Say goodbye — and good riddance — to 2020 and get your business back on track with Instagram. Whether you’re a service provider or you’re running a brick and mortar shop or a small business that was hit hard by the pandemic, it’s time to regain control of your revenue.
To make it through 2021, you might have to step into uncharted territory, aka Instagram. But worry not. We’re here to help and guide you.
In this article, we’re going to tell you why Instagram is your best chance at filling the customer void left by social distancing. Plus, we’re going to reveal 5 tactics that will help you successfully launch your business on Instagram.
Hopefully, after the first quarter of 2021, you’ll rise above all challenges and thrive into a brave new Instagram world.
Why launch your business on Instagram in 2021
Instagram is ripe for business. In fact, it’s becoming the favourite platform of businesses and shops around the world. As a business tool, Instagram is versatile, efficient, easy to use, and it gathers more than 1 billion users. That’s 1 in 8 people on the planet. Let that sink in for a moment.
The most amazing thing though, is that users actually seek brands and businesses on Instagram. In fact, more than 200 million Instagrammers visit at least one business profile daily. Plus, more than 60% of users use Instagram to discover new products.
Just imagine how much bigger your prospect list can become if you decide to launch your business on Instagram. You’ll go from strict lockdown limitations to endless possibilities, in an environment where people are actively looking for brands.
Another aspect to consider is that the pandemic has completely shifted consumer dynamics. With strict social distancing rules, people are buying less from brick and mortar shops and prefer online shopping instead. The lockdown also influenced social media usage, causing a surge like never before.
According to specialists, one of the trends that will dominate 2021, is a massive business shift from offline to online, as a response to the pandemic. So, if you’ve been looking for an answer or a solution, Instagram offers all the tools you need to see it through.
5 tips to launch your business on Instagram in 2021
1. Learn the Instagram basics
Getting started with Instagram is easy and intuitive. As a business, you only need to take a few extra steps to open your business account and start interacting with your audience.
But don’t rush. To launch your business on Instagram successfully, you need to do your research first.
Start by understanding the Instagram basics. That means you should get familiarised with tools, features, and tactics before you even download the app.
Learn as much as you can about newsfeed posts, stories, engagement, videos, Reels, carousels, and discover how to craft an Instagram bio that will get you found.
Then, put in some effort to find other apps that can ease your efforts on Instagram. You’ll most definitely need an Instagram scheduler to save time for the really important stuff. Plus, you’ll also need a few versatile apps that will help you edit your stories and posts.
Social media blogs such as Preppr’s provide a ton of insights on all of the above and more. Once you’re in the know with these basics, read our 13 Things To Focus On When Starting As A Small Business On Instagram article and take it from there.
2. Study your Instagram audience
Audiences are becoming more and more sophisticated. As Gen Zers enter their spending years, your brand needs to pay attention to a new world order, one in which experiences are more valuable than goods.
After you launch your business on Instagram, your main goal will be to engage these new customers. To do that, you’ll need more than pretty pictures. You’ll need insights from which you can craft relevant messages. That’s just the first step towards a refined strategy that creates brand experiences meant to lock-in loyal customers.
With your audience defined, look for Instagram profiles that fit your ideal customer. See what type of content they post and, most importantly, what kind of content they engage with. What makes them tick? What gets them to act?
Note all these things down. You’ll use them later.
Last but not least, try to understand things from your future followers’ perspective. What do they care about? How can you win them over? What is totally forbidden when interacting with them?
To get a head-start on how to engage with your followers, read our 10 Things Your Instagram Followers Wished You Knew article.
3. Get inspiration from similar business accounts
Learning from similar business accounts can save you tons of time and provide great inspiration, especially if you’re planning to launch your business on Instagram. Before you create your account, check out your competitors’ Instagram pages and analyse the following:
- their Instagram bio
- post frequency
- the tone of voice and messaging
- feed aesthetics and coherency
- stories and Reels
- campaigns and offers
See what works for them and think about how you could implement similar tactics yourself.
However, beware! There’s a difference between drawing inspiration and copying someone else’s strategy. The latter won’t work, as your users will easily catch on and call you on it.
Everything you learn from your competitors must then be infused with your own brand flavour, voice, and personality.
4. Create your social media marketing plan
After you complete steps 1 – 2 – 3, you can start thinking about your social media marketing plan.
This plan will be the foundation of all your efforts on Instagram. Ultimately, it will give the measure of your success (or lack thereof). In your social media marketing plan, make sure to outline:
- audiences and characteristics
- tone-of-voice and brand personality
- long-term objectives
- short-time goals
- content guidelines (dos and donts)
- engagement tactics
- campaign timelines
- posting schedules
- results tracking methods
In case you’ve never created a social media marketing plan, don’t worry. We’ve put together a list of free templates to get you started.
Whatever you do, make sure to stir away from these common marketing strategy mistakes!
With all of the above in mind, you’ll be fully ready to launch your business on Instagram. Which takes us to step 5.
5. Start your Instagram activity and meet Preppr
If you got this far, you’re truly ready to launch your business on Instagram.
You can now create your business account and fill in your Instagram bio. Make sure to clearly articulate what your business is offering and how your customers can buy from you. Add hashtags to expand your reach and then go for it, one step at a time. Remember, this is a long-term commitment so keep learning as you go.
Ready to launch your business on Instagram?
Handling your new account will require a lot of dedication, time, and effort. To ease the load, Preppr is here to help you schedule posts in advance so you can earn likes while you take care of other parts of your business. Download it now and enjoy a 10-day free trial.
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