Taking your business on Instagram?

Thinking of taking your business on Instagram? Here a few tips on how to set up a good Instagram page.

Instagram has exploded in popularity in recent years. Of the 500 million+ daily users, 80% of which are following Instagram accounts of businesses they have an interest in. 

Many instagramers follow businesses to keep up to date with the latest products, services or events that they may be offering. In fact, 83% of Instagram users say they’ve discovered new businesses through Instagram. So, whether you want to sell through Instagram, point people to your website, or get them to your shop physically, Instagram may be a place that you should have a presence.

Here are a few golden rules for setting up a business Instagram page:

1) Set up a public account, not a private one

People who want to follow you should be able to do so easily, or can browse your content without following you. When setting up your page, make sure you set your profile as ‘public’ so people can view your page without requesting to follow you.

2) Make sure your page name is searchable

Where possible, try to have your business name as your username. If this is not available try adding a relevant word to your business name. For example, if you sell food and your business is called The Organic Shop, but @theorganicshop is taken, a good alternative might be @theorganicshopfood. This name will be searchable for those who know your shop but also easy for someone to know what you do if they happen to come across you.

3) Make sure your profile picture is on brand

Again, this is all about making your Instagram recognisable to people who know your brand. It’s also important to keep your brand experience uniform across your various platforms and touch points with your customers.

4) Have a short and snappy bio

Include a well written but concise description of your business and what they can expect to see if they follow you. If you want people to tag you in pictures, posts or stories, you can detail here any hashtags you would like to use.

5) Include your website

Instagram offers a space on your profile for you to include your website so make sure you include a link! You should also include a pixel on your link so you can track any traffic that comes to your site from your Instagram page.

So now you’re all set up, it’s time to think about your content.