Introduction to Instagram
Have you heard of Instagram? I will be surprised if you have not, but no problem if you have not. That is one of the purposes of this website – for all of you newbies out there to learn how to become successful affiliate marketers and build a website.
Gone are those very early days where Instagram was just a cool idea inside the mind of a Stanford University student named Kevin Systrom. I recently read in an article in a tech magazine there are over 450 million users of Instagram. Instagram has quickly grown from a trendy iPhone app to a popular dominant social networking platform. Thanks to diminishing engagement and organic reach on Facebook, many more businesses and sole proprietors are looking to Instagram to reach their customers and gain more referrals. This includes us, solo business entrepreneurs. In this tutorial, I am going to share some valuable tips to maximize your Instagram marketing.
Instagram is the first social platform created specifically for mobile devices such as your cell phone. Thus, you do need a cell phone capable of downloading Instagram.
TIP 1
Know Your Demographic and Target Audience
Instagram has overtaken Facebook and Twitter as the network with the ever-increasing number of younger users. I say that because it is important to know who you are targeting to.
According to a recent tech survey, here are the statistics of those holding an Instagram account:
- 53% of 18 – 29 year old persons
- 25% of 30 – 49 year old persons
- After this age bracket, user numbers fall drastically.
Before setting up your website business on Instagram, make certain it is worth your time by ensuring your target market is active on the platform. For example, if your target audience is over age 50, then it may not be worth your time. If, however, your target audience is in their twenties, than yes, it might be worth your time. If your niche, for example, is helping retirees with their medical care, then I would not bother with Instagram.
TIP 2
Think Visually
Remember that Instagram is different than Facebook and has a different style to it. Try to think of spur of the moment visually appealing content. Unlike Facebook, where many users put only a blurb about what they are doing, with Instagram, you need to add value to your photograph you are taking. When posting to Instagram, ask yourself these questions:
- Does my photograph tell a story?
- Does my photograph provoke an emotion in people?
- Is it likely that someone will “share” my photograph?
- Does this show creativity?
For other ideas on how to engage people visually through social media, check out How to Create a Visual Social Media Marketing Plan.
TIP 3
Thank Your Followers
I know this may seem like common sense, but you might be surprised how often this is forgotten. Show your followers they are appreciated. Say “thank you for your support” and “thank you for checking out my picture, post, etc” and “Your support is appreciated!.”
Show Your Gratitude
Gratitude is the one of the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for. It all comes down to paying it forward.
TIP 4
Don’t Fret About Formalities
Keep it fun and playful and try to not worry about formalities. Stay in line with your branding image. Often times, you may hear people say “watch the humor” and yes this is true. We have all heard of the stories of how email communication and humor often do not mix well. Although true for email, however, when you are posting a photograph as long as it does not make fun of a particular group of people or is not offensive in any way, humor can be useful and goes a long way to engaging others more. Another point is do not worry about being “perfect” – do not be sloppy, but an occasional typo will not hurt your branding.
TIP 5
Look Good At a First Glance
Once you get started on Instagram, scroll through your last six or so entries and make sure you are looking good at the first glance. Often times people will “judge” – they will quickly scroll through the content and type of photos you are posting and if it looks good, they will follow you. If not, they will not follow you. First impressions can be lasting impressions. This can also go for our websites and other social media platforms.
I hope this post and brief tutorial has been helpful to you. Please leave comments or questions below and I will reply shortly.
