If you have been reading our Wedding Business Growth articles up to this point, I think it’s safe to say, we have developed a broad understanding of business, marketing, management, and customer service. However, in this article we are going to take a dive into the specifics of Instagram. This article is designed for those who are new to the platform or need a quick refresh on some of the features the platform has to offer.
Before we go any further, I think it is important to have a strong understanding of what exactly Instagram is and why it is so popular.
From humble beginnings in 2010, Instagram has developed into one of the most actively used social media platforms we have today. It also boasts one of the highest daily user rates making it a must for your wedding business. Instagram is unique because it originated strictly as a photo and video sharing social media application. While that is still the primary function of instagram, written media has gained some traction in recent years. So what does that mean for you? As a wedding business owner, this gives you the opportunity to interact with potential clients and other businesses in a way that would otherwise be impossible. I for one have had incredible success interacting with leads, clients, and other businesses on the platform. In fact, one of my biggest accomplishments to this point (a commercial series with a supplement company) found me on Instagram. I am finding that most people don’t even ask for my website. The first thing they want is my Instagram! That blows my mind, but when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. It gives individuals the opportunity to see your work and your business without any of the additional fluff from a website. If they like what they see, then comes the website, which may seem unconventional, but as you know, business continues to evolve. Here are some great starting points and tips to help you level up your Insta game.
Start With a Business Account
If you are a business owner setting up a page for your business, this one is a no brainer. What people often don’t know about business accounts is that they allow you to add contact information, an option for advertisement, and the most importantly (in my opinion) the insight feature. With the insight feature you can see when your audience is most active on the platform to maximize viewership and reach. This feature has been so valuable in finding the best times to post and helping me grow an audience from literally no one.
Start Posting
Now comes the fun stuff. Go crazy with your posts – okay not that crazy, but have fun with your posting! Your posts should reflect you and your business. What kind of experience can someone expect when they hire you? Try your best to reflect that with your posts and your social media profile. There is literally no right or wrong way to post, so don’t get caught up too much in the details. Here are some general guidelines:
-Try to post high quality photos (yes, you can get high quality photos on your phone’s camera nowadays)
-Add hashtags (more on this later)
-Are you happy with your grid when you click on your profile? The most important thing is that you like it, your audience and clients will follow.
Add Stories
Stories are great because they help push your content to the front of a users page when perhaps they would not have otherwise seen a post you made. Whenever you make a new post, use the feature that allows you to create a story about it. With the way Instagram’s algorithm works, you’d be surprised how many people just didn’t see your post because it got lost on a timeline.
Post Videos
Post videos when you can, especially vertical videos. Instagram is being used primarily on their cell phones, so vertical media tends to do well. Even when I post a video that was meant to be seen horizontally, I will create the post in a way that still adheres to instagrams vertical format. As mentioned in a previous article, Instagram loves video because it tends to keep users more engaged on the platform for longer. They don’t have to be professionally edited, but high quality video goes a long way.
IGTV
Ah yes, IGTV that weird part of Instagram most people never venture out to. As a business owner, you should definitely be posting to this part of Instagram. For those that don’t know IGTV is Instagram’s attempt at long form videos to compete with platforms like Youtube. A normal video post is limited to 1 minute, however on IGTV, you are able to post videos up to 10 minutes. Larger, verified accounts can post videos up to 1 hour in length. Posting to IGTV gives you a greater probability of ending up on someone’s discovery page as Instagram is attempting to grow the platform.
Use Hashtags
Aside from being trendy for a really long time, hashtags are a great way to reach a specific audience and for people to discover your posts. When you add a hashtag to a post, that post can be found when you search for that hashtag in Instagram. The most important thing about hashtags is that they are relevant and you aren’t using hashtags with tons of posts already attached to them because, no doubt, the post will get lost. Instead use hashtags under 500,000 posts attached to them as the probability of staying closer to the top of that hashtag is higher.
A lot of this information may not have been earth shattering news, but I will say these were things I wish I had known before I started posting on Instagram. Speaking of, if you are on instagram be sure to give us a follow @weddingbusinessgrowth, we share some great snippets and other content we think you’ll enjoy. Best of luck on your Instagram journey, cheers.
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