In the last lesson you have learnt what the target audience is and how to define it. Now you know how to conduct a competitor analysis and draw an image of a perfect client. In today’s lesson we are going to study development and promotion strategies and discuss their types and features. The lesson includes promotion via website, third party websites and blogs.
You will learn to implement efficient long-term strategies and interact with the audience using hashtags.
SHORT- AND LONG-TERM STRATEGIES
There are only two strategies for promotion on Instagram:
▶ Short-term strategy. Also called a ‘sprint strategy’. Social networks are known for their speed. It has the quickest response time of all internet marketing tools. On social networks, people make decisions instantaneously. On Instagram, for example, a striking picture generating a WOW effect makes you immediately follow in admiration.
▶ Long-term strategies. These strategies need an extended period of time to work. Promotion is progressive. They are also called ‘marathon strategies’. Followers gather slowly. The most important thing here is to maintain balance and continuously develop your social network while keeping in mind the growth prospects.
The most efficient strategy is a long-term one, of course, because it builds a solid foundation for your business it can rest upon for years.
One of these methods is to promote your Instagram account outside the platform. You have great opportunities for that.
We are going to tell you about the most popular and efficient methods:
▶ Your own website.
▶ Your articles and videos on other websites.
▶ Your account on YouTube.
▶ Your accounts on other social networks.
▶ Your offline store or office.
PROMOTION VIA WEBSITE
The most obvious method tops the list—it is your own website. Clients visiting your website should see the link to your Instagram, follow and see all your posts in the feed daily. You simply need to add a button there. Any site allows you to add links to social networks. The most popular ones are Facebook and Instagram.
PROMOTION VIA THIRD PARTY WEBSITES AND BLOGS
You can promote your Instagram not only on your website, but also on the websites of others. To do that, you always need to leave links to your Instagram. When you write articles for other websites or blogs, for example. If the people like your texts, they will follow you to read more! This is a very simple, honest and wise way to redirect active traffic from other websites to your business.
When you upload videos on YouTube, always leave links to your Instagram.
Add calls to action and motivate people to watch other videos on your Instagram. After watching videos on YouTube, people often take a look at the comments. If they like the video, they would certainly like to look at the Instagram of the talented author! When you add your videos to someone else’s YouTube channel, always leave links to your Instagram. Links and comments you leave once will continuously work for you. Even after a long time the people who watch the video on YouTube for the first time will see your Instagram, read your call to action and might become your new followers
CROSSPOSTING
Any other social network is a great platform to promote your Instagram! Crosspost i.e. post materials from one platform on other platforms. Always crosspost on all social networks you use and invite your friends to follow your Instagram account. By doing that, you can make your Facebook followers also follow you on Instagram. And vice versa. All they need to do is to tell you about your profiles on other platforms!
Join your accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Cross Promote and unite your followers from all sources. Do not be afraid to promote your Instagram on your other pages. To do that, you can create separate posts, post some of the content from your profile on your wall and leave direct invitation links.
OFFLINE
Another idea for promoting your Instagram is to do it offline. Place some promo information in your store or office. It can be a display, a poster or business cards and handouts with the name of your account. In other words, anywhere your customers can see it!
Control the quality
Remember: people will follow you only if they like where you put your ads. For example, tidy up your website by placing ads from your Instagram. Make sure the texts are good when you post videos or texts in the blog. People are picky and will continue the conversation only if they like the start of the dialogue, meaning your website, store or the social network! Offer discount vouchers and interesting promotion activities for your followers to interest people! You are more likely to get followed if they know they can get something interesting in return.
In the previous lessons we have already touched upon hashtags. Let us discuss it in more detail. Hashtags are a great tool to attract followers if you know how to apply it.
First you need to know posts with what hashtags generate the most likes. There are special services for that. One of them, and probably the best of its kind, is Tags For Likes. The most popular hashtags with lots of followers and likes are gathered together here. When we visit the website, we see 25 most popular hashtags on Instagram at the moment!
Try to choose the closest category to what you do from the provided list. For example, if you sell healthy products, choose the hashtags related to persons, personal care and health. You will be provided 25 most popular hashtags from the category. These hashtags get the most views. Use them to attract attention to your account. Always choose hashtags for your posts from that list. Copy them and put them on your page.
As you can see, promotion strategies are quite flexible. They can adapt and adjust depending on the goals of the business account owner, volume of sales and features of your target audience. You need to deal with strategies together with promoting your account, and work them out even before registration on Instagram.
