on a product or lifestyle through the integration of videos, images, or both formats.

Invest in Stories

Stories is a practical tool that can be used well on Instagram for businesses. It brings a good level of engagement and allows you to insert more than one content format.

Furthermore, data from Instagram Business itself indicates that 96% of marketing professionals in the United States want to continue using the tool in the next 6 months. One of the reasons is the fact that one-third of the most viewed posts in this format are from companies. Therefore, it is clear that there is interest.

Utilize o Close Friends

Within Stories, there is also the Best Friends feature. This tool allows you to create a unique list of followers who will receive exclusive content. This is a way to strengthen your relationship with them and generate even more engagement.

More than that, Close Friends can become a monetization solution. Just use the feature as a subscription tool and prove the value to your followers. The content you post depends on your area of ​​expertise.

For example, if it’s in the fashion industry, you can present behind-the-scenes footage of events, show first-hand glimpses of fashion weeks, offer different look tips, and more.

In turn, if your area of ​​expertise is investments, it is worth investing in tips on funds with the best profitability today, specific analyses of politics and economics, trading operations, and other content.

In any case, the goal of Close Friends is to go deeper into suggestions and offer truly valuable content, especially if you charge a subscription fee. By doing so, you have the chance to optimize the use of Instagram Business and generate more sales opportunities.

Use a social media management tool

With a complete social media management platform, you optimize several functions and obtain information about your target audience, such as:

• age range;
• peak Instagram access time;
• content that generated more engagement.

The best tools also allow you to schedule posts, optimize your description and bio link, facilitate lead capture, and generate automatic responses. All data is gathered in reports that allow you to understand where your strategy is bringing effective results and what can be improved.

Understand that optimizing the use of social media involves creating a well-established strategy and a complete platform with useful resources to manage your Instagram for business. If you choose the right tool, you can even work better with Close Friends and facilitate your monetization.

And you, do you want to know about a complete social media management tool? Visit the website and learn more about Bume. See what features are offered and how your company can achieve better results.

This article was written by Bume, a social media management, marketing, and sales platform. The company helps small and large businesses, freelancers, and influencers to monetize their content and boost results.