Should my business
be on Instagram?

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First of all, remember that Instagram is primarily a visual platform, and users expect to see original content of an appealing visual quality. 

Can your  product or service convert into engaging images and videos? Could you make your product or service visually appealing? If so, great! If you are unsure, have a look and see if any competitors or businesses in your industry are successfully using Instagram, to get ideas. 

If not you may find other channels could be a better fit. Not all channels will be for you, and it’s better to know this and play to your strengths, than to try and break onto a platform that won’t be worth your time.

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Traditionally B2C businesses reap the rewards of Instagram, however it can be a fit for some B2B businesses too. Brands across all sectors in the B2C market can achieve success on Instagram; from clothing and homeware to florists, hairdressers, pet services, spirits, landscape gardeners and more!

60% of users seek out and discover new products and brands on Instagram, and 90% of users follow at least one brand, so it can be a great way of getting in front of new customers and engaging your existing audience.

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70% of Instagram users around the globe are under the age of 35 (although 16% are aged 35-44)So generally speaking, this platform attracts a younger demographic. If your customers tend to be much older than this, you may find that they aren’t on Instagram and prefer to use other channels, instead.

Although do remember there are no hard and fast rules to user demographics - research your audience to find out if they do use Instagram and whether this could work for you. Look at any customer data you have (like your business’s audience on Facebook insights), see how competitors perform on Instagram, and even chat to your existing customers to get an idea of platform fit.  

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Instagram users like to see regular content being produced by the brands they follow; regular posting can help your engagement, whereas accounts that appear inactive may be unfollowed. Whilst there are no firm ‘rules’ on how often you should post, you need to be able to keep your accounts active and commit time to posting regularly and to monitoring your account.

While on the topic of frequency, the ‘Head of Instagram’ once suggested posting “a couple of in-feed posts per week and a couple of stories per day” - but most important is to find the right balance for you. Remember content has to be engaging, authentic and something that users will want to engage with - not just filler posts for the sake of it.

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Video is a key content type on Instagram, so if you want to use the platform successfully, you will need to create some video content. Videos auto-play in user’s feeds and can often grab attention better than images. Also, many of Instagram’s newer features are centred on video, such as reels and stories.

Remember, your videos don’t have to be professionally produced for Instagram to be successful. You can produce some great short video content on your phone, and using simple apps and features. Live videos, time-lapses, product walk-throughs etc can all work well. What matters is that you create video that your users will be interested in, that shows you, your brand and your products. Have a look on Instagram and see what types of video you engage with and try them out.

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Do you have the time to keep your content engaging? As mentioned, engagement matters on Instagram.

You’ll not only need the time to post, but also time to curate and create varied and engaging content. You’ll need to keep a focus on engagement - make sure you use your Insights to see what content followers engage with, also keep an eye on competitor activity and wider content trends on Instagram.

Varying your updates and content formats – from product shots, before-and-after transformations, behind-the-scenes images or the process behind the product, and even images and videos of your staff at work – can help your users stay engaged.

Remember, you have to capture your users’ attention, inspire them, make them desire what you’re selling, and build an affinity for your brand.

Sit down and brainstorm the type of content and videos you’d like to post initially, and see how users engage.

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Using the latest Instagram features and trends can help you boost your engagement and gain more followers.

Use any new features that Instagram launches. Instagram puts a large amount of money and time into developing new features which they want to catch on, so businesses can often see higher engagement when using them. Just now, use Reels and Stories and try using the filters, stickers and effects.

Also keep up with wider content trends and hashtags - this can help to keep your feed current.

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