Instagram is one of the world’s most popular social media apps. As of 2022, Instagram has over two billion monthly users. It is a photo and video sharing app that is owned by Meta - previously known as Facebook. 

From B2B to e-commerce sites are taking notice and using this popular app to their advantage by adding Instagram to their marketing strategies. If you are already using Instagram, but the social media metrics are not showing you the results you want, it might be time to improve your current strategies. 

Here are some tips on getting started or improving your Instagram marketing strategy and how Austin marketing services can help.

Why do you need Instagram marketing?

Before we get into how to make the most of your Instagram, you need to understand why Instagram is worth investing the time and energy in. There is no limit to which businesses can use Instagram, but those with visual services and products will benefit the most. 

Our Austin marketing services team recommends e-commerce, restaurants, hospitality and retail businesses implement Instagram in their social media marketing strategies. Instagram can benefit these businesses by:

• Building and maintaining relationships with consumers

• Expanding your reach

• Helping to increase community engagement

• Giving you insights into what your competitors are doing

• Personalizing your brand

Instagram marketing tips

Optimize your Instagram bio

The first thing that anyone who looks up your Instagram will see is your bio. So you want to make sure it makes the best first impression. To curate the perfect Instagram bio for your business, you should keep it short, sweet and include a call to action. You should include in your bio:

• The company’s name

• A short description of your products or services

• Any brand hashtags

• A link to your website 

Create compelling content 

What makes Instagram unique is its visual aspects. Posts should be visually appealing. Lots of businesses use this to their advantage by using eye-catching images or infographics. Some content ideas you should include in your strategy include:

• User-generated content

• Behind-the-scenes posts 

• Quotes and text-based images 

• Reels 

• Videos 

Do not forget about captions

Add compelling Instagram captions to your content marketing strategy. The great thing about Instagram posts is that you can write captions that are up to 2,200 characters long. So you can create content as detailed or short as you want. One thing is sure experts suggest keeping your brand’s voice consistent with all posts. 

Include hashtags

If it is your goal to reach as many people as possible, make sure you are adding hashtags to all your Instagram posts. Hashtags help Instagram put your content in front of the correct audience. The question many people ask is how many hashtags should you be using in your posts? Instagram recommends using three to five hashtags because of their new feature that suggests content on users' feeds. However, it still does not hurt to use more hashtags to expand your content reach. 

Experiment with Instagram’s new features 

Instagram is constantly adding new features that will make users and businesses happy. So take advantage of their features like stories, Reels, Instagram Lives, Instagram Shops and in-post shopping. Not only can this expand your reach but let you figure out what works best for your business. 

Are you looking for Austin marketing services? 

If you want to improve your company’s Instagram game, let us help! At OMG Austin, our digital marketing experts can create a social media marketing strategy tailored to fit your business’s unique KPIs. Contact us today to get started.