Instagram for small business

An Instagram Business Page, also known as an Instagram Business Account, is a type of Instagram account specifically designed for businesses and brands. It offers additional features and tools compared to a personal Instagram account, making it easier for businesses to promote themselves, engage with their audience, and analyze their performance. Here are some key features and benefits of an Instagram Business Page: 

Creating an Instagram Business Page is a smart choice for businesses looking to establish a strong presence on the platform, promote their products or services, engage with their audience, and access valuable insights and advertising options. It's important to note that businesses can convert an existing personal account into a Business Page or create a new one specifically for their business needs.

Why Your Small Business Needs Instagram

Social media's necessity is no secret, and Instagram is one of the best social media accounts for businesses. According to Instagram, 90% of its more than 1 billion users follow a company.

Creating an Instagram for your small business can help elevate your company in myriad ways, including:

• Conversion
• Engagement
• Increasing website traffic
• Branding
• Personalization
• Content creation
• Advertising
• Building trust
• Sharing announcements and updates
• Customer connection
• Gathering feedback
• Showing off creativity

Not having an Instagram presence is a way to stand out, albeit negatively. Customers expect brands to have social media accounts, which can hurt your company if you don't.

Retail TouchPoints reports 72% of Instagram users make purchase choices based on the content they saw on the platform. Instagram says 60% of its users find new products on the application.

Furthermore, Instagram supports small businesses, and it encourages its users to do the same. The platform makes it easy to use Instagram for small businesses with a suite of Instagram business tools.

Benefits of building Instagram business account

1. Contact Information: Business Pages can display contact information such as a phone number, email address, and physical address, making it easier for customers to get in touch with the business.
2. Instagram Insights: Business Pages have access to Instagram Insights, which provides valuable analytics data about the account's performance. This includes information about follower demographics, post engagement, and more.
3. Promoted Posts: Business Pages can promote their posts as ads to reach a wider and more targeted audience. This feature is especially useful for advertising products or services.
4. Instagram Shopping: E-commerce businesses can use Instagram Shopping to tag products in their posts and Stories, allowing users to click on the tags and make purchases directly through the app.
5. Call-to-Action Buttons: Business Pages can add action buttons to their profiles, such as "Call Now," "Email," and "Directions," making it easier for users to take specific actions.
6. Category Selection: Businesses can choose a specific category that best describes their products or services, helping users find them more easily.
7. Professional Profile: Instagram Business Pages have a more professional look with a "Contact" button and category information displayed prominently on the profile.
8. Access to Ads Manager: Business Pages can access Facebook's Ads Manager, which allows for more advanced and detailed ad campaign management and targeting options.
9. Verification: In some cases, businesses can apply for Instagram verification, which adds a blue checkmark badge to their profile, signifying authenticity and trustworthiness.
10. API Integration: Business Pages can integrate with various third-party tools and services, making it easier to manage and analyze their Instagram presence.
11. Scheduling Tools: Some scheduling tools and services are available for Business Pages, allowing businesses to plan and schedule their posts in advance.

How To Change Instagram to Business Account

• Go to your Instagram Settings and tap Account
• At the bottom of the screen, you'll see Switch to Professional Account in blue text
• Click continue to go through the prompts and learn more about the account
• Choose the category your company falls under
• Select Business account
• Look over your contact information
• Link a Facebook page to your account
• Finish setting up your profile

If, for whatever reason, you need to switch back to a personal account, you can do that under the account settings. 

Instagram Marketing Strategy

Now that you know how to create an Instagram for your small business, it's time to plan how to use it. A marketing strategy for Instagram guides your account and helps you figure out what to post.

As with any strategy, defining your goal is the best place to start. Instagram for small businesses can help you achieve any number of goals. Once you settle on the specific objectives, you can create your strategy.

Ideas for your Instagram marketing strategy include:

• Building a community by engaging your audience with thoughtful captions
• Giving your product more context with video tutorials
• Showing off your company's personality with unique posts
• Increasing conversions with shoppable posts
• Enhancing brand awareness with curated content

Defining your target audience is also an Instagram for business best practice.

Once you know who you're aiming to reach, you can tailor your content to fit that audience. Different social media platforms are better for particular audiences, so ensure your Instagram content is targeted at its key demographics.

Creating a social media calendar goes a long way, as well. It helps you plan out your posts and ensure you're posting consistently. Setting up a calendar can give you time to prepare for events, such as holidays and product launches.

Schedule frequent check-ins so you can update and adapt your strategy and content plan.

Content is one of the best ways to build your Instagram following. If you post quality content, it'll be easier to amass followers because they'll want to see what you share. It's an Instagram for business best practice to be thoughtful with the content you post.

There are various ideas for the types of content you could post that all depend on your brand and goals, such as:

• How-tos
• Behind the scenes
• Q&As
• Customer testimonials
• Giveaways and contests
• Product tutorials
• Sneak peeks
• User-generated content
• Announcements
• Trending topics

Instagram helps give your customers insight into your brand and tells them your personality, aesthetic, passions, and story.

Go beyond just promoting your product into what your brand represents. Red Bull and GoPro are two companies that have a physical product. But their Instagram pages capture adventure, adrenaline, and action.

Post what your audience cares about. If you run a business that sells rock climbing equipment, it's a good bet your customers care about rock climbing. You can share information about the sport, interviews with rock climbers, tips, stories, reviews, or even memes.

Don't despair if you think your business doesn't lend easily to content. There are still plenty of ways to take advantage. You can post customer testimonials, interviews, graphics, quotes, or animations that always capture the essence of your company and brand. 

Cover photo: respond.io