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Hi everyone! Welcome to our 93rd podcast! Today we’re looking at how to use Instagram to grow your business. How are people using it and what have we found in our trials? This is a great visual medium with a growing user base…
What did Andrew McCauley and Heather Porter learn this week?
Heather found an article about Jamie Oliver in Forbes and how he uses content marketing. It’s a great summary of how he uses the skills he’s good at across different platforms. He is also a great study for how you might use an app and where to promote it.
Andrew had it hammered home that there really is no more “free lunch” as far as social goes. Tumblr is now bringing in sponsored video posts. Predictions are that they will be making a huge amount of money from next year.
How to use Instagram to grow your business…
Keep it real
People and brands who are the most popular tend to be those who are real on Instagram rather than just flogging product. The hashtag #nofilter is one of the most popular (but don’t use this with a filtered photo!), and brands who do well share things like what happens behind the scenes or lifestyle shots to do with their brand.
Unwrapping the box
Giving ‘swag’ to popular Instagram users (for example pro skateboarders) is a great way to get some exposure. “Unwrapping the box” videos or photos receive a lot of curious attention so it’s a way of getting products seen.
For service businesses…
Think about the outcome of your product or service, or the lifestyle involved. For example, Hello Hair shows photos of beautiful hair styles, to show what the outcome could be from using their product…
Use fan photos
GoPro does this well, reposting photos of their users.
Scarcity
If you have products in limited supply, create scarcity by posting on Instagram. Vintage clothing stores have been doing this effectively.
Use word images
Share things such as coupon codes and URLs in an image.
Beware of Insta-damage!
Overly staged photos, demonstrating you don’t ‘get’ the platform or posting photos of things that have nothing to do with why people follow your account will get you backlash! Check out failed campaigns by Audi and McDonalds as an example…
Remember that what you see as ordinary or boring about yourself, may in fact be interesting to others. How can you invite people in to what you do and make it more personable?
Find out more! Here is the article we mentioned in the podcast… You can also see the Instagram accounts we talked about…
