This is a complete Instagram marketing guide. We will share our insights on what works well, what doesn’t, and the basics of Instagram. We will then go into more detail on Instagram Ads, making money on Instagram, and more.
About Instagram
Instagram Facts
- In 2020, Instagram was the fifth most popular download on the Apple App Store.
- In 2020, Instagram generated $20 billion in ad revenue.
- In October 2020, the total number of Instagram users was estimated at 1.16 billion active users.
- Instagram has 500 million daily active users.
Stats On Instagram
- Users spend an average of 30 minutes per day on Instagram.
- 81% of people use Instagram to research products and services.
- 500 million people use stories daily.
What Is Instagram?
Instagram is a social media platform where its users can share videos and photos with their followers. The app is free and its main function is for sharing pictures, originally its popularity came from its picture editing functionality.
Instagram Features
Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories allows users to post a photo/video into one story. This feature works in the same way as Snapchat stories, they disappear after 24 hours of posting. They are not posted to the user’s feed but to the Stories tab that is on the top of the Instagram app. It is a great way to share insights during the day rather than posting on your feed.
Instagram Questions
Instagram Questions is a feature within the stories feature. The user can post a question and their followers can reply with a message. The answers are not anonymous. The user can then post a reply on their story and reply with a video or text. It’s a great way to interact with your followers.
Instagram Polls
Instagram Polls is another feature on Instagram Stories and a great way to get feedback from your followers. Users can post a question and two answers. Followers will then choose an option and the results can be seen both by the user and the follower. For example, if you had two products and you wanted to see which your followers like more then it’s a good way to gauge it. Polls have a higher engagement rate than most of the features on Instagram.
Instagram Direct
Instagram Direct is a way to share posts, videos, reels, and more with a single person or small group of up to 15 people. You can access these messages via the inbox in the top right-hand corner.
Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels are very similar to TikToks they are short-formed videos that can be shared. Reels can be viewed in a separate tab if you want to browse reels suggested for you. They have not caught on as well as TikToks but it is growing. Many users record a TikTok and then use that video for an Instagram Reel.
Instagram Live
Instagram has a live video option that allows you to share content in real-time. To start a live video stream simply open the Instagram camera, swipe to the Live setting, and click to button to start a Live Video.
When you start the live video any followers that are currently on the app will receive a notification that you’re live. Live viewers can comment on the video. Live video should be used rarely to showcase real-time content or encaging content such as Q&As or product reveals.
Creating a Reel
Creating a reel is easy, simple, and does not take long to create. These are 4 easy steps to creating your very first reel:
Step 1: Open the Instagram Camera and find reels
Reels is located at the bottom of the Instagram Camera. Here you will also find posts and stories.
Step 2: Choose length and tools
Select the length of your reel which can be 15 or 30 seconds. You can also choose some creative tools like Effects and Timer to create a better reel.
Step 3: Record your first reel
Record the reel by tapping on the circle shutter. To stop the recording you simply tap the button again. Reels can be recorded in a series of clips or all together in one clip. If you have recorded a video already you can upload this to reels from your gallery. After recording, you can watch the video back and trim or delete sections you don’t like.
Step 4: Publish the reel
Choose your cover image, add a caption, hashtags, and tag other accounts if you would like. If you have your account on public then you have the chance to be discovered by the Instagram Community. It’s as simple as that.
Building An Instagram Marketing Strategy
- Set Your Goals
- Set Your Instagram Target Audience
- Conduct Competitive Research
- Create an Editorial Calendar
- Build a Consistent Brand
- Grow Your Followers
A lot of businesses set up social media due to pressure to have an online presence. They often forget about strategy. Instagram is different from every other social media and requires a unique marketing strategy. This is key to your success on Instagram.
- Set Your Goals
Before you begin posting on Instagram you have to reflect on why you are on Instagram. You should have a reason, for example, is it to drive traffic to your website? is it make more sales? It’s something you should know before you begin growing your profile.
Maybe you’re a college graduate who wants to share a portfolio of content so your followers can see your work. Whatever the reason is making sure to define your goals when starting. You can also have multiple goals but make them relatable.
- Set Your Instagram Target Audience
Set out your target audience before you begin marketing on Instagram. Big factors to consider are age, location, gender, interests, and more. If you don’t know where to start then a good place to begin is looking at competitors. Check what their followers are like and their interests as these are the type of followers you want.
- Conduct Competitive Research
Find competitors and see what they are posting. Start reviewing their profiles. See what type of posts are yielding the highest engagement, what hashtags they use, what their caption format is, how much they post, and the rate at which they’re growing. This information can help you grow your account.
Take notes of anything that you find is important. Also, identify unique content ideas that others have not covered and this can help you stand out.
- Create an Editorial Calendar
Create a calendar and fill it with some Instagram posts and plan out each caption, hashtags, and posting times in advance.
It’s a good way to get ahead of the curve and a great place to record any key events on your Instagram. This calendar could also be used to then schedule posts with many apps and websites offering this feature.
- Build a Consistent Brand
It is key to create consistent content to maintain a brand aesthetic. If you start creating a different style of content that confuses your audience they may unfollow you and harm your profile.
What are your brand values? Are you a fun brand or a brand that wants to inform and be serious? This will all help you know what theme/ aesthetic to take on your profile.
- Grow Your Followers
It can take a lot of time and energy to grow your Instagram account. It may be frustrating to see you’re not growing at the start but with great content and keeping consistent you will grow with time. We would also advise against paying for followers as this is doing nothing for your engagement and Instagram will more than likely delete them.
Starting it is important to have a username that is searchable and can be recognized. Fill out your bio with information about your business. Once you have your profile set up then start posting. It’s good to post a lot of content at the start so potential followers will not see an empty feed.
Start following accounts that you’re interested in and related to your business. Interact with accounts you follow. This is a great way to draw attention to your account. If your followers comment then always comment back and engage with their content.
Create An Instagram Business Account
Here are a few easy steps to create an Instagram Business Account. If you don’t have a business Facebook account set up already then you won’t be able to complete the steps or get the most out of your Instagram business account. If you already have a Facebook business page then no worries just follow these steps.
- Create an account
- Set up a basic profile
- Pick profile photo
- Complete your profile
- The business part
- Link your Facebook business page
- Start posting
- Create an account
This is the easiest part using your business email address and not your personal email address as this Instagram account is for your business.
- Set up a basic profile
Next, you’ll do the usual steps of signing up. You’ll need a username and password. The username of course should be linked to your business and be easily searchable.
- Pick profile photo
Your profile picture should be something related to your business such as a logo. It is a business page so it must not be anything personal and it should reflect on the brand. Once you have uploaded your photo you will progress to the next step.
- Complete your profile
Here you will fill out your bio and contact information. You can also input your website URL for people to click on if they visit your page. This stage should be about making your Instagram profile all about your brand and promoting it.
- The Business Part
Tap on “Try Instagram For Business Tools” and follow the instructions to complete your profile.
- Link your Facebook business page
Now we’re on to the important stuff. Remember we said that you need a Facebook business page? Well, this is why. Instagram will ask you to link your Facebook business page or to create a new one. Facebook acquired Instagram a few years ago so there is integration between the two platforms.
- Start Posting
This is the fun part. Now that you’re all set up you can start creating and posting on your profile. Enjoy.
Instagram Ads
What are Instagram Ads?
Instagram ads are posts that businesses pay for Instagram users to view. Similar to ads on Facebook the ads appear throughout the app in areas such as user’ feeds, Stories, Explore, and more. They look just like normal posts but contain a “sponsored” label. They also include links, Call to action buttons, and product catalogs. Instagram Ads are of course an important part of this marketing guide for businesses who want to reach a bigger audience than their follower base.
How much do they cost?
The cost of Instagram ads is highly dependent on a range of factors. There is no benchmark price. Some cost factors involved include:
- Your targeting
- Competitiveness in your industry
- Time of year
- Placement
The best way to choose prices is to set up a draft ads campaign in Ads Manager. In here look for Audience Definition and Estimated Daily Results modules. This will then tell you if your budget settings will be enough to reach your desired audience.
There is no real best way to spend. You could start spending a few euros a day and see how they do. Then you can scale up from there. You can also set up daily budgets or lifetime spending limits.
Type of Instagram Ads
There are many different types of advertising formats for Instagram, which include:
- Image Ads
- Video Ads
- Stories Ads
- Carousel Ads
- Collection Ads
- Explore Ads
- IGTV Ads
- Shopping Ads
- Reels Ads
The different type of formats has its selection of call-to-action buttons. Depending on what you want choose the type of ad format that will suit what you want to advertise.
Create an Amazing Instagram Post
Of course, there’s no such thing as a perfect Instagram post but here are some tips to improve your content and profile over time. We have listed the tips below.
Captions
- When writing a caption for Instagram include the most important stuff first as that’s what people will see. The text gets cut off after a few lines. If you end up short on space then leave hashtags till the end.
- Using emojis can a uniqueness to the post. Even serious brands are using them and it works well for them for people to see a fun side to a serious brand.
- Use humor if you can. If it fits in your brand then don’t hesitate to make a funny post.
- Include a call to action. Encourage your followers to take actions such as to comment or like the photo.
Hashtags
- Don’t use too many hashtags. There is no definitive number you should use but make them relevant. When users post with 30 hashtags it can be distracting and look like spam. People tend to trust these accounts less.
- Use niche hashtags. Using more specific hashtags is more likely to get engagement. For example, in our Instagram posts, we use hashtags like #digitalmarketing and #socialmedia. They are related to our brand and target the users that we want following us.
Images
At the end of this, your post is nothing without good imagery. The popularity of your post will depend on the quality of your image.
- Rule of Thirds. This is a rule in photography where you divide the photo into a 3 X 3 grid. After this, you position the subject within the center square where the lines intersect.
- Use natural light. Overexposed photos stand out and look awful. Make sure your photo is well lit to capture a great photo.
Make Money On Instagram
In this marketing guide, we know that users will want to start making money from their Instagram profiles. There are several ways to make money on Instagram which we will discuss. This all depends on your brand, commitment, and more.
- Open Your Own eCommerce Store
- Create an Instagram Shop
- Become an affiliate
- Open Your Own eCommerce Store
A lot of creators and brands are now setting up their own eCommerce stores. They sell a range of physical goods, services, and digital items. If you have gained a big fanbase then they would love to support you and purchase your product.
Some ways to sell merch is:
- You can use a service that print and ship custom made t-shirts, mugs, posters and more.
- You can leave a link to a website where you sell services like photography or consultation.
- You can sell online products such as course, guides and books.
2. Create an Instagram Shop
Instagram has released a lot of new features recently aimed at selling products on the social media platform. This marketplace is now known as Instagram Shopping. You may have seen this before when you visited a profile and they had products for sale on the app. Just like any online store, there’s a description of the product, pricing, and more. Buyers can then be rerouted to your website to complete the purchase or buy through Instagram checkout.
3. Become an Affiliate
An affiliate is not just an influencer and an affiliate is making sales for the partner brand and not just generating awareness of the brand. This is done with the use of a promo code or trackable link, we’ve all seen these links from our favorite celebrities. To do this you can put links in a story where users have to swipe up or more popularly affiliates put a code on their post or story.
There are also online sites where you can become an affiliate to make more money on Instagram. One of these is Amazon Associates. They are a popular option that pays out a 10% commission. They have a catalogue of products to share with your followers that can make you money.
Now you have the knowledge to get started on Instagram, enjoy the journey and let the creativity blossom.
