Instagram is one of the most frequently used social media platforms, having over 2 billion active users per month. Although this social media app was initially created for fun and snapshots, it has now become an absolute goldmine for businesses. There is no restriction for businesses; they can be of any size or shape. Unlike in the beginning, it is no longer about silly filters and photos with borders. Instead, it is now important to have a visually appealing and perfectly curated feed to stand out. 

Because of a lack of strategies, many businesses struggle to grow and adopt Instagram inquire button. That is why, in this article, we will be discussing everything about Instagram marketing and strategies that can uplift your brand.

What is Instagram Marketing? 

Instagram marketing is the process of businesses harnessing Instagram's power to reach their target audience. It helps them foster their brand awareness and share products. Marketers and businesses can use this platform for various avenues. It can help them to connect with their target audience, consisting of paid as well as unpaid options. 

Moreover, the platform also provides several features, allowing you to promote your brand in different ways. Through these features, you can create an overall engaging marketing strategy. These features may include:

• Instagram stories

• Carousel posts

• Story highlights

• Instagram shopping 

• Instagram reels

• Paid partnerships for influencer campaigns

Why Instagram Marketing is Beneficial for Businesses? 

Since Instagram has an extensive audience, it is beneficial for businesses to do Instagram marketing and elevate their brand. Here are some other reasons why Instagram marketing is a good idea for businesses. 

• Narrative: Instagram does not focus on conventional written storytelling. The Instagram platform is all about sharing a narrative using images, which is crucial for marketing. Through this platform, you can bring your brand's story to life. Use aesthetic posts, photo collages, ads, and even stories for these purposes.

• Reach: There are a billion-plus users on Instagram every month. Hence, it offers almost unlimited access to an audience. In this way, you can extend your reach drastically.

• Community Engagement: Instagram has a very high engagement rate with brands. That is why the platform provides unique opportunities for marketers to connect with their community members. Ultimately, this will lead to fostering engagement and conversation.

• Competitive Lens: Even if you do not use Instagram marketing as a strategy, there are high chances that your competitors are. Take advantage of this platform and assess what your competitors are sharing. Plus, find out who is performing well and who is not. Create best practices for your community by noticing what fails and succeeds.

Strategies for Instagram Marketing 

Here are some basic yet the best strategies that you may need for Instagram marketing.

Define Your Marketing Goals

It might be your first and most critical step in Instagram marketing. You need to know what you want and why you want to have an Instagram presence. Get to know what this platform can get for your business. Clear your goals, whether you want to generate leads, build a community, or increase brand awareness. Setting social media goals is a critical step in any strategy. These goals will determine everything, including your content strategy to how much time you should spend on the platform, says Oliver Miller, founder of Insaver.

Determine Your Instagram Target Audience

Know your target audience is essential, but you should also optimize your profile and posts using Instagram SEO strategies to ensure your content reaches the right people helping you gain real Instagram likes, impressions, and more engagement on your posts.

Do not forget to consider several factors, including location, gender, age, interests, pain points, and motivation. If you do not know where to start, track famous interest hashtags and events related to your brand. Notice the audience engaging with these hashtags and go through their profiles. Furthermore, you can also take a look at the followers of your competitors, says Ozzi Jarvinen, Founder of Iglu.

Conduct a Competitive Analysis

First, determine your Instagram audience. Perform a competitive analysis to know what other marketers are posting. Already know your top competitors? Start your journey by reviewing their Instagram profiles. If you are not aware of the competitors, search with terms related to your industry or brand to find similar accounts. Perform a quick audit of similar accounts to find the posts with the highest engagements. Also you can also find the relevant hashtags, their captions, and their posting frequency. Using this information as a benchmark, you can start growing your own brand account, says Co-Owner and Creative Director of Alpine Dog Company Inc

Configure an Editorial Calendar

Create an editorial calendar to save time and manage your Instagram presence. Fill in your calendar with a few Instagram post types. Moreover, plan your hashtags, captions, and posting time in advance. Your editorial calendar is also a good place to record any significant events to highlight on your Instagram account. For instance, these may include new product launches or special discounts. You can also keep an eye out for real-time opportunities instead of disorganized last-minute posts. There are also free calendar guides and templates you can use to manage and plan your Instagram content, says Kartik Ahuja, Marketing Manager at PortaPotty

Get Familiar with the Algorithms

The Instagram algorithms monitor what ends up in people's feeds. It also controls the Explore page and other Instagram feed-related stuff. If you want to succeed on the platform, you must do your research. In simple words, the Instagram algorithms focus on information about content, including reels, posts, and stories. Moreover, it also focuses on information about users, their interests, and their behaviour on the platform. With this information, Instagram serves the right information to the right audience. Each algorithm evaluates information about the posts, such as their relevance and popularity. It also considers the person who posted, your history of interaction with them, and your activity across the platform, says Marom the founder of Tropicon Agency.

Experiment Often

It's good to plan out a few different approaches and see what really resonates with your audiences over time. Give yourself permission to get outside your comfort zone, do something a little more humorous or provocative, and then make refinements to your plan once you see the impact. Not everything you try will work, but sometimes learning what doesn't work can be just as valuable. When we were trying to appeal to new home buyers in Portland, for example, we needed a whole new approach than what worked in Connecticut. Will Begeny, VP, Marketing at Tomo.

Conclusion

Instagram provides a wide audience and extensive field to market any brand. You can use the mentioned Instagram marketing strategies for businesses of all types and sizes. Make sure to determine your goals and target audience. Create a consistent brand image and follow the latest trends to stay relevant to the competitors. Know that consistency and continuous research are important for success in this platform. Optimize your profile to attract and engage your followers and beyond.