Instagram is all about visuals, and let’s face it, images and videos are the most fun to look at when scrolling through any social media platform. This is why Instagram is one of my personal favorites. It gives brands the opportunity to showcase their products and services in unique ways, and most importantly, allows businesses to have fun with online marketing.
So, maybe you have dabbled in using Instagram to promote your brand, maybe you’re an Instagram expert, or maybe you don’t yet have a company Instagram account quite yet. No matter how familiar you are with the platform, there are some incredible features on Instagram that you should be using to grow your business that you may have never heard of before. These features can help you increase customer engagement, gain new customers, boost sales, and give you some insight into what may or may not be working when it comes to your products and services.
Well, what are you waiting for? Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Here are 5 Instagram features you should be using to grow your business:
Engage, Enlighten, Encourage and especially… just be yourself! Social media is a community effort, everyone is an asset.
1. Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are the bread and butter for companies who use Instagram to promote their brand. They are an easy and effective way to interact with your followers and keeps your brand in the mind of your customers. Your followers will be able to see that you posted a new story on your page, which they can then instantly view. Stories are visible for 24 hours and then disappear forever.
This feature can be used to share basically anything fun, exciting, or useful that you want to share with your followers. You can post one image or video on your story, or you can post a collection of images and videos on your story. If you’re feeling extra creative, you can even use stickers, polls, location tags, filters, and gifs on your story. The possibilities are endless!
2. Live Videos
One of the best ways to interact with your audience is by using Instagram Live. There are so many unique ideas that you can incorporate into your live videos that will significantly increase your overall customer engagement.
Instagram Live allows you to livestream your surroundings while receiving questions, comments, and reactions from your customers simultaneously. Some fun ideas you can try out with your own brand include livestreaming fun company events, doing a behind-the-scenes tour of your office, or holding a live Q&A session where your customers can ask questions about your products/services and then answer their questions in real-time.
3. Instagram Shopping
If your company has products to sell, this feature may just become one of your new favorites. Instagram Shopping can help you get your products noticed, which in turn can increase your online sales.
Whenever you create an Instagram post that features your products, you can tag each product with the product name, description, and price. Customers can then tap on any products that they’re interested in, see all the details, and be directed right to your website, where they can then purchase that product.
You can also use the product tagging feature in your Instagram stories by using product shopping stickers. Place a sticker on your Instagram story with the product’s name and change the color of the text however you’d like. Potential customers can then click on the sticker to find out more information!
4. Countdowns
Have an upcoming event or product launch? You’re going to love using countdowns for your brand. Using a countdown on an Instagram story allows your followers to stay up to date with any new products or services you may be releasing in the near future, and reminds them when that release day is.
Simply place the countdown on any of your Instagram stories, choose the date of your launch or event, and write a short title that describes what the countdown is for. Your customers can then tap on the countdown and set a reminder that will pop up on their mobile devices the day of your event!
This feature is especially useful if you have a product launch considering that your customers will be eager to purchase your brand new products.
5. IGTV
One of the newest features on Instagram, IGTV (Instagram TV) allows companies to upload videos that are up to one hour long. IGTV can be an extremely powerful tool for your company to use, once you know how to use it effectively.
Unlike Instagram Live videos and Instagram Stories, videos uploaded to the IGTV section of your Instagram page will stay forever. These videos are typically informational and can be used as a resource for your customers to revisit whenever needed. Some good examples of videos that you may upload to IGTV include:
- Tutorials on how to use your products
- Answers to commonly asked questions about your products/services
- Vlogs
- Interviews with professionals in your industry
- Testimonials from customers
- Webinars
Instagram is about having fun, interacting with your customers, and showing the world your brand is all about. No matter if you’ve tried using these features in the past or are looking to incorporate them in the near future, always remember to post content that is authentic to your business, not content that you think people want to see.
Will you be incorporating any of these features into your company’s Instagram? What are some of your favorite features to use?
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