There are strategies for everything out there and the sheer volume of information about what your business should be doing can feel overwhelming. But if there’s one strategy you want to get right, it’s your social media marketing.

The real issue is finding a strategy that suits your business and getting it right. Everyone is familiar with social media platforms like Instagram and feels like they should know how to get it right, but it’s a subtle art and you’ll need some expert guidance in creating the right activities for you.

In this blog we’re taking a look at how to maximise your Instagram campaign and how to grow your business.

Audience

Your social media plan is probably going to be part of a larger digital strategy plan which will take into account, not only social media platforms but email campaigns and activities that place you higher up in the search engine optimisation rankings on websites like Google.

As part of that plan, you will have done a lot of work in identifying your customer base and it’s this set of data that is so crucial to your success.

You need to know your customer inside and out. Their age isn’t enough, you’ll also need the types of jobs they hold, where they shop for their groceries, leisure activities, marital status and so on. With specific regards to social media use, you’ll obviously need to know the platforms they use most, what time they generally access these platforms and where. 

So for example, if your customer is a 32-year-old woman who generally checks her Instagram account first thing in the morning as she commutes to work and then again on her way home, then you need to focus your activity around these imes and on this platform.

Choose Your Platforms

Targeted activity is the key here to success. If your customers are Instagram users then chances are you’re going to see a lot more growth in your customer engagement through this platform. There is very little point in creating a Twitter plan and carrying out activities just for the sake of it is costly and time consuming.

Instead think about a sustained and impactful campaign. Work on creating posts that speak to your customer’s beliefs, her interests and mimic the voice of some of the accounts she already follows. Find what makes her press follow and you’ll grab her interest.

While many small business owners believe that just having a presence on social media is enough, it goes deeper than just getting your name out there.

Strategists will tell you that you’re looking at building your relationship with the customer and that your call to action is every bit as important as the types of posts you’re writing. That’s why setting aside some money for advertising can also be a worthwhile investment.

What to Post?

The great thing about Instagram is the freedom you have to be visually creative. Whereas other platforms also have the capacity to post images, Instagram is made for more creative posting. But first you need to find your audience. You’ll need to put the work in researching hashtags that are used and read by your customers and using them in your posts to make sure they’re getting seen.

Think creative when it comes to hashtags. Type in #business and you’ll get millions of stories using that same hashtag, type in #wearecreatives and you start finding less competition for attention.

Think too about branding your business with a hashtag but make sure it’s unique to you and hasn’t been snapped up already, again you may need to think creatively if your name is similar to that of another company.

Don’t ignore the competition either. Take a look at what your nearest rivals are up to online to get a better sense of what it is you need to be doing in your campaign.

A social media strategy, particularly one on Instagram opens you up to be as creative as you want. It’s a platform that celebrates artistic imagery and clever hashtags. Don’t jump in with two feet but rather sit down with your team and plan a strategic three-month campaign that’s going to build your brand awareness, engage with your customer and ultimately lead them into buying your product or service.

Use your posts, use some advertising and get the recognition you need through a social media campaign that’s smart, creative and can’t fail when it comes to getting you noticed. Stay consistent and see your business grow with a little out-of-the-box thinking.

© New To HR