4 Tips For Using Instagram For Business

As much as people joke about Instagram boutiques, they are here to stay and a lot of them are thriving. Others? Not so much. Hundreds of millions of people use Instagram daily and you have the ability to have consumers in the palm of your hand at any given moment. Make it count. I am no marketing maven but as a consumer and sales woman, I have a little something I’d like to share.

1.) SET. YOUR. ACCOUNT. TO. PUBLIC.

When you’re walking the halls of the mall what makes you enter a store for the first time? The display. You may see a pair of shoes that stop you dead in your tracks or a jacket you’ve been searching high and low for and decide to see what else they have to offer. Would you stop if that same store has no display other than a sign that reads “ring the bell and stand here for two days and if we think you make the cut someone will grant you access and when we finally let you in you’ll realize that we don’t even carry your size or provide the service you’re seeking!”? Absolutely not. Think of your Instagram page as your display window. People want to see what you have NOW and you should want them to do just that.

2.) USE PROPER HASHTAGS

It’s not just a “pound sign” or a “number sign”. Hashtags serve a purpose outside of your auntie #using #them #wrong #on Facebook #tomakereallylongsentencesthatmakenosense#. They are used to search specific content on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Many people, like myself, use it for it’s actual purpose. Most popular brands simply use their name to make themselves more visible but if you are a small or up and coming business people don’t know to search for you just yet. Of course, you should hashtag your brand no matter it’s popularity but if exposure is your intent you may want to consider adding yourself to existing hashtags. People will not know know to search “FeFesFyeClothing” (yet) but they are likely to search something like “#Boutique” in hopes of coming across a shop that fits their needs. Now, adding yourself to an existing hashtag should not be confused with hashjacking. Yes, this is a thing. Hashjacking is using unrelated (to your brand, product or service) popular or trending hashtags to increase your visibility. If I am searching #NaturalHairStyles I want to see hairstyles not 15 photos of your new inventory (that is of course if your page isn’t private because guess what! *Ding ding* private pages don’t show up in searches) You may think it’s a smart thing to do but it’s annoying and gets easily scrolled over when someone is searching for SPECIFIC content.

3.) ENGAGE YOUR FOLLOWERS

People are more likely to buy things from or at the suggestion of people they like, feel liked by and that they deem credible. There are several ways you can make your audience feel as if you have personal connections even though they may be one of ten or several hundred thousand. You can establish these connections by sharing parts of your day, photos of you putting in work or involving them in some of your processes. “Hey, Dolls! I Love both of these dresses so much that I can’t decide which one to stock. Can you help me choose one by voting 1 or 2?!” is totally worth the few seconds it takes to type. That “About Me” or “About Us” section on your website? USE IT. You don’t have to get too personal to be personable! People feel connected to those with whom they can relate or who they feel has their best interest in mind.

Respond. To. Their. Comments. “How many bundles is the model wearing?” “Can I color this hair?” “OMG!! You’re like my sister in my head, I am SO proud to see your business flourishing!!” “I ordered 5 seconds ago and haven’t received my order yet!! Wth is going on?” *DEEP SIGH* Okay, I get it, you’re human and have a life outside of your business. However, it is a complete turn off when NONE of the comments on your page are from you. I understand that it can become overwhelming when people ask the same question over and over (and they will.. over. and. over. and over.) but I also understand that it doesn’t take much to respond with an occasional “thanks ladies!” to the hundreds of ignored compliments, post FAQ or point people in the right direction. Shoppers, you aren’t off the hook here. You should check the website for FAQ, shipping info and contact info BEFORE you clog their comments.

4.) Make Your Website Mobile/User Friendly

A few days ago I tried to purchase tickets to a movie festival, it was extremely confusing and NOTHING I clicked or tapped worked properly. I hit that young “contact us” tab and it was empty (see, I checked there FIRST). I had to Google the number *rolls eyes so hard they fall out and go shopping on their own cus they don’t have time for this* and when I finally spoke with someone I was told that I HAVE to use a computer to make the purchase. WELP! The funny thing is that I clicked the link from their Instagram bio. Like, you know you have traffic coming from an app that most people use on their phone yet… okay. BILLIONS of people use mobile devices and an increasingly large number of those people use smart phones. Why then, would you not have a site that is responsive to mobile devices? Boyifyouonget…

This isn’t a blog about bashing boutiques but one about the little things that can make a big impact whether your focus is products or services.