The world is a very different place from what it used to be a few decades ago. We have made advancements in every field, be it healthcare, education, science and technology, business management, or marketing. With the passage of time and the advent of the internet, everything has changed.
Every industry has had to evolve and keep up with the rapidly changing technology and trends. Marketing is a field that has profited immensely from this. In the past few years, there has been a paradigm shift in marketing strategies because advertisement has been entirely digitized.
Newspapers and flyers have now been replaced with tablets and mobile phones. The days of paper have been left far behind, and social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat have completely taken over. Instagram is one such platform that has been dominating this field for years. With the most extensive viewership (with around 1 billion users), which is projected to still increase in the coming years, Instagram is becoming an increasingly popular option for marketing, and a good reason.
Here’s why, and how you too should take full advantage of Instagram’s potential:
Why Instagram?
As stated above, Instagram has 1 billion followers. That is more followers than any social media platform ever! This means your advertisement will be seen by scores of people, causing a surge in your sales, as well as brand growth. Brand awareness is crucial for any business’s success and growth, and Instagram can help you achieve it like no other platform.
Instagram also allows users to engage with advertisements, increasing the chances of buying your products or services. 90% of all Instagram users follow at least one business, and 84% of its total audience is likely to buy from small businesses. These numbers alone should be enough to convince anyone that there is no better platform to advertise on than Instagram.
How to Advertise on Instagram
Instagram marketing is becoming increasingly cut-throat as businesses realize its importance. Nonetheless, it is not impossible to make a place for your product in the ever-growing market of Instagram. Instagram allows you to advertise in different ways: stories, photos, video, carousel, collection, and ads in the explore feature. You can choose the kind of ad you want and your ad’s duration, according to your need and budget. Here are a few tips you should follow when devising your marketing strategy:
1. Set up an Instagram Business Account
To put up advertisements and market your services/products, you should have an Instagram Business or Creator account. If you already have a business/creator account, you are good to go; otherwise, your first step should be switching to a business account. You can do so in your settings by choosing “Accounts” -> “Switch to Professional Account.”
Doing this will not only allow you to advertise your products/services but give you many other advantages, including access to analytics, which is very important to gauge the reach and success of your ads.
2. Identify Your Target Audience
You cannot be entirely successful in marketing without knowing who you are marketing. One of the fundamental things around which marketing strategies are based includes knowing your target audience. If your brand is for teenagers, your ads should be such that they capture young Instagrammers’ attention. If it is meant for the older generation, your advertisement should be per that.
You can only create an effective ad or marketing strategy if you know whose attention you are trying to grab, and the only way of doing so is by researching your audience demographics.
3. Create a suitable profile for your brand
Think of your Instagram profile as your virtual business card. It is a portfolio for your business and will create your brand’s profile in the viewer’s head. So it would be best if you made one that creates a good and lasting impression.
Instagram only allows you to use 150 characters to write your bio. That is not very many words, especially considering that you need to introduce your brand in this limited amount of words. Make sure you use these sensibly. Your profile picture, too, should be given equal care and consideration. The profile picture will play an integral role in creating your brand’s image. Your profile picture should embody your brand’s vision.
4. Create Eye-catching Content
Your ads should be arresting enough for a viewer to stop while scrolling. If this is not the case, users will scroll past it, and your efforts and money might go down the drain. It would be wise to hire experienced content creators to create content that fulfills your requirements and is visually compelling. We at Sunan Designs have a team of expert content creators trained for this very task. Reach out to us to have your content created by people who specialize in this field.
5. Consistency is Key
Instagram marketing is highly competitive, with thousands of brands fighting to create an image and grow their client base. To make a place for your brand, you need to post quality content consistently. This will help you build a connection with your followers. Seeing your brand on their feeds often will help them remember it.
Albeit it is time-consuming, this is a surefire way of increasing engagement. Make sure you don’t compromise on the quality of content in the quest to produce more of it. Quality and quantity are both of the essences here. It would be best if you kept them both in mind.
Seeing hundreds of thousands of businesses advertising on Instagram might be a tad intimidating, but don’t let it deter you. Advertising on this platform will require time, effort, and money, but it is sure to pay-off. Instagram ads have helped thousands of businesses take off, and yours could join the list. You can make it easier for yourself to do so by consulting Sunan Designs. Sunan Designs has a team of highly-skilled, seasoned experts that can do all this, from devising the marketing strategy to creating the content itself for you.