More businesses than ever are expanding their reach, engaging their audience, and making themselves known to prepare for 2023. Although Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok dominate the dialogue, they’re not the only major players. In fact, there’s one platform that’s crucial to the conversation: Instagram!
Until recently, most see Instagram as a “nice to have,” but not necessary. However, businesses now realize that Instagram means more than an additional channel for advertising. In fact, Instagram is a marketing strategy by itself. Once a business realizes this, they gain access to a whole new world of audiences that can support, promote, and distribute their products.
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Why You Needed Instagram Yesterday
Some wrote off Instagram as “great for hobbyists and solopreneurs, but not robust enough for businesses.” Nowadays, those businesses sing a different tune. Why? Because younger generations control the dialogue, and Instagram speaks directly to them. Plus, Instagram allows businesses to target their audiences with impressive firepower that other platforms lack.
If you want to add Instagram marketing to your arsenal, but don’t know where to start, never fear! Today, we break down three ways to incorporate Instagram marketing into your strategy forever.
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1. You Connect with the Younger Generations
Instagram effectively targets those under 40, which is most people on Earth! Social media has forever changed marketing, but Instagram is leading the movement for the youth. Why? Because Instagram represents a style of marketing that’s informal, spontaneous, and always evolving. Instagram gives us a sneak peek into what makes millions of people, thousands of businesses, and hundreds of niches tick.
Unlike the limited scope of TV, radio, and print, Instagram goes wherever its users take it. That’s precisely what the younger generations crave—interconnectedness and fewer boundaries. If your marketing doesn’t reflect that, you’ll get left behind. So, incorporating Instagram in your strategy will keep your marketing relevant, nimble, and powerful.
If you’re ready to get started, we recommend learning how to present and market your brand on Instagram. Research brands similar to yours and study how their audiences connect with them. Whether you’re new to business or 30 years in, Instagram can change your marketing game if you do it right.
2. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of Marketing
Singularly focused marketing channels are gone. The internet has given us the capacity to explore different avenues and deploy multiple marketing tools at once. Think of it this way: Instagram isn’t only photos, only videos, only brand deals, only influencer marketing, only hashtags, only direct messaging, and so on. Instagram is all of the above, distinguishing itself as a Swiss Army Knife of marketing and branding. If your prospects are using all of these channels, so should you.
To get started, we recommend sketching a blueprint of your marketing strategy. Your marketing plan should resemble more of a spider web than a “Point A to Point B” design. Lay out all the avenues you want to target and how one affects another. By focusing on the small details and the big picture, you’ll create a vibrant and longlasting Instagram marketing strategy.
3. You have Better Conversations (and Better Conversions)
Social media took the idea of internet message boards and perfected the craft. Nowadays, you can stumble across a post with a product you love, hear it from someone you trust, and directly message that person. This radical shift from TV, radio and print ads demonstrated that marketing doesn’t have to talk at you—it can start a conversation WITH you.
Imagine yourself on Instagram: You’ve built an audience of dedicated fans, and now you can pitch your products and services directly to them. Not only does this yield better conversions over selling to a general audience, but your fans will also be able to connect with you and build rapport with your brand. This is why Instagram is a powerhouse in the marketing space—customers crave connection, and Instagram is a proven method to create that connection.
Connecting your audience may seem scary at first, but it doesn’t have to be. Start with responding to as many DMs as possible, regularly check and reply to comments on your posts, and reach out to similar brands to form camaraderie. The more you connect with others, the more they’ll want to connect with you. It’s beautifully simple, and Instagram has made it easier than ever.
Above all, the more you embrace the market changes, the more flexible and powerful your brand will be. Plus, the more you understand how your audience connects and communicates, the more they’ll trust you. The market never lies!
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