Are you using Instagram for your business? Instagram is not only a fun platform to use, but an effective way to build an audience and community around your business, and promote your business in an interesting and creative way. Here are some ways to use Instagram to grow your business and some things to do (and not to do on Instagram).

1. How to Use
Instagram to Grow
Your Business
Leslie McDermid

2. Instagram is quickly
becoming one of the most
used (and fun) social media
platforms. Instagram
launched in 2010, and now
with over 700 million
monthly active users, isn’t
just a place for
photographers and artists.

3. Why Instagram?
 Becoming one of the most
used platforms
 Stand out
 Reach a younger
demographic
 How did Facebook start?

4. Personal vs. Business
 Both!
 Use business to showcase
aspects of your business,
how you are unique, access
to analytics and more
contact opportunities.

5. Getting Started
 Create a business account (if
its for your business/ brand)
Complete your profile details
(website, phone number, email,
description etc.)
Start following those you’d to
follow you and to learn more
about
Engage in a conversation

6. 95 million photos are
uploaded each day to
Instagram, up from
70 million last year*
How do you
STAND OUT?
* SOURCE: https://www.omnicoreagency.com/instagram-statistics/

7.  Rule #1 - Realize that
your account is not for
you, it’s for your
audience
Getting Noticed
On Instagram

8.  Rule #2 - Consistency
is vital in growing
your account and
increasing your
followers
Getting Noticed
On Instagram

9.  Rule #3 - Take time to
respond to comments
and comment on
others
Getting Noticed
On Instagram

10.  Rule #4 - Get
comfortable with
exposing your reality
Getting Noticed
On Instagram

11.  Does it reflect your
brand?
 Do you have a good
message to complement
the photo?
 Remember hashtags are
important here*
Take Good Photos

12.  Posting
interesting
videos
 Niche and
unique
Hashtags
Getting Noticed On Instagram

13.  8 second decision
 Great bio- emoji’s,
keywords
 Clear and professional
profile image
 Great images + videos
 Hashtags
How do you
STAND OUT?

14.  Share images from
other accounts and tag
 Short videos
 Time-lapse videos
 Emoji’s in description
How do you
STAND OUT?

15.  Videos
 Consistency
 #60secondclub
 Knows what his
audience wants
How do you
STAND OUT?

16. Optimize Your
Instagram Profile
 Consider using emojis to add
interest to your bio.
 For example:
 If you are a restaurant,
there are wine glass emoji’s
or food, which adds some
visual interest and helps
grab people attention.
 If you are focused on pets,
use animal emoji’s.

17. Optimize Your
Instagram Profile
Utilize the link.
 Update your link often and use it to
direct people where you most want
them to go. New blog posts, or to a
download to grow your email
subscribers, etc.
 Directing people to a free ‘lead
magnet’ is a great way to grow your
email list, and people love getting free
things!
 Using a shortened bitly link helps
keep your profile tidy.

18. Optimize Your
Instagram Profile
 Types of content to share on this new
account:
 Beautiful, staged, magazine-like
photos.
 Give people a glimpse into your
business, but try to make your photos
stand out.
 Touch on people’s emotion- cute,
funny, educational, love, etc.
 Profile photo versus logo.

19. Optimize Your
Instagram Profile
 Share your passion
 Relate to people by
sharing this passion
 Stand out

20. Optimize Your
Instagram Profile
 Branded images**
 Use Phonto,
Canva.com, Canva
mobile app

21. What to Post?**
 Photos from your day
 what you do
 customer service
 how you do things
differently
 Inspirational quotes
 Share using Repost app

22. What to Post?**
 Aspects/ features from
your day
I.e. Real estate
Features from the
home
Surrounding areas
People
Highlights/ tips

23. What to Post?**

24. What to Post?**
 Collaborate
 Contests

25. Using Hashtags
 Hashtags are a regular occurrence on
Instagram, so take full advantage.
 You can use up to 30 hashtags at a time.
 Not sure what hashtags to use?
A great app to try out is HashMe. To
use HashMe, you type in a word that
you want to use, and it will find you
additional related hashtags you can
use. Then, you simply click on the
hashtags you want to use and select
to copy.

26. Using Hashtags
Depending on your industry, there
are also hashtags that you can use
to have your account featured on
their account. Why would you want
that? If you are featured on
someone else’s account, and they
have thousands of followers, your
account will be featured to all their
followers.

27. Add hashtags your ideal
followers would use.
Retail store? #shoplocal
Real estate? #city name,
#location name #mynextstep
#newhomebuyer
#apartmentlife
Pet food store? #furbaby
#lovemypup #dogsarefamily
Using Hashtags

28. Watch and create
Share your story -
one page at a time
Instagram Stories

29.  Post behind-the-scenes
and glimpses into your
business
 Use hashtags and geo-
filters
 Get more views on your
posts
Instagram Stories

30.  My account 500
followers versus 51K
followers. Same
engagement?
Do numbers matter?

31.  The follow/ unfollow
game
 Quality over quantity
Follower numbers

32.  Pet store searches for possible
collaborations/ new customer
using #catsofcanada or
#catsofinstagram
 Finds miss_peenee, a cat who
has over 26K followers
 Store owner sends DM asking if
she would like a free sample/
etc.
 Miss_Peenee says yes, loves the
sample, shares a post of the
product on her account
Success Scenario

33.  Photographer searches by
local hashtags and business
hashtags
 Finds people who look like
they need an updated
headshot
 Sends out a DM to these
people offering them her
spring session deal for
headshots
 Gets xx new clients
Success Scenario

34.  Post + Run- Remember
to respond!
 Spammy comments
Insta Don’t

35.  www.thesociallaunch.com
 leslie@thesociallaunch.com
Questions?