INSCMagazine: Get Social!

Out of all the social media platforms in recent years, one has shown the most potential to grow your business with. It’s neither Facebook nor Twitter – we’re talking about Instagram.

For all you ladies that strive to build your own brand, Instagram has many advantages that you can capitalize on. Before everything else, it’s completely free, and you don’t have to spend money on any premium features.

Numbers do not lie

In June 2018, Instagram just hit 1 billion users, which is a milestone that only Facebook and Twitter managed to accomplish. Its popularity is on the rise, and it’s only going to rise even further as time goes by.

This is why every female entrepreneur has to have Instagram as their central tool in the brand building armory. With already 71% US businesses using Instagram, you can’t miss to join the bandwagon.

To help you reach your goals of revenue and success on the market, we’ve assembled a simple, yet intricate guide to aid you in using Instagram to its full potential.

The tools at your disposal

Instagram requires no financial planning or purchases, so you will be free to use all the tools and devote your time to mastering them. The key term when exploiting the advantages of Instagram is – interaction.

Specifically, the format and the interface allow for users and entrepreneurs to engage in conversation and create a sense of immediacy. Everyone loves an immediate brand and that what every female entrepreneur should strive to become.

So, what Instagram features benefit this interaction the most? Let’s take a look.

· Comments. Anyone can express their opinion on your posts and allow you to see what is the general consensus.

· Replies to comments. Your fans and customer will be able to hear from you personally. A good move for every female entrepreneur is to like comments, thank the fans for their kind words and cordially ask for more details if the comment is a complaint.

· Instagram stories. These 24-hour limited updates can be a great way to interact with your customers on a more immediate platform. While regular posts should be reserved for something significant, Instagram stories can be used for fan features, snippets and even some personal details about your brand. We’ll cover the benefits of Instagram stories later on.

· DMs. Direct messages are Instagram’s version of chat. Everyone can send you a message, and you can reply in a short time span. They are more personal than comments and allow for offers, serious issues and things that aren’t for public display.

Utilizing the “tribe mentality”

Whilst using Instagram, you are the master of your own hustle. Every female entrepreneur depends on her own idea and work ethic, but Instagram can relieve you of too much work.

How exactly? Unlike other social media platforms, Instagram features a “tribe mentality.” People browse what they follow and share that with their friends. Other people see them liking your picture, and other people will do the marketing work for you.

You don’t need millions of followers to establish a strong brand presence on Instagram. Joining a “tribe” is a great way to accomplishing all your goals in a realistic time span.

While starting small, create relationships. Be different from others and hone a one-on-one approach with other people.

Before you start, think about what is your target audience. Be sure to explore these niche communities and analyze what gets them going, what they like and what they share. Marketing your brand over Instagram isn’t a hit or miss game. Every female entrepreneur should focus on analytics first and foremost.

Building your profile

Like every female entrepreneur, your brand’s image is governed by the general opinion of your profile. There is no “right way” or “wrong way” to immerse oneself into the profile creation process, but some guidelines can surely aid you. Here’s what every lady can do to spice up her profile.

· Profile photo. You should always use a company logo. A good picture will allow you to get noticed even when your thumbnail is in its smallest version.

· Username. It should be your company’s name. If you’re a beginner, the chances are that your preferred name might be taken. Using numbers or alternate spellings can damage your brand, so see if you can purchase the username from the original user. You can use this tool to check the availability of your preferred username. If you have trademarked your brand, you can appeal for infringement.

· Account name. It doesn’t have to be unique, so just put your company’s name there.

· Website. This is the only clickable part of your info-part, so make sure your feature it. A good way for female entrepreneurs to boost their sales is to feature the latest promotional page, instead of just the homepage.

· Bio. Be short and concise. Describe your company in one sentence, use a call to action and add a slogan or hashtag. A combination of all of these will make your profile more enticing.

Shopping and business insights – your best friends

Every female entrepreneur should combine their brand and build a profile with Instagram Shopping. This feature allows you to add stickers to your photos directly linking to a purchase page. From June 12th, this perk became available in Instagram stories as well.

Business insights consist of a series of features for business accounts. You can be notified about things like impressions, reach, taps forward and back, as well as replies.

For a serious female entrepreneur, these statistics are very valuable, as they allow you to see what functions and what doesn’t. Improving non-functional features of your account, as well as repeat the successes will help you grow your business immensely.

Conclusion

Using Instagram is easy, free and not so intricate. To grow your business, you should collaborate with other ladies on the Gram and feature them in return for them featuring you. Utilize Instagram Shopping and business insights to facilitate purchases and to keep track of your followers’ interactions with you.

The process may take a bit of time, but Instagram is by far the best business option for all you ambitious ladies out there. Work hard, be meticulous and chase your dreams.

Author’s Bio: Thomas Lovecraft runs a small business in California. He likes Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain. He is an ornithology lover and an amateur songwriter; he is also a content strategist at Best Dissertation. Follow him on Twitter.

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