How to Market on Instagram

As Instagram gets to be more and more popular, it was natural that smart marketers will devise ways to use it for their uses. While we’re uncertain how long this may last, as Instagram is now owned by Facebook and change is bound to happen, for the moment it is slaughtering it’s social parent in terms of engagement.

In a 2014 Forrester Research study, engagement among Instagram users is some 60 times higher than that on Facebook for brands and their consumers. This, together with Facebook’s recent trimming of your social reach has sent marketers scurrying to figure out ways to use other avenues. Here are 7 ways they are using Instagram to their advantage.

7 Ways to market on Instagram

Get a business account on Instagram – Making sure you have a branded business account is the first step, coupled with completing your company profile and connecting it to Facebook and other social media channels.

Use plenty of hashtags – As hashtags are the chief way people can search for you on this mobile platform, you wish to be found taking full advantage of this, especially by using your company branding. In addition ,, don’t forget to monitor your hashtags, so you can be aware of any activity, good or bad happening with your name.

Engage your customers – Like your followers photos, comment, embed, mention and otherwise recognize and engage with people connected to you.

Use Instagram’s new 15-second videos – Use these to display products, people and your brand.

Show off your products – Instagram is a terrific way of getting your products some wide reaching audience they might not have had.

Crowdsource photos of your products – Having a contest to generate user submitted content about your brand and products is a very good way to engage.

Post frequently – Find your optimum posting rate, whether that is a few times a week or several times a day. The secret is to post enough that your audience is growing and engaging. You’ll know it when you see it.