Instagram for Businesses: Why Companies Can’t Ignore This Platform

October 23, 2017

Many companies overlook Instagram for businesses as a serious marketing platform, assuming their audience won’t be active there. However, Instagram for businesses offers unprecedented opportunities to reach customers, with 600 million users and 15 million business profiles demonstrating its commercial potential. Understanding how to leverage Instagram for businesses effectively can transform your social media marketing strategy and drive real business results.

Why Instagram for Businesses Matters More Than You Think

With so many online marketing platforms to consider and small in-house teams, it’s hard for businesses to know where to best focus their promotion and brand awareness efforts.

The common mistake seems to be ignoring platforms that you think your target audience won’t be using. Stop right there! You are assuming that all your audience operate online in exactly the same way, but they don’t. Every platform can be a powerful touchpoint in your potential client’s sales path.

The Scale of Instagram’s Business Opportunity

Take Instagram for example – it’s a hot platform for influencer marketing but rarely used by companies outside of the lifestyle and beauty products markets. This doesn’t mean Instagram is a ‘quiet’ platform by any means though; by the end of 2016 Instagram reported that the platform had 600 million users and 15 million business profiles.

The Competitive Risk of Ignoring Instagram

Even if you are sure that your audience won’t be on this platform, do you want to risk people seeing your competitors on Instagram and potentially losing the sale to them simply because they’ve seen a paid advert or some inspirational imagery?

3 Essential Instagram Strategies for Businesses

These are 3 simple tips that, once you’ve set up a profile, can help you build your business on this platform:

1. Cross-Collaboration Opportunities

Cross-promote with complementary businesses: Have you thought about featuring another business’s product in your photo or offering your products to others to feature? This could be a great way to get interaction and engagement to your profile when you are just starting out and a little low on followers. This is a great way to pair up complementary products or services, such as windows and curtains that already go hand in hand.

2. Create a Strong Brand Theme

Develop consistent visual storytelling: Take Farrow & Ball for example, their Instagram account is a beautiful catalogue of their finest wall paint colours mixed with harmonising patterns and accessories. The whole account is made to inspire you to imagine using their colours in your home.

For any company with tangible products, a lifestyle catalogue to get your customers sold on how your product could look in their dream home set up. For those who sell services, for example Thomas Cook, take extra care in making sure your pictures tell the story of how someone will feel if they buy your services, make them paint themselves into your pictures.

3. Leverage Video Content

Embrace mobile video marketing: People are viewing videos on their mobiles more than ever now. A report by HubSpot found that 64% of consumers are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video of it first, which could increase the ROI of your Instagram marketing.

It’s not hard to do, and it could be as simple as filming a new product in the factory, but it will engage users and create more trusted content to build that relationship with potential return customers.

The Business Case for Instagram Marketing

A final fact from Instagram – 50% of Instagrammers follow a business & 60% of people say that they learn about a product or service on Instagram. Can your business afford to ignore that?

Key Statistics for Instagram Business Marketing

• 600 million active users globally use the platform
• 15 million business profiles already established
• 50% of users follow at least one business account
• 60% of users discover products and services through Instagram
• 64% of consumers are more likely to purchase after watching product videos

Getting Started with Instagram for Your Business

Success on Instagram requires more than just posting pretty pictures. Effective Instagram marketing involves understanding your audience, creating consistent brand messaging, and developing content that encourages engagement and conversion.

Common Instagram Marketing Mistakes

Many businesses fail on Instagram because they:

• Post inconsistently without a content strategy
• Use poor-quality images that don’t reflect their brand
• Ignore engagement and fail to respond to comments
• Don’t use relevant hashtags or location tagging
• Focus only on selling rather than building relationships

Start Your Instagram Business Journey

Don’t let your competitors dominate Instagram whilst you’re missing out on this massive business opportunity.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to improve your existing Instagram presence, professional guidance can help you avoid common mistakes and achieve faster results.

Contact our Instagram marketing specialists:

• Phone: 01934 808132
• Strategy Consultation: Book your Instagram strategy session
• Email: info@purplexmarketing.com

Join the 15 million businesses already using Instagram to grow their customer base and increase sales.

This entry was posted in Digital Marketing