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In the last lesson we learned how to install the Instagram app and create your first business account. Today, we will continue creating our business account and learn how to set a profile picture and compose a potent description. You will also learn what information can be stored in the account and how to add a call to action to engage the target audience.

 As of now, Instagram has over a billion users. Just imagine the scale! So in order to become popular and relevant, your business account needs to be properly filled in and configured. It also has to be original enough to stand out.

USERNAME

The first thing you need to improve is the username. It has to be unique because it says to your audience: ‘Hey, I am different, you must follow me and not my competitors!’ There are a lot of people on Instagram, and every one of them can pretend to be you on purpose or borrow the elements they like from your page. Anybody can post content similar to yours or copy it without your approval.

      The Instagram system punishes such actions, but it takes time to find out about them. That is why it is so important to come up with a striking and memorable username. Because it is the only thing that cannot be stolen from you! Every Instagram user has their unique name. Every follower looking for your account can easily identify and tell you from imposters. So an Instagram username is not just another profile decoration, it is an important identification tag. 

      Look at the screen of your smartphone. The name is always at the top of your Instagram page. Your username also appears in search results when somebody tries to find you. It always appears when you comment on other people’s photos or videos. People see your username and can get to your page by clicking at it. It is an extremely important element because that is how people remember you. 

EDIT!

Now, to go to the profile editing tab, click the ‘Settings’ button at the top right of the screen. Here you can find various settings to improve your Instagram account and create something special. 

First, look at the second line with the profile name. Let us delete it and try to come up with something new together. Remember that the username is the hallmark of your profile

When creating a name, keep in mind that:

▶ There are certain restrictions for creating Instagram usernames. You cannot use spaces and certain characters, for example. 

▶ The system does not allow for very popular words in the profile name. ‘Follow’ or ‘like’, for example—profiles with names like these are immediately blocked.

▶ It is better to register under your real name instead of an alias. Add some individuality and a few distinct features when creating a name for Instagram. For example, transliterate it or add a few allowed characters

You can easily change the profile name later. But you should not do that when you already get your first followers, otherwise they simply will not recognize you. If you need to do it, click your profile icon in the bottom right corner and to the right of your profile photo you will see an ‘Edit Profile’ text. Click the icon and change the entry in the corresponding field. Then click ‘Done’ in the top right corner.

SETTING THE PHOTO

Setting a photo in your Instagram is a very important configuration step because it is a visual presentation of your account. It is the first thing users see when they visit your profile page, along with the name and description. And you want to make the best first impression, don’t you? Your company probably already has a logo and images you can use.

 We will tell you which ones suit marketing on Instagram the best.

▶ Rule No. 1. The image must be square. Your profile photo is round on Instagram, and if the source image is square, the circle will be symmetrical and nice. The minimal resolution for Instagram photos is 110×100px, still, we suggest to choose a photo with a size of 500×500px, because other people will see it much clearer

▶ Rule No. 2. Choose a logo or a symbolic image (representation) for your business (if it is traditional). Here is an exercise: try to choose the best image among the five provided for Adidas profile. Remember that the image must be square, symmetrical and represent your business the best. We believe you were attentive and assumed correctly that it was the left-most image. Draw inspiration for profile photos of big corporations: it will make it easier for you to come up with a representation for your own business.

▶ Rule No. 3. You can represent your business yourself if it’s a personal brand. We prefer traditional brands and simplest logos. We recommend using a close up of your face or a to-the-waist image for personal brands. The photo must be of good quality and with sizable features so you are easily recognizable in it.

Your photo must also be in line with the nature of your business or occupation. So if you represent an established company, it must be official and reserved. And if you sell sports equipment, you must be dressed in simple sportswear. Let us get back and look carefully at the profile on the screen. Profile photo is in the top left corner. Look, it already tells your followers almost everything they need to know about you! In this case, that is a photo of us traveling in the mountains. It sparks interest and desire to follow and familiarize with the context. Ideally it should be the same with your profile. Logos of big companies, like McDonalds and Adidas, are very simple and easily recognizable by themselves. It is easy to remember and recognize them, so they set them instead of directors’ faces as profile pictures.

INSTRUCTION

Try to change your profile photo. It is very easy. 

▶ Return to the profile’s main page by clicking at the right button at the bottom of the screen with a little man image in it. Click ‘Edit Profile’ and then choose ‘Change Profile Photo’. 

▶ Now you can upload a photo: import from Facebook, choose from a gallery on your phone or make a photo right now. 

▶ You can adjust the center and the scale of the chosen photo. You can zoom in and place the photo or the logo as you like. Choose the best version and click ‘Done’. Your profile photo has changed and it looks fantastic.

BIO

     Account page also shows a few lines about the user under their most important photo. This is an Instagram bio. Click the ‘Edit Profile’ button like you did before and edit the ‘Bio’ field. Before you commit the changes, we would like to explain how to present your bio so it enhances the positive impression of your profile in general and attracts more followers.

          Remember, that at this stage the only thing you sell on Instagram is your account and not the product. Many people try to sell their products using information about themselves off the bat, but that is a mistake. You only spoil the impression about yourself while still lacking any positive attitude. Before selling anything but yourself, you need to put some effort into your bio. It needs to be attractive and interesting, so viewers want to know you better. In order to do this, you need to understand what makes your target audience follow such accounts and what information do they need to make a decision.

        We recommend using emoji—it is an excellent way to attract an audience. Remember, though, that every case is unique. If you have a serious business, emojis are inappropriate. For personal businesses they are preferred, on the contrary, to win over the clients.

       Study your competitors’ experience. Keep an eye on the most successful players in your field. Choose the accounts with the most followers and likes. Note the way they put their bios and get inspired by it.

       To change your ‘Bio’, first create it in a notepad on your smartphone and then copy it. For some reason, Instagram does not always keep the intervals you need between paragraphs, so the text written in the description field might lose the intended division. Put it down in a note app first to make sure it looks as intended. This way, the text will not break unexpectedly or lose the paragraph division and will appear just as you want it to.

CALL TO ACTION (CTA)

The next important step is a call to action. It makes others perform the next step —to follow you, to get to your store and take a look at your product range.

 A call to action is an instruction for your audience and it must trigger an immediate response. The imperative mood is mandatory. You can write, for example, ‘buy our products here’ or ‘check out our latest products’. Your call to action must be compelling, short and easily understandable, so the people know what you expect from them.

 You also should make clear that your clients can contact you. You can put all your contacts in the Instagram business profile settings. Now we are going to show you how to do it. 

Go to profile settings, select business information at the bottom and then contact options. Here you can put your email, phone number and the company’s actual address. When you return to your page, the contact information will be saved there as direct links. Now there are also ‘call’ and ‘send an email’ buttons. All of these are good calls to action on their own, but you can boost the effect by writing ‘visit our website’, for example. And remember to add emojis!

 It is important to understand that: your business account appearance greatly affects its future promotion. You need to pay attention to every small detail on the page, from the writing a description to choosing a nice photo