The Ultimate Guide to Instagram For Beginners

You've probably heard of Instagram by now if you're a business owner searching for a platform where you can start off your business. Instagram is a social media platform that's quickly growing in popularity by having over a billion monthly active users, and for good reason - it's a great way to connect with customers and build brand awareness. But how will you start?

In this ultimate Instagram guide, we will walk you through how you can start building your Instagram business profile and how you can use it to grow your business online.

What is Instagram?

One could argue that Instagram is unlike any other social media platform since the platform is nearly exclusively based on sharing photos and videos rather than words. This visual twist is why Instagram is the cultural powerhouse it is today — "Instagramming" is officially a verb now. (source: Insider)

Anyone can use Instagram to share photos and videos with their followers and connect with their friends and different people around the world. Instagram users can also share their daily life through stories, view people’s photos, comment, and like posts.

Businesses can also use Instagram to advertise their services or products to the online world and target more of their customers. They can create a visual presence for their brand, connect and engage with customers, and increase sales. Here are some facts about Instagram that will help you consider it for your business:

• Instagram is the 10th most searched query globally, with a 317.7m monthly search volume. 
• 60% of Instagram users go on the platform to find new products.
• 58% of users say they’re more interested in a brand after seeing it in a Story
• 91% of active Instagram users watch videos weekly
• 50% of Instagram users visit a website after seeing it in Stories

How to Create an Instagram Business Account

1. Download the Instagram app onto your mobile device or search Instagram on your laptop/computer.
2. Sign up by entering your mobile number or email address and full name, and create a unique username and password.
3. Select a profile picture.
4. Fill out your bio, including a website link if you have one.
5. Connect with Facebook.
6. Go to your profile and tap the button in the upper right corner.
7. Tap the settings and select account.
8. Switch to a professional account, and then continue.
9. Select a category for your business and OK to confirm.
10. Tap business if you want to add your contact details.

How to Use Instagram for Business

Once you have created an Instagram account, you need to establish your online presence and build strategies that will raise your reputation among your target market. These are the strategies you can use to build your presence online:

Step 1. Post high-quality photos and videos. When you post photos or share stories on Instagram, make sure they’re high quality and look professional. This will help your business appear more credible to potential customers.

Step 2. Make sure your posts are interesting and relevant to your followers. Keep your followers engaged by sharing interesting and engaging content. This could include behind-the-scenes photos, sneak peeks at new products, or customer stories. Moreover, keep in mind that your posts must be valuable and needed by your target audience so they will be more likely to keep coming back for content. You should also post consistently to grow your online presence.

Step 4. Engage with your audience. This is a very important aspect of your social media presence, especially if you want to reach a wider audience. Engaging with your audience will help you to know them well and build a community within your business.

Step 5. Build your ad campaign. You can build ad campaigns to promote your products or services online to specific audiences you want to reach. Ads will also create more traffic to your website and establish brand awareness.

Step 6. Promote your account. Promote your Instagram account on your other social media platforms, on your website, and in your offline marketing materials. This will help you to raise more traffic and reach more potential customers.

Step 7. Analyze your results. Use Instagram’s analytics tools to track how well your account is performing. This will help you to know the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and make necessary changes or adjustments.

Aside from Instagram analytics tools, these are the other free tools you can use to measure your results: Social Bakers, Simply Measured, Squarelovin

Types of Post Every Business Should Try:

• Aesthetic Content
• Behind the scenes post
• Motivational post
• Throwback post
• Giveaways or contest
• Holiday post
• Product or services post
• Interactive or question post

Conclusion:

When used correctly, Instagram can be a powerful marketing tool. It's a great way to connect with your customers and create a connection with your brand. And while there are many different platforms out there, Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms. That's because it's visual-based, which makes it perfect for businesses who want to showcase their products or services visually using engaging images. 

So, create an Instagram account now for your business and experience its amazing features!