Is Instagram the right platform for your business?
Reels, stories, hashtags. In case you didn’t already guess, we’re talking about the much loved (and super powerful) social media platform Instagram. More than one billion people use Instagram every month and approximately 90% of users follow a business (Source: Hootsuite). When harnessed correctly, utilising this platform for your business can increase brand awareness and engagement, build customer loyalty and convert into more sales. It seems like a no-brainer for businesses to be on Instagram. BUT it’s so important to stop and consider if it’s the right fit for your brand. How? By defining your ideal audience, marketing objectives and content strategy. We’ve outlined some helpful pointers to help you navigate the ‘Gram and nail it!
Firstly, it’s important to understand who is on Instagram and who your ideal customer is. A research study found that 14.5% of global active Instagram users were women between the ages of 18 and 24 years. More than half of the global Instagram population worldwide is aged 34 years or younger (Source: Statista). This is in comparison to Facebook; whose users reflect an older demographic. Now that you know this, it’s essential to take a step back and look at your own brand. Does this audience match up to your target market? If it aligns with Instagram’s core demographic, then you’ll definitely want to tap into this market of potential gold. When targeting your ideal customer on the ‘Gram, it’s also important to look at what kind of content they engage with and what hashtags they use. Answering these questions ensures that you’re hitting your target audience on Instagram.
You also need to uncover your WHY. Ask yourself these questions. Why are you using Instagram? How can Instagram assist you in achieving your overall marketing objectives? For example, is it to build brand awareness? Increase brand loyalty? Showcase your products? Once you determine your business goals for Instagram, this will then guide your overall content strategy. An essential component of a content strategy are content pillars, which are defined as a subset of topics or themes that are relevant to your target audience. They help build a foundation for your overall content strategy and enable you to market your brand more clearly. Utilising correct pillars will also boost engagement levels, as the right content will drive likes, saves, shares and comments (making the algorithm very happy!). Types of content pillars can include educational, inspirational, share worthy and more.
Coming from a branding design studio, we can’t emphasise enough the importance of visuals on a brand’s Instagram account. Instagram is VERY visual; think high-quality images, a cohesively designed feed, coupled with a strong brand message in order to succeed on this platform. This format is definitely more aligned with some industries than others. Because of its visual nature, Instagram holds opportunities for businesses looking to showcase their gorgeous products or services (a florist, fashion label or lifestyle photographer). On the flip side, there is definitely a place for service-based businesses on Instagram but the content strategy may just be different. Once you’ve determined your content pillars, you also need to look at types of content from Instagram live, stories, still images to video. We all know how popular reels and video content currently (and there’s a reason for it!). Besides the algorithm favouring this type of content, they’re a fun and engaging way to get your message across. Stuck for ideas? A photographer could do a behind-the scenes reel on location or a coffee roaster could create a how-to reel of making the perfect espresso at home. Trust us, the options are endless - you just need a little creativity.
