Instagram is often an untouched resource for business owners. You’re able to show your personality and creativity through visual storytelling. Whether you sell clothing, bath and beauty products, stationery or anything else in between, Instagram can be an incredible way to reach more people and start generating income for your business.
Diana, who is a member of my team, said Instagram is by far her favourite Social Media channel. She’s 20-years-old and that really got me thinking – what makes Instagram so appealing to Millennials?
You, and many others may feel that reaching young adults is extremely difficult
Why not just talk to a Millennial? I asked Diana to think about why she believes her age group are so engaged with Instagram, and to put together a list of things that you need to know when marketing in the foreign world of Instagram for business.
This is what Diana came up with:
1.) There’s not a lot of wordy content that can lose people
In many cases, people are no longer taking the time to update themselves on your website and what your products are. If they see something they like, it’s as easy as click, shopping cart, and purchase. Our phones and devices are constantly blowing up with content so it is refreshing to scroll through photographs. This is also why Snapchat is massively popular – expressing ourselves through a camera vs words is becoming more and more appealing.
2.) You can set yourself apart from businesses who may be selling something similar
Having people recognize your brand at a glance is key. It’s often how you showcase the product that decides how desirable it is and Instagram is an ideal place to do that. You want to show people that what you’re selling is unique and special. Try and think of a really great way to make your business different than the rest – it is a creative and visual platform so use that to your advantage!
3.) You can take your branding to another level 
If you look at some of the most popular users on Instagram you’ll find that they stick to a very specific photo branding. The colors, filters and lighting are always consistent. Approach this similar to how you would while branding your website. Check out this great example on the right –>
4.) Don’t overwhelm your followers with too much all the time
Unlike Twitter, you don’t need to post as frequently. It may be counteractive to push out a lot of content too often, so posting 4+ times a day isn’t always necessary. People don’t want to be bombarded with photos, especially if they aren’t following several hundred other accounts.
5. You don’t have to be the only one promoting your business
The term “Instagram famous” means very well-known and highly followed users who aren’t recognized from outside news or media. These people often are asked to promote products and tag the company in the caption. This can be an effective and inexpensive way of marketing to a massive audience that you may not have to begin with.
6. Instagram is “friendly” with other Social Media platforms
Your post on Instagram can be shared to your Twitter and Facebook account with no hassle at all. It’s easy to use that photo and content to reach more people on your other Social Media pages but not vice versa.
7. It has extra features that Facebook and Twitter can’t compete with
Boomerang was created by Instagram and is a fun lapse of photos that are compacted into a mini video that plays forwards and backward on a loop. They also created Layout, which is a fast and easy way to create a collage of pictures. Use those resources and have some fun with it.
A huge portion of users on Instagram are Millennials, therefore it’s important to understand what draws their attention.
There are so many great possibilities to grow your business when you know how to use Instagram effectively.
Are you utilizing #Instagram as well as you think you could be? Click To TweetYou can follow me on Instagram @LisaLarter, and leave me a comment with your Instagram handle so I can connect with you!
