It's Never too late to get your Business onto Instagram

Instagram is one of the leading Social Media platforms in the world with over 2.9 billion visits to its website every month. Since the app started in 2010, it has evolved from a photo and video-sharing application to a powerful business tool. Many businesses and content creators around the world use Instagram for their content marketing efforts.

You can use the application for any kind of business - product-based or service-based. Small businesses can use the platform to share creative photography and videography of their product, while Service based businesses empower their audience through educative content. With Content playing a major role in marketing, businesses can leverage Instagram and grow their presence without any additional cost.

Getting Started

The first step is the most obvious - create an Instagram account and switch to Business Account. All you have to do is open the drop-down menu on the Top right of the screen and press ‘Settings’. Go into the ‘Account’ section and click on ‘Switch Account Type’. This menu will allow you to Switch to Business Account.

Once you have clicked on this option, you will be guided by Instagram to add more contact details and other customisations for your account, including connecting it to a Facebook Page. Switching to a business profile gives you access to lots of useful features like Analytics, additional Call-to-action buttons, and third-party integrations.

Now that your account is created, let’s get started on how to optimise your account for better reach.

How to Optimise your Profile?

1. Add keywords to your name

You can use SEO to your advantage by optimising your handle and profile name. If you have a specific niche and want to trend in a specific keyword, adding it to your name will increase your reach.

Let’s say you are a content writer like me, you would want to use the 30 characters available and add those keywords into your name. This can be a great way to improve your chances of appearing at the top when someone searches for your keyword.

2. Write a Clear and Catchy Bio

Your bio is one of the first things that your audience will read about you. So, make it catchy and relevant to the services you offer. Do not forget to add relevant and trending keywords within your bio so you can rank better.

Here’s an example of a perfume store. Notice all the places they have used niche-appropriate keywords like ‘perfume’ and ‘fragrance’ in the username and bio.

3. Website/Clickable URL - Linktree or website that is easy to navigate

As a business owner, your most important goal is to drive sales. Your Instagram profile is not only meant to educate or entertain your followers but to promote your brand and drive conversions.

The easiest way you could do this as a beginner would be by adding a Linktree. While websites may take time and expertise to set up, Linktrees are easy to set up and cost-effective. They are a simple and effective way to divert the audience to different links without the need to change the bio frequently.

4. Add Pronouns

When you are the face of your business ( but you don’t have your face on the profile ), it might get gender-ambiguous for your audience how to address you. So, if you’re an introverted business owner, the trick is to add a Pronoun and specify what they need to call you.

Also, with rising gender ambiguity, it’s always good to include pronouns that will appear next to your profile name.

5. Use relevant Call-to-Action Buttons

Another simple tool that can drive some traffic and conversion for your website is Call-to-Actions. You can either use the Action Buttons like ‘Order food’, ‘Book Now’, or ‘Reserve’ to integrate it with your website or you can write a strong Call to Action in the bio and direct them to your Linktree or website for further action.

6. Create Highlights

Right after your Bio, another important landscape you can make use of to instantly attract and engage your audience is the Highlights. Once you have posted stories on your account, you can create Highlights having covers synonymous with your brand colours.

Through highlights, you can express who you are, what you do, the services you offer, client testimonials and results. This is a great feature especially when you don’t have a website. Your highlights can act as a portfolio of your best work and by categorising them, you can take your audience through your journey.

What We’ve Seen So Far…

Setting up your Instagram profile is just the first step in launching your business into the online world. While the real game begins with creating the right content strategy and staying consistent with your efforts, we’ve stuck to setting up the profile to rank better on Instagram.

We will be discussing more tried-and-tested tips that will help your business grow on Instagram. So, stay tuned to all updates from the blog by subscribing to the weekly newsletter!

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