Why Instagram marketing is important for small businesses

In our digital-first world, Instagram is one of the first places people turn to for information about a small business. Today, 90% of people follow at least one business on Instagram. In addition, 1 in 2 people use the app to discover new brands, products and services.

As a small business owner, you need to use Instagram to showcase your business to customers and build brand loyalty. But without a clear Instagram marketing strategy, you may struggle to grow your audience, post content consistently or generate quality engagement. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. More than 90% of small businesses struggle with these common social media challenges.

Instagram marketing strategies for small businesses

1. Start with a goal.

There is no doubt that Instagram is a powerful tool for small businesses. To get the most out of your Instagram marketing, there needs to be a clear goal for what you want to achieve on the platform.

Here are some examples of goals you can choose for your Instagram marketing strategy:

• Increased sales.
• Drive website traffic.
• Generate brand awareness.
• Driving customer engagement.

Once you have a goal in place, you can use it to guide the type of content you post, the people you want to reach and the overall message you should use on your page.

2. Configure the basic elements of your profile.

Some basic elements of an Instagram business profile are a profile image, business name and category. Your page should also include contact information such as a phone number, email and address (if you have a physical location).

The Quince clothing brand includes a contact email in its biography so that customers can easily contact the brand for assistance.

3. Optimise your biography.

Your Instagram bio is the first thing people see when they visit your profile; think of it as the homepage of your website.

If you only have a few seconds to capture a visitor's attention, what are the main elements or pieces of information you want them to take away?

4. Be intentional with the link in your biography.

If one of your Instagram marketing goals is to drive more traffic to your small business website, spend a little extra time optimising the links section of your bio.

Because you can't include clickable links in Instagram captions, the link in your bio is what users will click on to learn more about your brand, buy your products or sign up for an email list.

Use the links section to direct people to where you want them to go next.

If you have multiple pages or products you want to promote at once, use a tool like Linktree or Later's Link in Bio. These tools turn your main link into a mini-website, giving users multiple options to click on a link.

5. Organise a raffle

Want to grow your audience on Instagram? Organise a sweepstakes.

According to a study, giveaways help Instagram accounts grow 70 % faster in just three months.

And it's easy to see why. Instagram giveaways increase brand awareness, drive organic engagement and attract more people to your profile by encouraging likes, comments and shares for a chance to win.

6. Geotag your publications.

If you have a physical location for your small business, be sure to create a geotag so you can include it in your Instagram posts. A geotag provides location data that helps users identify exactly where to find your small business.

Not only that, but Instagram also organises posts that use a certain geotag into a search tab so users can see all posts from that location.

By contributing to the label, you can show people what to expect when they visit your business. For example, if you have a restaurant, use your geotag to show menu items or give people an idea of what the dining environment is like.

Finally, we remind you to check our plans, together we can take your brand to another level. We can help you with your Instagram strategy.