5 tips to use Instagram for Business in 2020

Social MediaCategory
7 min read
Selina Bieber

As a business owner who is trying to grow in the current competitive market, I am sure you have already established an online presence for your business or at least you’re planning to. Instagram Business has become an essential element of social media marketing. In 2018, Instagram was the second-most downloaded free app in the Apple app store. And according to Instagram’s statistics, 200 million users visit at least one Business Profile daily, so how can you make your brand stand out among competition?

Read the following article to know all there is to know about Instagram for Business, along with 5 tips to help boost your profile.

What is Instagram Business?

Instagram business profiles are a free feature that Instagram offers to brands that want their accounts to be recognized as businesses. These profiles provide more functions than personal profiles, such as access to analytics, ad targeting, and a contact button. Also, having an Instagram for business account makes it easier to promote your page, run ads, and help users find your content. Moreover, you can easily connect your profile to Facebook Business page so you can effortlessly share content from Instagram to Facebook and engage with customers from one social profile to the other.

5 benefits of an Instagram Business profile

If the simplicity and easiness of creating a business profile hasn't convinced you to start one, maybe some of the benefits below will help change your mind.

  1. Instagram insights: This is Instagram’s native analytics platform that gives you data on engagement, impressions, audience demographics and more. Instagram insights can track traffic to your page, website clicks, reach, and even overall impressions.

Also, be aware that once you’ve switched to a business profile, you’ll have the ability to connect your Instagram account to third party tools like Socialbakers, or Sprout Social, and get all the reports and analytics your need to plan a strategy.

Instagram for Business insights
  1. Instagram ads: Advertising is all about having your message seen by your target audience wherever their attention is. And since 130 million Instagram users tap on shopping posts every month, it is the time to use Instagram Ads to reach more customers and help increase your sales. For more on how to use Instagram Ads, check the following article.
  2. Contact buttons can be implemented into a business profile. With this feature, those visiting your profile don't need to leave the profile to get in touch with you. Instead, they can simply choose from the contact information you provide them and reach out quickly. If customers would rather remain in the app, they always have the option to send a direct message.
  3. Links in Instagram stories: If you have a business account on Instagram with more than 10,000 followers, then you can now try linking to specific pages on your website, podcast episodes, or current promotions using story highlights. Since 500 million people use Instagram stories every day, and one-third of the most viewed stories are from businesses, this will be a great way to drive traffic to your site.
  4. Post on Instagram from desktop: Instagram announced their API would allow users to publish photos from desktop, through selected third-party platforms. This is a huge time-saver and efficiency booster for brands. You no longer need to rely on notifications to remind you to post on Instagram or have your phone on-hand. Plus, if you use desktop software to create or edit your photos before posting to Instagram, you don’t have to worry about uploading the edited version to your phone.

5 tips to use Instagram for Business in 2020

1- Edit your profile: If you want to compete for more followers, you will definitely need to build a strong business profile. Especially, after it has been estimated that over 75% of all businesses will use Instagram to promote their business. But, how can you build the right Instagram Business account?

You have to optimize your account first, but how?

  • Choose the right name and user name: By building an Instagram business account, you aim to build brand awareness. Therefore, we recommend using the same name as your brand. In the future, followers will be able to find, tag, and mention you easier.
  • Upload a profile picture: As a business, your profile picture should be your logo, and you will need to make sure it is 110 x 110 pixels before you upload it to your business profile. When people visit your Instagram profile, they have to see your logo. This way, when they see your logo elsewhere, they’ll be more likely to remember your business.
  • Write a strong and attractive bio: Instagram gives you 150 characters to tell potential followers everything they need to know about you.  Be really strategic, use hashtags, and add a link to your website and keywords that attract your targeted audience. And always remember, you can use your bio as a testing ground; it doesn’t have to be set in stone. See how much traffic you get with one description and set of hashtags for a couple weeks. Then, feel free to switch it up!
  • Add contact information: make sure to add your contact number and address on google map. By adding this information, you will gain the trust of the followers, and you will help them to reach you at all times.

2- Plan your content: You have first to understand your followers and target audience, then take a look at what your competitors are publishing. Then decide what kind of content you want to post. Plan what you’re going to post at least weekly, if not for several weeks at a time. Posting regularly and consistently helps keep your followers engaged. Right now, people prefer videos and in particular how-ho tutorial videos. Try creating some of those to see how they do for performance and engagement. You can also check our article that has some content ideas for winter.

3- Use Instagram stories and highlights:  The story feature on Instagram has been making a huge impact. Stories appear at the top of followers’ feeds, which makes them stand out — and they’re a lot more dynamic than regular feed posts. Do not forget to take advantage of the section on your profile for Instagram stories highlights — visitors will be able to view your stories long after the 24-hour life cycle each story gets. Think about the types of posts you usually share on your story and how they can be sorted into categories.

4- Actively engage with other users: If you want a strong presence on Instagram, you need to do more than post your own content. Interacting with other people’s posts and comments show them you are sincerely interested in them and not just trying to get their business. Respond to comments on your posts, follow interesting accounts, and like other people’s posts. The more they see you in their notifications, the more often they will think of you. You can also take advantage of content posted about you – user generated content (UGC) – and repost it.

Just like the following:

5- Consider Instagram ads: As you know, social media marketing and digital marketing are becoming a pay to play world. Even Instagram ads are projected to earn over $12 million in ad revenue in 2020! So, in short, you need to invest in ads to bolster the visibility of your content. By running paid ads, you’ll appear in more feeds in front of a broader audience. On the other hand, before you launch a campaign, especially if you’re starting an Instagram for Business account, curate at least 30 posts. That way, your profile will look legit before you drive traffic to it and your website.

Final words

In a nut shell, Instagram is a fantastic tool for businesses to connect with and engage customers. And it would be best if you were not afraid to experiment and try new strategies as the social media landscape changes, and Instagram rolls out new features. Use these tips to help you increase your visibility and presence in 2020.