In this day and age, the internet is the prime place to advertise and run your business. However, if you want to be successful in the digital age, you need to know what to do. A big part of this is knowing how to utilize the platforms you are working on.
Aside from your own website, you should be sure to utilize and keep updated social media accounts. Social media platforms like Instagram, though, seem to be constantly changing. As such, you need to keep on top of these new functions and learn how to get the most out of them for your business.
Instagram Stories
When you craft social media posts usually, you try to make them lasting – these are called “evergreen” posts. This is because once something is on the internet, it tends to stay in the public eye. These posts are when it’s important to keep information relevant and be careful of wording – know what words to use and what words to cut from your writing, for example. Thus, with so much on the line it is only natural to consider using a online professional service e.g. EssayPro.com to ensure that you can display the highest quality content to your audience.
With one of Instagram’s newest features, this is changing, though. Instagram took a page from the platform Snapchat’s book and added stories. An Instagram story is a post – a picture with no attached caption, in this case – that appears for only 24 hours.
For businesses, this is a great way to seem authentic and keep your loyal customers in touch with your current goings-on. In example, you could use a story to announce sales and new items but you could also use it to give your business a personality much like an individual would use their Instagram story.
The shortened nature of Instagram stories make reposting easier too, saving you time. For one, the posts that you use on Snapchat can be reused on Instagram. In addition, you can use your Instagram story to tease content on your main website using swipe up links which we will take a deeper look into momentarily.
Using Instagram as a Business
There are some additional benefits to using Instagram as a business rather than as an individual. For example, those accounts that are businesses with more than 10,000 followers can use swipe up links in their stories. Just as they sound, these links can allow users to access related pages on your website to your Instagram story.
To set yourself up as a business on Instagram is easy. To start, simply sign up as you would with a standard Instagram account. Once you are signed up, you can simply choose the “switch to business account” option from settings and follow the steps that you are prompted to.
Aside from features such as swipe up links, you will also be able to make your personal page look a little different than a standard account. In example, you can add information such as business hours, an address, and phone number to your page.
You should be careful when choosing your username. The name must reflect your business so it is recognizable to those trying to find you online. Additionally, you should use the same name on Instagram as you do other social media platforms so that your brand is consistent.
Location Tags
If you are a business that is local to one area, you might want to use location tags. These can help those looking at your post know where to find your physical location or know if you provide your services in their area.
A location tag works much like the hashtags that we have all become accustomed to using over the years. Instead of a phrase, though, you will use your location. To make this easier, your location will usually come up automatically since Instagram, like many other apps, uses location services.
Conclusion
Social media is more than just a mere pastime or way to stay in touch with friends anymore. In fact, it has become ingrained in our daily lives. Because of this, it only makes sense that companies both big and small jump on board with using the features that these platforms offer.
One site that is constantly innovating is Instagram. If you want to get the most out of their new features, though, you have to keep track of them and learn how to utilize them to the best of your ability. Keep tips like the ones in this article in mind if you want to want to make sure your Instagram usage is effective.
