With restrictions slowly being lifted here in Australia, it’s time to start considering how you can boost business again, especially in terms of social media marketing. The gravity of the challenge presented in doing so can be daunting, but with the right techniques and tricks, you’ll be back to engaging and growing your social media platforms in no time.
But there still seems to be no time and no motivation to learn the in’s and outs of social media to make sure your posts are done effectively… right? We understand that this will forever be a force hindering social media growth in small businesses, and we want to make it as easiest as possible for you to ensure you can get the most from your social media marketing, and more specifically here, with Instagram. They have a plethora of features available to use, but which ones are best for you? We look at the top features for expanding your services digitally via the platform below.
At a time where it’s best to still be physically distancing, it’s important to note that we can still connect online in many ways. A great way to do this is with Instagram Live. Bring events online, host a Q & A, or bring friends or fellow business owners on to chat live for your followers to watch. Currently, so many creators, public figures and businesses are going to live to educate and entertain people, which is perfect for boosting your engagement. To get as many people watching your livestream as possible, it’s important to tease your stream on your feed and stories before you go Live, as well as posting your live video to your Stories for 24 hours post stream, and to your IGTV.
A good example of an Instagram Live series done well is by David Jones (@davidjonesstore), who are currently diving headfirst into streaming live with their #AtHomewithDJ’s series. They are embracing the new day-to-day life at home with a schedule of live classes ranging from home office décor, recipe ideas, and live DJ sets.
With people still spending less time out and about, and more time at home, it’s important to allow them more ways to shop from the comfort of their home and find the information they need via Instagram. Ensure your website URL is placed on your Instagram profile, list your opening hours or if you have closed your store. It’s also a great time to integrate gift card activations within your Instagram profile and let your followers know how else they can support your business. If you sell products online, make sure you are using Shopping Tags on your posts so that people can shop your products directly from your feed or stories. By doing this, your products will begin to populate within your Profile Shop, where people can browse your products that matter to them, whilst staying your business’ page. Fashion retailer, The Iconic (@theiconicau), for example, is sharing iso-fashion ideas and making it easier for people to shop for their at-home wardrobe, or back to work style essentials.
Finally, Instagram notes that a great way to boost your offerings digitally is with IGTV, and finding ways to share long-form content with the aim of entertaining and educating your audience. IGTV allows you to engage deeper with your audience by sharing longer, serialized content that people can tune into at any time. It’s important to understand that you should be creating content around topics relevant to your business, and that provide value for them. A strong example of IGTV series done well is by a jewellery brand, Mejuri (@mejuri). They host a weekly series on IGTV called Inbox Stories where they spotlight influencers and get the stories behind their favourite pieces of jewellery.
It’s an important time now to start pushing your focus to how you make a business comeback, especially working on becoming consistent with your social media posts again, and making a strong, engaging impact with your audience from the content you share. Instagram has a plethora of features available to use in boosting your social image, but it’s important to experiment with them and find the best options to suit you, your business and the content you wish to share.