In this advanced Instagram marketing guide, we are going to share the most effective Instagram marketing tips and strategies that actually work. In addition to that, we are going to share the secrets of successfully using Instagram for lead generation and business growth.
Every picture we click, business that we have, or vacation that we are on, We always think, “Is it Instagrammable?”
Over the period Instagram has grown and is continuing to broaden its horizons.
Why is Instagram Marketing Effective?
With over 1 billion active users, Instagram is one of the most widely used applications. 75.3% of businesses of US users Instagram marketing to boost their business.
Businesses of much food to fashion, services to luxuries, all are on a marathon to adopt Instagram as not just an advertising tool but also a marketing and revenue-generating tool.
Instagram is the second most used social network according to the reports of E-marketer, 2018. People spend an average of 28 minutes per day on Instagram.
Instagram is an ocean of advertisements and opportunities.
The Advanced Guide to Instagram Marketing
Secrets of Successful Instagram Marketing
Successful Instagram marketing for lead generation and business growth is made up of two important parts.
- Instagram Marketing Strategy
- Instagram Marketing Control
Both strategy and control are very crucial for making your Instagram profitable.
We all understand the importance of a marketing strategy but we forget the importance of control all the time. But even the most expert Instagram marketing strategy will fail if it’s not followed by Instagram marketing control.
Let’s learn a little more about how the two influence each other.
Part 1) Instagram Marketing Strategy
Instagram marketing strategy is a strategic step-by-step action plan on how to use Instagram for marketing so that you achieve your business goals within your available resources.
Always remember that a marketing strategy is always unique. That’s the main reason why you can not copy someone else’s and use it for your Instagram, it is probably one of the reasons why your Instagram marketing strategy failed.
If you will do that, you will not establish yourself as a unique brand but just another name in the crowd doing the same thing.
Having a unique Instagram marketing strategy is the first step of standing out in the crowd and also for the long term survival in the market.”
Part 2) Instagram Marketing Control
Instagram marketing control means regularly and religiously measuring the results of your Instagram marketing strategy and taking corrective actions to improve those.
This step makes sure that your Instagram marketing train stays on the right track. If you ignore this, soon your train will reach a destination that you never set up or never even wanted.
4 Steps For Practising Instagram Marketing Control
Marketing control is generally a four-step process and these steps are:
Step 1. Goal Setting
Marketing control starts when you know what you are trying to achieve on Instagram. That’s why it is very important to have a list of goals you are trying to achieve by being on Instagram.
Once you have set up your Instagram marketing goals, it will be easier for you to keep a track of which goals you are hitting and which you are not.
If you don’t have any Instagram goals, then you’re just struggling in a huge sea and hoping that one day your random hand and leg movements will turn into a swimming position that will help you survive out there.
I am not arguing that it can’t happen but what are the chances? Are you willing to waste your time and energy on such a small possibility?
So, why not start by setting up some goals. Having goals will help you in strategizing all your Instagram marketing efforts. And you will be in a better position to know what to post on Instagram and why?
Step 2. Measuring the Performance
This is a very common mistake I have seen people make and it is probably one of the most important reasons why your Instagram marketing strategy failed.
Most people remember to set up their goals but then they forget to measure those up. Let’s not forget that having Instagram marketing goals but not measuring them up is equal to having no goals.
If you are not measuring your performance on Instagram, you will not find out if your actions are helping your business or hurting your business. What if whatever you’re doing on Instagram is just a waste of your resources?
Time is a very important resource for a business owner and you can save plenty of that by just measuring your performance. It can save you from future disappointments and save up your resources as well.
Step 3. Evaluating the Causes of Any Difference
When you measure your performance, you get two data sets in your hands – one data set is related to your expected goals and one is related to your actual performance.
Now, you can compare the two and evaluate the gap between your actual performance and your expected performance.
If the gap is too big, then this means something is drastically wrong with your Instagram marketing strategy or its implementation. If the gap is little, then it means that your strategy is working but with some corrective action, you can hit the expected number.
Step 4. Taking Corrective Actions And Closing The Gap
The final step of Instagram marketing control is to figure out how to close the gap between the actual performance and the expected performance.
These incremental small gaps can become huge in the long run and can badly affect your chances of achieving your goals. That’s why it becomes important to deal with these gaps at the beginning of their first appearance itself.
Start by figuring out why there is a gap? Is there a problem with your Instagram marketing strategy? Is it not implemented well? Are you struggling with resources? Or are there any unexpected business environment changes? If it’s the last case, do you have any contingency plan ready for that? If it’s something else, what is your plan B?
Whenever there is any need, you have to change your marketing actions according to that. If the gap remains too big even after all your efforts, you can consider even changing your goals.
Maybe you have set up a very unrealistic goal or a goal that is not relevant according to your current business position and in such cases, it’s much better to have a goal that is achievable.
Why is Your Instagram Marketing Not Working?
Generally, there are two main reasons for Instagram’s marketing failure.
No or ineffective Instagram marketing strategy.
No or poor Instagram marketing control.
The reason your Instagram marketing strategy failed is that you forgot to create a unique Instagram marketing strategy or implement powerful Instagram marketing control.
The problem with not having effective marketing control is that you will never know if your Instagram is going in a direction that is bringing you closer to your goals or moving you farther away from those.
Many times you continue doing all those ineffective things on your Instagram and your performance gap keeps on widening and soon it becomes very tough to close.
The most important point to remember is that marketing control is as important as a marketing strategy and they both work hand in hand. So, don’t start your strategy right now and your marketing control after 6 months.
Those 6 months can either bring tremendous positive ROI on your Instagram marketing efforts or can even bring negative ROI.
Here’s what you can do: start with setting up your Instagram goals. Then, decide your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that can best reflect your performance.
How to Read Your Instagram Marketing Data?
Example of a fake Instagram account. Having this account as your follower won’t help you in achieving your goals.
When I say KPIs, I mean those data numbers that can measure your goals. For example, organic followers, reach impressions, likes, engagement rate, or something else.
For example, if you are an e-commerce business owner, “Product button click” as a part of the Instagram shop is a good KPI for you. Another important KPI can be how many people have shared your post or saved your post.
Engagement rate is also a good KPI but only if it’s authentic. If you’re getting engagement like “nice post”, “good post”, etc.. then I’m sorry to say that those are not authentic engagement.
Many times they are bots and many other times they are a “cry” for comments on their Instagram posts because they commented on yours.
What Are Some Most Effective Instagram Marketing Tips?
1. Create an Amazing Profile on Instagram
Switch to a Business Account.
Start by getting a business account on Instagram.
Clicking on “Switch to business profile “in the settings cab easily do this.
Once this feature is active on the Instagram profile, users can click on the “contact button” to get in touch with the brand directly from the Instagram page.
Also, creating a business profile on Instagram unlocks several free Instagram tools such as the Instagram analytic tools that provide access to the stats about the impressions created by the posts on a particular Instagram page.
A bio is a must, that too a detailed one.
A well-curated bio is a must-have for brands and businesses. By “well-curated “we mean a quick insight about the brand along with the link to the brand’s website.
Have a consistent brand look throughout the profile
An aesthetically built profile with a consistent theme and look is attractive and it compels users to follow the brand along with making them feel connected to the brand.
2. Use All the Features Offered by Instagram (a Plethora of Them are Available)
Instagram Analytics Tool to Use for Instagram Marketing
This is another effective Instagram marketing tip for businesses. Instagram analytics is a wonderful tool that helps businesses to get a better understanding of their performance.
Through this feature account insights such as profile views, website clicks, impressions, reach and we can analyze other insights.
This tool also gives a very clear idea about the number of followers and other demographic insides such as gender breakdown range of the age, top locations, and the time of the week when the follower base is most active.
Such insights are very useful and help businesses to understand a lot about what it requires doing for the betterment and success of the business.
Use Instagram Editing Tools
When we talk about using Instagram features, using Instagram editing tools is yet another important yet simple Instagram marketing tip and feature.
Inbuilt Instagram features such as boomerangs are also a creative way to showcase the products on Instagram.
Use the Instagram Video Feature for Conveying a Lot of Information
Using videos to promote products on Instagram is one of those Instagram marketing tips and strategies that can convey a lot of information about the product to the customer along with convincing the potential consumers in buying the product/ services.
Of late, Instagram reels have gained widespread popularity. Hence you can use these features along with other video and IGTV features for your video feed on Instagram.
Use the Instagram Story Feature
This feature from Instagram is game-changing. Almost half of the active users of Instagram post engaging stories every day. These stories stay for 24 hours and are a superb source to build trust with the customer/follower base.
We can use Instagram stories in multiple ways such as to announce the current happenings at the brand/business, the achievements of the brand, doing a behind the scene session, and whatnot.
Users can post photos, videos, boomerangs, texts, music, and a lot more creative content in the form of stories visible to the other Instagram users on the top of their feed. If you don’t have a lot of pictures to post, you can select from 13.5 million big photos and videos collection of Yay Images. They can be easily given a touch to match your brand image.
You can also get a photoshoot done professionally and get the images retouched by some high-end retouching agency to make an impact.
62% of people have revealed that they become more interested in a brand or a product after this it on the brand Instagram stories.
Hosting poles and doing a “Q and A “session on the Instagram stories to connect with the consumer. Such interactions prove too great marketing ideas for the brand and increase the brand-customer relation.
3. Instagram Influencer Marketing is a Thing And That Too a Good One
One of the effective Instagram marketing tips for reaching the target audience is Instagram influencer marketing. It is one of the quickest ways is to increase your reach and followers.
The influences already have a follower base, which helps in growing the business for the brand.
For using this marketing technique, the primary step is to identify the right influences that the brand needs to partner with.
Importance of Influencer Marketing Strategy
These influencers help in creating brand awareness amongst their followers, which leads to the increase of sales and business.69% of the US marketers’ budget is getting used to the influencer marketing strategy.
Instagram influencers get to pay between $100 to $2000 per post by brands for posting pictures and videos on Instagram.
Usually, the follower base of any influencer trusts the products by the influencers. And if a brand aims at increasing its sales, these influencers are undoubtedly the best way to do it.
If such influencers post about the brand/service the brand gets used to a huge number of potential buyers and also games new followers through the influencers post.
Why You Should Invest in Influencer Marketing?
Investing in influencer marketing is something that a brand should never skip as it is one of the most important Instagram marketing tips and strategies in today’s time.
We at Bizadmark have a huge influencer base, you can try our services for making the most out of influencer marketing. Get in touch to get your Instagram Marketing started.
Example of Instagram Influencer Marketing
Daniel Wellington Influencer
Daniel Wellington has used influencer marketing to increase brand awareness and sales to another level.
The brand is very well popular for re-posting pictures of influencers and other customers who are not only wearing the Daniel Willington watches but also flaunting them with hashtags.
It is one of the most loved brands on Instagram, and its innovative campaigns have always got them higher engagements.
4. Opting for Sponsored Ads is Super Beneficial
Instagram ads are the best way to advertise and market products/services.
The reason they are the best in the industry is that it lets the user control exactly how much they will spend by setting up an ad budget.
Instagram advertisements have the potential to reach around 52.9 million youth audiences.
By using Instagram ads, the business can target its audience on a whole new level. Instagram allows the user to decide the location, budget, gender, age range, and other such features to reach out to potential consumers.
We can sponsor these ads in several ways such as photos, videos, dynamic ad stories, A particular business can also run multiple ads for different audiences simultaneously for gaining much more engagement.
Recommended: How to Advertise a Boring Product?
5. Create a Hashtag and Use it as Much as You Can
Creating your very own and unique hashtag plays a very vital role in the marketing of a brand on Instagram.
To increase engagements on Instagram creating interactive hashtags are a fun way to do it. We can use these hashtags across all social media platforms.
Motivating the followers and other Instagram users to use the brand hashtag is yet another excellent way of marketing their products/services.
By doing this first the company is gaining high engagement and second, the brand is also getting advertisement and awareness amongst the users.
Another way to encourage the followers to use the hashtag is by hosting contests, featuring consumer pictures on the brand’s page, holding giveaways.
A campaign by Mothercare where they used the power of a hashtag to attain success. They used the hashtag #bodyproudmoms to promote their campaign where the campaign was about the issues that a woman’s body faces post-childbirth.
This hashtag went viral and several pictures were posted using the same hashtag from mothers all over the world. This campaign was a successful one and it boosted brand awareness.
6. Post Regularly and at Right Time
A brand needs to be very consistent in posting pictures, videos, etc. on Instagram. Posting at particular times of the day, especially during the peak hours of the day when the followers are online, is an excellent way to schedule your Instagram posts.
Determine the Correct Times for Posting the Content
According to a few surveys, the best time to post is between 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and around 2:00 p.m.
These are the time slots when the maximum Instagram users scroll their feed to enjoy their time.
Using Instagram analytics tools, the brand can easily find out what are the peak hours and the best days to post. A brand should post around one to three posts per day.
Also, a calendar can schedule posts.
Do Not Overpost, We Repeat, “Do Not Over Post”
Excess of anything is bad, and the same applies to post on Instagram. The brand has to avoid posting on Instagram as it might lead to being a turnoff for the followers.
7. Promote Your Instagram on Other Social Media Platforms
To be a pro at Instagram, you need to promote your Instagram page on every social media platform.
So, from Facebook to the brand’s website, from Twitter to LinkedIn, the more you promote your Instagram, the more visitors you will have on your Instagram.
Best Ways to Promote Your Instagram Handle
The best way to do this is to create Instagram icons on the homepage of all your social media accounts. Connecting the brands from Facebook to the brand Instagram account helps in creating a loyal follower base.
By promoting the brands, Instagram brings in a lot more traffic to the brand’s Instagram page creating brand awareness and increasing business
8. Connect and Bond with Your Followers, Building Relationships Matters
Another important step that counts a lot when we talk about Instagram marketing is creating a relationship with the followers and connecting with them.
So, to connect with the followers it is important to post content and respond to the reactions of the followers.
Hence, a brand can connect with its followers by interacting with them.
This interaction can increase by replying to the follower’s comments, replying to their queries on DM’s, and re-posting images uploaded by the followers who have the brand’s hashtag.
Giving picture credits and encouraging people to use the brand’s hashtag are a few ways in which we can create a bond between the followers and the business.
Support a social cause, the cause will support your business
To connect and related with the followers in another way is to support a cause relevant to both the brand’s motive and the follower base of the brand.
So, supporting social causes helps in creating a very healthy reputation of the brand amongst the users does helping in increasing the trust of the users in the brand.
Hence, connecting on a deeper personal level is something that a brand should plan on doing.
9. Engagement is the Key to Unlock the World of Instagram Marketing
Nothing can Replace Engagement
The engagement ratio is a very important factor when we talk about effective Instagram marketing tips. So, it is very important to understand the mindset of potential customers.
An Instagram profile reflects the brand business.
For anyone who lands on your Instagram profile, they become a follower or not takes a glance at the feed.
So, this is the reason it is very important to curate engaging and high-quality content.
Aim for High, Engaging Content
Most noteworthy, for creating engaging content, we advise it to build a consistent and aesthetically built profile.
A regular posting of Instagram stories can also increase engagement.
So, 75% of teenagers from the US believe that Instagram is better for brands to reach out to potential customers.
Brands like Zara, Nike, and Adidas have unlocked the secret of creating higher engaging content with innovative posts and campaigns.
Ways to Increase Engagement on Instagram
We can increase engagements in various ways i.e giveaways, contests, live videos, sharing BTS, and constantly responding to followers.
If your business hosts regular meetings and events, it is a great idea to showcase them on the Instagram feed.
10. Create Shopping Posts and Make the Customers Shop, Shop, and Shop
Another simple Instagram marking tip is using shopping posts. Because this is an excellent feature provided by Instagram, which increases the opportunities for Instagram marketing.
So, Using the Instagram shopping post on Instagram feed is something that can be exploited to take a lot of advantages.
Certainly, it becomes very easy for the customers to shop for the products shown in the picture.
Similarly, in these posts, there is a shopping link for the depicted product along with its price.
Generate Shopping Links via Instagram Posts
Because of the shopping link, we direct the users to a URL where they can directly purchase the products from.
So, 13% of US social media users shop on Instagram. Around 130 million Instagram users click on the shopping posts every month.
11. Post Multiple Pictures in a Single Post
We commonly know this feature is common as the carousel posts. Using this feature for Instagram marketing is a creative way to increase business.
Furthermore, using this feature, the brand can promote a new line of products via a single post.
Similarly, carousel posts can incorporate both videos and pictures in the same post for a creative outlook.
In such posts, We can show the before and after-effects of a particular product.
12. Always Have a Call to Action
Having a CTA is very important. It helps in increasing both: brand’s revenue and customer base. CTAs help in increasing the conversion ratios.
A few examples of CTAs are: “Add to cart”, “Read more”, “Write to us”, “Sign Up” especially when used as buttons.
Key Takeaway: Most Effective Instagram Marketing Tips
By using all these simple yet effective Instagram marketing tips and strategies, a brand can not only become the next trending business but also climb the ladder of success.
Therefore, Instagram is a plethora of marketing options to the brands and it depends on how they convert these features into opportunities and these opportunities for success.
The best thing about Instagram is the fact that it is evolving with time and has new features to offer to the users every time they update.
We hope to see brands adapt these marketing strategies and we would love to see businesses succeed. We are happy to help in case you would like to adopt these marketing strategies.
This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on those won’t cost you anything but we might get a cup of coffee with that which can help us not fall asleep while writing our next article.
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