Instagram for business – What is it & why you should use it

As defined by Wikipedia, Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, and share them on a variety of social networking platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter

Instagram is not just for people wanting to take a perfect selfie. It is also a great tool for business.

Instagramers are shoppers – for example, they welcome ads, compared to other social media users on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Plus many people look up a brand on instagram and are influenced by what a brand does on instagram. So make sure you are creating content for instagram and reach out to your customers

Instgram can be a powerful sales tool. Lots of people are on instagram and by putting pictures of your products/services in front of them, you can help drive traffic & sales to your site. Instagram is a great tool to grow your brand awareness. For example, are you a florist? Take photos of the new flowers you have for sale that day. Do you manage a clothes shop? Post pictures of your outfit of the day or new collection, etc. Millions of people are on instagram, so don’t ignore them – try to get their attention – you’re competitors wills be.

Tips for using instagram for business:

Create use engagement – Engagement on instagram is often said to be 50 times better than other platforms such as twitter or Facebook. Also, the more you post, the faster you can grow.

Interact with other instagram users – like, comment, tag and mention them. Be apart of the conversation – not only will it help you get noticed and gain more followers, but by engaging with people you will build trust and gain more loyalty from your followers. For example, if you were to acknowledge one of your followers it could make their day—potentially making that person loyal to your brand.

Ask customers to show off their photos – e.g. of them using your product, etc. For example, restaurants can create an instargram hashtag displayed on their menus, and hopefully it will encourage customers to photograph their food – and encourage others to visit the restaurant. Can you do something that will result in your customers promoting your products/services.

Show off your products/services – People come to Instagram for visual inspiration, it allows captivating photos to take centre stage. Show them what you do and inspire them want what you offer e.g. do you run a travel website? Display pictures of beautiful resorts/hotels that customers can book through you. This is a great way to grow your brand awareness.

Create interest in your products – e.g. by showing how your product is made. Photograph the different stages involved with creating your product. For example, if you have a website for a coffeee shop then add pictures on your instagram account showing the journey of the coffee beans you serve.

Grow your email list – People can link to your website via instagram. By having attractive photos you can capture their email by promising them more content – if they visit your website and signup to your list. Use hashtags to get in front of people that are likely to be interested in your product.

Include a call to action in every post – don’t forget the old sales adage ‘Always Be Closing’ (ABC). Have a purpose behind every photo – make your efforts count. For example, encourage them to visit your website – maybe to a specific product page, or to sign up to your newsletter, etc.

Keenweb Hosting Instagram account: @keenweb

How to start on instagram

You will need a smartphone/tablet to start using instagram, since it’s sign-up is app based – download the instagram app, set up an account and choose your username. Then write a bio and start following people.

Begin by following people who are “influencers” in your industry, plus any customers you have who are already on instargam. Send out a newsletter to your email list (if you have one) which tells them you’re now on instragram and recommend they follow you.

Then start taking photos of your own and share other people – they may follow you back if they see you sharing their photos. Make sure your first 6 photos are really good – since when you’re trying to get followers they will review what you have uploaded so far.

Don’t share too many photos though. Think quality over quantity – and always keep in mind that instagram in primarily a mobile platform – which means most people will be viewing your photos on their smartphone i.e. a small screen.

Don’t Forget to Follow us on Instagram: @keenweb

Snapchat for your business!!

Do you know what Snapchat is? Do you know that thousands of businesses are using Snapchat to connect with their customers? If you answered no to either of these questions, then you are missing out. Snapchat is one of the fastest growing social media tools, even though it’s still fairly new. Snapchat offers fantastic opportunities for businesses. It is a great way to engage with your customers, so it’s an excellent marketing tool for you – so it’s worth checking out.

What is it?

Snap chat is a mobile app that lets you take photos, record videos, add text and drawings, and send them to a controlled list of recipients. These sent photographs and videos are known as “Snaps”.

Nearly 100 million “Snapchatters” use the app every day. It has 5+ Billion video views each day. With over 60% of people who use Snapchat daily, creating content every day – they are active and engaged on the platform.

User stats

Snapchat is the best way to reach 13 to 34 year olds – it especially appeals to a youthful audience. Its user base is particularly high in 18-24 year olds, with 45% of their users in this age range. When you compare this to other platforms users in this age range, you can see how much Snapchat appeals to a younger audience: Facebook 16% and Twitter 19%.

70% of Snapchat users are female (Source: Wall Street Journal). Many businesses, including fashion retailers know their customers are using it, so they are using Snapchat

Only 2% of businesses using social media to market their business are using Snapchat – so now is the perfect time to get your business involved, and build a user base on Snapchat. So far, most businesses have not caught on to the opportunities Snapchat will have.

Furthermore, only 1% of advertisers are currently using Snapchat (Source: Mashable). Be an early adopter – and don’t end up a Johnny come lately to the party in years to come. Now is the time to get involved.

Your business should be on Snapchat – take part and engage with this massive audience. In addition to your Snapchat you can also pay to advertise on it.

Snapchat introducing 3V Advertising!!

Benefits

Snapchat gives you access to a platform with over 100+ million users. Your customers and potential customers will be there – so make sure you are too. You and your business will have the opportunity to get in front of customers – which in the long run means more sales/leads for your business.

Snapchat gives people the chance to see what they normally wouldn’t. It helps you build a “know, like & trust” factor for your business, which means it will help your audience – and potential customers – to know you better, like you more, and trust you more, which will make them far more likely to buy from you.

One thing that puts some people off using Snapchat – especially creating content for it – is that once somebody clicks on your content e.g. picture, video, etc, it is only going to be available for a very short time period e.g. 24hours. However, you should look upon this as a positive – it means people have to keep on coming back to you if they want more content. They will need to check back regularly, on a daily basis if they want to always see what you’ve been doing. It creates a sense of urgency.

How to use Snapchat

Create valuable, worthwhile content for your Snapchat followers. Engage with them – develop a relationship with them. Be creative – make your snaps fun. Maybe run a competition for your Snapchat followers. Use your other platforms such as your blog, twitter, Youtube, Facebook accounts, etc and tell your followers there, that you are also on Snapchat and they should join you on the platform – this will help grow your followers.

Snapchat is a great way to portray the personality of your business – to share what you are interested in or what the mission of your company is. With Snapchat you have the opportunity to share your message, let people know what you are like and hopefully in time develop a loyal, engaged audience.

While providing images & videos of your products/services is good, it’s highly recommended that you show people behind the scenes of you business. Snapchat’s video function is particularly good for this – just like Snapchat’s images they self-destruct after they are viewed – but they give your follows an exclusive view inside your business – or tease them with a sneak peak at new products, designs, upcoming offers, competitions, etc.

Many Snapchat users will be taking photos of their lunch, at the gym, at the beach, etc – fun things, not serious business “snaps”. With this in mind, your Snapchat posts should be relaxed and fun. Snapchat is used for casual communication – so don’t act all serious – leave that mindset for LinkedIn.

If you want to see how other business people are using Snapchat, then sign up to the app and follow people such as Gary Vaynerchuck, Amy Schmittauer, Chris Ducker, JoesDaily, Casey Neistat, Mashable, Disney, Taco Bell, WWF, GirlsHBO, etc. See how they engage with their audience and learn from them.

Start snapping today – switch on your smartphone and download the Snapchat  app and sign up! Search & follow Keenweb if you do…