Instagram Marketing: Instagram is perhaps people’s favorite social platform.
Why do we like Instagram?
Because of images.
Visual social media platforms are growing faster.
As of October 2021, Instagram has 1.393 million users on Instagram, ranking fourth in the world’s most active social media platforms. Now, Instagram offers unlimited opportunities for businesses. But, if you want to draw in users who are willing to open their wallets and spread your content, you’ll need to develop an Instagram marketing plan.
In this article, you will learn how to develop an Instagram Marketing Strategy in 7 easy steps, put it into practice and start selling.
Seven Simple Steps To Developing An Instagram Marketing Plan.
Step #1 – Define your goals on Instagram
Setting goals means commitment. It is the act of selecting one or more objectives that you want to achieve.
Therefore, the first step is to define your Instagram goals. Do you want to make your brand known? Do you hope to attract potential clients? Or maybe convert leads?
Having a clear objective in mind is crucial when creating your Instagram content so that each piece is focused on achieving that objective.
Aim for SMART goals, which stand for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.
If, for example, your goal on Instagram is social selling, your Instagram feed should be focused on showcasing your products and encouraging your audience to try them.
Once you have defined your objectives, establish one or more KPIs to track your performance
For example:
Brand awareness > KPIs: Followers, social traffic
Lead acquisition > KPIs: Website clicks, email sign-ups
Sales > KPIs: Sales
Step #2 – Know your Instagram audience
Without an audience interested in what you offer, your Instagram account is useless for your business.
If you have already defined who your buyer persona is, use this information. If not, you have to define your target audience.
Thinking about your average customer, answer these questions:
- How old is your target audience?
- Where is it located?
- Are your products and services more popular among one gender?
- What is the biggest goal of your target audience?
- What pain points are your customers trying to solve?
- How can they live simpler lives thanks to your products or services?
If you’re a big brand, you can target different audiences with different accounts. For example, Adidas uses Adidas Originals, Adidas Women, Adidas Swim, and Adidas Running…
That said, if you are a small business, it is best to start with a single account. And from there, you can escalate.
Step #3 – Get inspired by the competition
Users share more than 80 million images every day.
We’re not saying you have to check them all. But you can check out your competition’s content for inspiration.
Things to keep in mind about your competitors:
- Type of content they publish
- What hashtags do they share with their posts?
- Check the comments on your competitor’s posts to see what their customers are talking about
- Keep an eye on content trends
Choose up to five competitors and start collecting information. Remember that exercise is for inspiration. Don’t copy what they are doing because it may not be in line with achieving your own goals.
Step #4 – Define your brand on Instagram
It’s important to create an Instagram feed that reflects the style of your business. Instagram is primarily a visual platform, so the quality of images and other materials should be in harmony with the colors and style of your main brand identity.
Step #5 – Plan your content strategy on Instagram
Before planning a content strategy on Instagram, you should review your bio and existing content.
Check if your bio reflects your business mission and is aligned with your business goals.
Then, it’s time to view the content in your feed. Is the content relevant to my business goals? Is my audience interested in this content?
With this data, you can create a content strategy on Instagram that could be different from the one you had.
Let’s dive into the content you’re planning.
Since Instagram allows you many content options: images, videos, carousels, stories, reels, IGTV, etc., you can play with different types of content: educational, behind the scenes, product, entertainment, user generated, etc.
Not a graphic designer?
No problem. With Canva, you’ll be able to create (and share!) beautiful designs like a pro.
First, make a list of topics relevant to your business. Not only do they have to be related to the products and services you sell, but the audience must be interested in them.
Keep in mind that captions are key to attracting customers. A research published claims that companies may boost Instagram engagement with up to ten-word captions, particularly when paired with carousel images.
Step #6 – Establish a consistent posting schedule
Once you have an Instagram marketing plan in place, it’s time to create a consistent posting schedule.
To see results, you must be consistent.
Instagram Insights will give you information about when your followers are most active. Finding out the best time to post is not easy. But with information, and based on trial and error, you will find the best moment, the one that gives you the most engagement and followers.
If you are wondering how many posts you should publish in a day, we will tell you 1-2 posts a day, if your goal is to grow.
That said, keep in mind that you may not be able to create as much content, so it’s best to stick to a schedule that you can maintain long-term.
Step #7 – Track your progress
This is perhaps the most underrated step.
However, it is essential to track the performance of your stocks over time.
Regularly (weekly or monthly) check your goals and the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) you set previously and see if you are moving towards achieving your goals.The Instagram platform for businesses has a great tool: Instagram Insights. There is a lot of data that you can collect and gain insights from.
Make it a habit.
Conclusion
An Instagram marketing strategy makes a difference.
This road plan will assist you in drawing in new followers and turning them into devoted patrons.
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