{"id":12802,"date":"2016-08-17T06:00:22","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T12:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/?p=12802"},"modified":"2017-09-20T10:18:05","modified_gmt":"2017-09-20T16:18:05","slug":"tips-for-using-instagram-for-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/de\/blog\/tips-for-using-instagram-for-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Using Instagram for Your Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

As you\u2019re setting up your social media accounts, check out the power of using Instagram. Not much of a photographer? Think only the kids use it? Maybe you feel there is nothing visually entertaining about your business so you\u2019re unsure of what to post. Restaurants snap shots of their food, and interior designers post photos of the beautiful homes they decorate, but what if your company\u2019s photo ops are in short supply? Well, think about it this way: Instagram<\/a> is \u201ca community built on the power of visual storytelling.\u201d Your job on Instagram, then, is to tell your story through the power of a visual platform.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re thinking, Great! . . . But I still don\u2019t know what to take photographs of<\/em>. That\u2019s okay. We can help. The people at Instagram have an awesome site dedicated to businesses<\/a>, and the tips below will allow you to march on over to their site like an \u201cInsta\u201d boss.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about Instagram itself. Originally a mobile-only platform, it was designed with the idea of snapping photos with your phone and uploading them immediately\u2014capturing the moments of life right as they happened. However, as it grew, Instagram developers expanded it to the web, allowing users to view their accounts and those they followed from their computers. Outside companies have developed apps<\/a> that allow you to take photos from a regular camera, download them onto your computer, then upload them to Insta. While that\u2019s time-consuming and a stark contrast to capturing the moment, it means you can reach followers in more than one way. And what if customers don\u2019t have an Insta account? Not a problem. You can share your Insta photos to all your social networks, so those customers who only have Facebook or Twitter, for example, can see your posts.<\/p>\n

So now that you know a little history about Instagram, let\u2019s look at a few accounts that use it. Remember that statement above about how restaurants and interior designers have got it made when it comes to what to post? Well, photo after photo of different plates or multiple bathrooms can make for a pretty boring account. If you\u2019re telling a story, you\u2019ll want to include the atmosphere and culture of your business, as well as the personality and culture of those you hope to reach. Here are some accounts that do this amazingly well:<\/p>\n

Diet Coke<\/strong><\/a>. They don\u2019t just have photos of a can or a bottle\u2014they show people drinking their deliciousness. Diet Coke also pairs cans with animals and celebrities and has brilliant ads, like the one with an empty Diet Coke glass and the words \u201cRefill please\u201d emblazoned across the photo. That\u2019s one of the best things about Insta\u2014it is visual advertising! And the more creative, eye-catching, and fun your photos are, the more you\u2019ll pique your followers\u2019 interest.<\/p>\n

Staples<\/strong><\/a>. What? Photos of paper, office equipment, and sticky notes? Yep. Staples\u2019s photos are bright, colorful, and creative. They place their products in real-life situations\u2014and, better, in dreamlike situations. Backpack on the beach? Let\u2019s all pack up! Adorable dog wearing a tie and glasses sitting in front of a computer? Yes, it\u2019s been a doggone hard day at work, right? And Staples is showing their followers that they have the products to make the day go better.<\/p>\n

National Geographic<\/strong><\/a>. Okay, so yes, they\u2019ve got a lot of photo ops\u2014but the thing to learn from @natgeo is that quality photos get you followers. Again, you can post only so many photos of elephants before they get a bit mundane, correct? Not with this account. The photos are stunning. Don\u2019t feel like you have to compete with their photos, though. Instead, study how their photos tell a story.<\/p>\n

Feeling a bit more confident about Insta now? Good, because it gets even better. The good folks there have made enhanced photography a snap (pun intended) with built-in filters and editing tools. Decide on the content, compose the shot, snap it, apply the filter, and do any necessary editing. That\u2019s it!<\/p>\n

Well, maybe there is a bit more. Here\u2019s your Insta to-do list:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Set it up! Create your account, username, and profile, and connect your other social media accounts to it so that your photos will post to all of your platforms.<\/li>\n
  2. Set goals: What story do you want to tell about your business? What do you hope to accomplish with it\u2014bigger brand awareness, more leads to your website, more customer engagement?<\/li>\n
  3. Consider what you want to post and learn from the major accounts mentioned above and from those you follow. You want to feature your product, but what setting will you use (empty Diet Coke glass needing a refill)? What is your business\u2019s culture, and how can you portray it (Staples\u2019s photos are far from boring.)? Maybe you run a software company. Could you offer short video clips on how to install the software? Maybe you\u2019re a health coach. Post videos of exercises or photos of healthy food that will lead followers to your site for recipes. And don\u2019t forget your staff\u2014use snapshots of them at the office or giving presentations or in funny or quirky office situations.<\/li>\n
  4. Consider how you want to post your photos. As mentioned, the Insta platform has built-in filters and editing tools, but you\u2019ll want to keep the number of filters on your photos limited so that they have the same visual feel, which makes them recognizable as yours (try to convince anyone that those National Geographic photos aren\u2019t unique.).<\/li>\n
  5. As with your other social media accounts, be sure to have a content-generation plan and posting calendar, as well as a metrics report for measuring ROI. Use themes, engage with followers by having photo and hashtag contests, and consider putting user-generated content (content created and generated by people not affiliated with the company, i.e., customers and fans) to work for you.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What are your thoughts about using Instagram? Got any tips? What mind-blowing accounts do you follow? We\u2019d love your feedback. Please share it with us in the comment box<\/a> below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    As you\u2019re setting up your social media accounts, check out the power of using Instagram. Not much of a photographer? Think only the kids use it? Maybe you feel there is nothing visually entertaining about your business so you\u2019re unsure of what to post. Restaurants snap shots of their food, and interior designers post photos [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3121,"featured_media":15106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_strive_editorial_status":"not-started","_strive_copy_of":0,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"content-sidebar","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_strive_checklists":"\"\"","_strive_active_checklist":"62291e2bb2422","_strive_post_notes":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69,1],"tags":[295],"class_list":{"0":"post-12802","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-advice","8":"category-uncategorized","9":"tag-instagram","10":"entry"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t