This document provides 10 tips for using Instagram effectively for business. It recommends setting up a business profile for analytics and contact options. Scheduling tools can help plan a regular posting schedule. Brand voice and hashtags are important for discoverability. Stories, polls, and user engagement help build an audience. Trending topics and visual storytelling boost reach. Analytics provide insights to improve performance over time. Advertising brings additional exposure and sales opportunities.

1. Using Instagram with
your business
Rich Ashby
Founder

2. About Dotkumo
• Founded 2017.
• Over 20 years experience in web
content and social media.
• Social media content, strategy,
advertising, training and
campaign management.
• Video production, editing and
motion graphics.
• Messenger and voice
technology.

3. Instagram overview
• Over 1 billion global active users.
• Instagram has become a hugely popular
channel for the 16 - 24 year old
demographic.
• Users under 25 spend an average of 30
minutes every day on Instagram. Some
considerably more!
• Increasingly influential, as 30% of
Instagram bought a product that saw on
the platform.
• Owned by Facebook, so financially
secure.

4. Myth busting
• It’s not just photos of cats, or
avocados (although there are
millions of both).
• Instagram isn’t relevant to my
business. There are currently
over 8 million business accounts.

5. Who’s using Instagram
• A wide range of companies and
organisations from small family
businesses through to global
multinationals.
• News, culture, sport, causes and
celebrity also feature
prominently.

8. Tip 1 - Get a business profile

9. Creating a business profile
• This is recommended and can
easily be done using the
Instagram app.
• Linking to your Facebook
business page also makes ad
scheduling easier.
• A key benefit is improved
analytics, and contact buttons
can be added to your profile.

12. Tip 2 - Create a schedule

13. Using scheduling tools
• Although Instagram is primarily
designed to be used as an app,
several scheduling tools are
available. These include:
• Later
https://later.com/
Very simple to use with visual
planning.
• Iconosquare
https://pro.iconosquare.com/
Very effective for larger teams.

15. Tip 3 - Find your voice

16. Finding your voice
• Developing the correct tone for
your audience and brand is vital.
• Think about what you are trying
to achieve with Instagram, and
the type of messages you want
to convey.

17. FUN PROFESSIONAL TRENDY

18. Tip 4 - Use hashtags

19. Using hashtags effectively
• Hashtags are essential for
discoverability.
• Aim to include between 5 - 10
per post.
• It can be neater to include them
as comments to avoid clutter.
• Scheduling tools can help
suggest the most relevant
hashtags.

20. Tip 5 - Stay on trend

21. Exploring Instagram trends
• Hashtag trends are an effective
way to boost your reach and
engagement.
• Popular trends include:
#MondayMotivation
#ThrowbackThursday
#FridayFeeling

22. Tip 6 - Tell stories

23. Creating Instagram Stories
• An excellent way of boosting
engagement.
• Over 500 million daily active
users.
• Presented in vertical format
(9:16) 1080 x 1920 pixels.
• Stories last 24 hours although
can be added to your profile.

24. Creating Instagram Stories
• Stories can include images and
video.
• Captions, polls, hashtags,
countdown timers and other
dynamic features can be easily
added.
• A great way of sharing behind
the scenes insights, and
showcasing your company.

26. Tip 7 - Engage your audience

27. Engage your audience
• Respond to queries and
feedback.
• Use your feed to ask questions,
and Instagram Story polls.
• Facebook Messenger,
WhatsApp and Instagram
messaging to become
integrated.

28. Tip 8 - Sell yourself

29. Listing products and services
• Instagram offers intuitive
integration with website inventory
for physical products.
• This makes it easy to sell your
products directly to your
customers.
• Provides another sales channel.

31. Tip 9 - Try advertising

32. Understanding advertising options
• Ad recall rates are 2.8 x higher
on Instagram than other
platforms. (Source: Nielsen)
• Instagram uses Facebook
Business Manager for ad buying,
so the same formats are
available. These include:
Photos, videos, image carousels
and stories.

33. Tip 10 - Measure your results

34. Measuring your results
• Use the data to gain insights on
your audience.
• See when your posts receive the
most engagement, and schedule
accordingly.

36. Thanks for listening
I’m now happy to take any
questions.

37. www.dotkumo.com
twitter.com/dotkumo
facebook.com/dotkumo
instagram.com/dotkumo
linkedin.com/in/richashbyuk
rich@dotkumo.com
07808 705222
01274 404805