How To Use Instagram For Small Business

As A Business Owner, Why Should You Use Instagram?

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. It’s engaging, it’s interactive, and it’s where a lot of people spend their time. Think of Instagram as a dynamic billboard located on one of the most widely-trafficked freeways. Now think about being able to update that billboard’s message at any time. That’s a lot of exposure your business is missing out on! There is an entire group of customers waiting to find you on Instagram. To tap into that group, all you have to do is be considerate and strategic with how you use it. Oh, and you’ll need to create an Instagram business account.

How To Start Your Own Personal Account

So you want to get your business on Instagram. Great! Follow these quick steps to secure your business’s username and create an Instagram business profile.

Note: Instagram is easiest to use on a mobile device, so grab your smartphone and let’s get started!

1. Download the Instagram app to your smartphone
2. Sign up using a dedicated generic business email address, not a personal email address. This will avoid all sorts of stress and confusion in the future (trust us)
3. Choose a username that answers at least one of the following questions
   1. What is the name of your business?
   2. What does your business do?
   3. What town, city, state, or country is your business located?
      
      
   Your username, also called your handle, is super important. After all, it’s usually the first thing your customers see so you want it to be as recognizable as possible. Your username and business name need to be similar and convey similar information, otherwise, you’ll confuse and lose customers. So skip the puns and jokes in your business username and create a simple, recognizable handle that clearly identifies your business.

Way to go! You just created a personal Instagram account. But hang on, you need a business account. What gives? Well, it’d be great if Instagram just gave you the option to choose your account type right at the start. But that’s not the case. So now that you have a personal account, you need to convert it to a business account.

How To Change Your Personal Account To A Business Account

Instagram may change the location of its settings menu over time, so keep that in mind as you proceed. Typically, your settings menu looks like a little hamburger with 3 short horizontal lines resting on top of each other. You can find this at the top right corner of your Instagram profile. 

1. Tap the three-line menu and navigate to the gear icon labeled “Settings”
2. Click “Account” and scroll to the bottom of the list. Tap on the blue text that reads “Switch to Professional Account”
3. Select the category of business that best applies to you. Be specific, as this will help users find you based on what your business offers
4. Add your business’s contact information and dedicated Call To Action such as message, call, or email

Related: How StoryBrand Improves The Call To Action

That’s it! You have your own Instagram Business account. Now that you’re a professional account, you’ll have greater visibility of your content data, in-depth performance metrics, and integrations with meta advertising, if you choose to develop and implement a paid advertising campaign. But first, it’s time for you to create knockout content to capture your audience’s attention, interact with other accounts, and put the “social” in social media.

3 Tips For A Successful Business Instagram

Keep in mind that developing and implementing an effective content strategy takes time. This means hiring the right people for the job and giving them the resources they need to create. We know money is tight. The margins can be slim! But we guarantee that investing in a content strategy before you get started is the one true way to save time, money, and reduce frustration. Start with a plan, and you’ll start on the right track.

1. Reels, Reels, And More Reels
   Short-form videos are a staple in social media (here’s looking at you, TikTok), and Instagram’s reels feature offers a wide suite of video editing tools and filters. When we say audiences love reels, we mean audiences love reels. Reels outpace the performance of static content and they’re a great way to engage with audiences and be discovered. Essentially, reels must be a core feature of any successful business account on Instagram.
   
   
2. Follow Community Leaders, Businesses, And Social Peers
   Remember to be social on social media! You’re building a network of people you want to interact and be associated with, so find your people and start engaging with them. As with other social media services, be active and considerate of the accounts that your business follows on Instagram. Once you follow the right folks, be sure to engage, engage, engage. Comment, like, share–the works.
   
   
3. Create A Call To Action
   Picture this: your audience has found you on Instagram and they like what they see. The problem is, they don’t know what to do now that they’ve found you. That’s where a direct Call To Action comes in. Never assume your audience knows how they should reach you. You have to tell them. Add a CTA right where people can find it on your business account profile, so that interested customers can use it to reach out to you. Add your direct phone number, email, or let customers know they can message you directly on Instagram.

Pro Tip: make sure you provide appropriate contact information! Avoid directing your customers to a phone number no one will answer, an email address that isn’t monitored, or DM’s that aren’t checked. 

Build Your Own Content Strategy With Sauce Agency!

How much is guesswork costing you? Don’t guess, strategize. When you build a content strategy with Sauce Agency, we take a holistic approach to your business success. There’s no experimentation here, just plan development and implementation. Plan for growth and #GrowSmarter with Team Sauce. 

Click here to schedule a free call with one of our Growth Guides.