The Many Benefits of Instagram

We've talked about how to use social media and other online tools to better your business and not to shy away from them. They are there waiting for you, so use them! Instagram has become one of the biggest platforms to build your business today. Do you know all the tools and options this budding business tool has to offer? 

"Design is the silent ambassador of your brand."  
-Paul Rand 

Happy November friends! How excited are you that Thanksgiving is almost here? The turkey is on its way, but it's not quite time to relax just yet. The holidays are an incredibly busy time for any company, ours included. Don't get overwhelmed with this, instead ride the wave of the good it can do for your company. I discovered this quote while working on our first blog of the month, and I thought it was the perfect food for thought before we settle into our big Thanksgiving plates. We are so focused on creating a brand, that it's so easy to forget about the powerful tools that are at our fingertips waiting to be taken advantage of. They are there to make your company and brand stronger than you could ever imagine. What is even crazier to think about, a lot of these tools are free! That's right - FREE! There is something to be said about the adage that you do need to spend money to make money. But when there are moments to save money and still help your company grow - take them! This is why our next two blogs will be focused on tips on how to use Instagram to build your business into a powerful platform one day at a time! This is a holiday gift from us to you, and we are happy to share what we know! 

• Don't just drown your followers with constant posts about all the products you sell and the services you provide. Their brains will shut down and turn off. They will begin to scroll right past. Instead, creatively show your audience that you can offer them a solution to an everyday problem, that you would make their life better, and that your company can give them joy if they decide to choose your business or to buy your products. This can be SO FUN for your image and content creators! You can truly connect to your audience and followers in such a unique and personal way once you understand who they are and how your company can give them something special. Show that through your ad campaign and enjoy the process. 
• Instagram is an app that is all about visuals, it's just a plain fact. But you do need to recognize your audience as a whole. Some will just scroll for hours and will need a beautiful picture to make them stop and take the time to read your content or even earn a "like". Once you've had that moment that got them to stop, you still have to put just as much work into the content that you write below your image as you've put into the image. There is still also an audience out there who is looking for good content. Yes, they will enjoy a beautiful picture, but they are looking for humanity, truth, and reality in what you have to say to them. They want a good story, and one they can believe in. 
• Always put some kind of call to action into your content, this is a great opportunity that should NEVER be missed. Cute content is nice and has a time and place. But always invite your audience to do something. Have them comment below, invite them to the like the post, share the post on their own stories, to have them visit your website, or even your blog. Each post is creating a conversation, so why should it end with the post? Let it go beyond that one picture, and invite them into your whole world. 
• When you are writing your content, make sure you have established your voice and how you want to talk to your audience. Always make sure this is used consistently. Having multiple voices can quickly confuse an audience, make them subconsciously uninterested in who and what you are as a company, or just not trust you or what you're selling. Also, be genuine when you're talking. Using flowery cute wording that is popular at the moment is fun to throw into any post. But if this isn't your voice, don't fall into peer pressure and feel like you have to use it. Throw it out! Always be authentic in how you talk. Make sure it's a real, honest, and human voice than anyone can connect to. The first subconscious goal you want to reach is forming trust between your future followers and yourself. No one will spend time following you or buying from you if they don't trust what's beyond their phone or computer screen. The first step to earning their trust is showing who you are to the world. Another human will always trust the real human behind the screen. 
• Make sure you are using all the tools that Instagram is offering you. Use your stories, highlights, and pay attention to your audience and insights tab. These tools are giving you so much free information to quickly access your followers and to get your information in front of them at the best times possible. These awesome tools are there for a reason. The more you use and understand them, the more you can grow with less work on your end. Use the insights to see when your followers are online the most so you can get as many eyes on all of your posts as possible. Use these times to get as much foot traffic to your whole account as well. It all starts with a picture leading them to look at your whole site to see what you're all about. It's almost like free advertisement. You can also use the stories and highlights to show a human side to any business. You can keep your feed chock full of beautiful graphics and perfectly written prose. But in the stories, you can lift the veil to give a behind the scenes look to everything you do. Your followers can get to know the people behind the company. They can see the funny things that happen, relate to the bad days, and celebrate victories with you right there in real-time. 

Are you getting as excited as we are about Instagram? It's easy to have a love-hate relationship with apps that you use as part of your advertising goals, but if you spend the time getting to know them, it'll be worth it. Enjoy these tips for now, but don't worry, there are more coming. Until next time friends, stay safe, caffeinated and excited about your company!