If you double-down on only one social media network this year, Instagram just might be your best bet. While Snapchat has been garnering attention as of late, Instagram is the right choice if you want long-term, sustained engagement. Visual content is eye candy; the more sweet treats you offer your online audience, the better the chances are that your social media following will grow.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur trying to attract new eyeballs to your startup or a small business owner hoping to find new customers online, Instagram lets you leave enticing visual breadcrumbs to attract consumers to your business. To turbocharge your social media marketing efforts on Instagram, here are seven powerful ways you can increase your Instagram marketing ROI.
1: Don’t be afraid to repurpose your Instagram content in unexpected ways.
Make a Slideshare presentation of your top Instagram images on a specific theme. Incorporate some of your images into an infographic and upload your infographic to Visual.ly. Create blog posts for your business blog or your LinkedIn account and use your Instagram images within your posts. Make sure your Instagram URL is in all your online profiles so potential new followers can find you.
2: Integrate Instagram images into your email signature.
Change your email signature on a regular basis and use different motivational Instagram images from your account to inspire those you correspond with. Be sure to hashtag your images appropriately, such as #hustle, #entrepreneur, or #smallbusiness.
3: Incorporate Twitter’s trending hashtags into your visual marketing efforts.
Pay attention to hashtags that are trending on Twitter and create Instagram images pertaining to a trending hashtag. Share your image on Instagram and cross-post your image to Twitter using IFTTT. This ensures your Instagram image will show up on Twitter’s trending hashtag feed and potentially drives new eyeballs to your Instagram account. Make sure your images are happy, lighthearted, or funny for maximum engagement opportunities.
4: Share content from individuals or companies you want to do business with.
Pin their posts to a Pinterest board you create specifically for your favorite people. Post their images to Facebook with a comment about why you like their post (be sure to @ mention them in your post if they’re on Facebook). Tweet their images on Twitter to share with your followers. This helps builds their audience while showing admiration for the content they’re creating (great way to stay top-of-mind!).
5: Identify Instagram users you would love to have as customers and occasionally comment on their images.
No, this doesn’t mean spamming each image they share. Sporadically leave comments to show you enjoy their posts as a way of getting on their radar. Make sure your Instagram profile is complete so they’ll have all relevant information on your company should they want to check out your business.
6: Try motivational posts.
Motivational posts do extremely well on Instagram. Think about topics your target customers might identify with and incorporate those topics into your motivational Instagram posts. Share your posts wherever your preferred customers might find you. Add your images to StumbleUpon. Add a motivating image to your profile on niche networks where your customers congregate online. Remember that growing your Instagram following isn’t just about networking on Instagram. Think of Instagram like a digital portfolio for your visual content to showcase your style to customers. Wherever a customer might encounter you online, your Instagram URL/images should be present.
7: Upgrade your fonts on Instagram.
Too many Instagram users stick to the same old fonts everyone else is using. Adjust your fonts to match your messaging and you’ll be amazed at how much more engagement you see on your images. Standing out is critical if you wan to be noticed; upping your font game is an excellent way to attract potential customers to your Instagram content. Use a tool like this one from LingoJam to change your font and make your posts stand out.
These are just seven of many ways you can increase your Instagram ROI. The more you treat Instagram as an integral part of your visual marketing strategy, the better your engagement rates will be. With each image or video you create on Instagram, think of how many ways you can use your newly created content to attract eyeballs to your brand.
Challenge yourself to use each visual asset in at least three ways and you’ll soon see just how powerful Instagram can be to your brand. Review your audience numbers every quarter to understand how much your brand has grown; you should be measuring engagement rate and follower count regularly to monitor your marketing efforts.
