Instagram and its Uses for Small Business

It’s part of the American Dream to become the owner of your own business. You’ve had a vision, perhaps even for years of what you want to achieve and finally were able to put it into motion. You’ve either incorporated or created an LLC, and even managed to find and purchase a storefront. Now what?

It used to be that word of mouth was an adequate way to promote your brand and business, but not anymore. The times have changed and word of mouth might not be cutting it like it used to. The business world is competitive and without the right people finding your business and products, you may not be successful. That’s where social media and marketing come into play.

Social media should be included in every marketing plan. Social media is quickly becoming an excellent and cost-effective way for businesses to market themselves. When done correctly, social media can put smaller businesses on the same playing field as bigger name brands. Social media adds a human touch to business. It can give your customers a glimpse “behind the curtain,” so to speak, and gives existing and potential customers a direct line of communication. This in turn can positively impact their user experience.

Let’s look at Instagram in particular. A few years ago when Instagram was first introduced as a new social media app, it seemed as though it was only meant for people to share selfies. That quickly changed though and suddenly businesses started paying more attention to the platform. Instagram turned 10 years old this year, and it shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Instagram is quickly becoming the best platform for businesses to use in order to find new customers, alert existing customers to promotions, and to share important messages. Take a look at this article from Sprout Social, which lays out Instagram statistics for 2020. More adults between the ages of 25-34 are signing up and using the platform. These are users who have graduated from college, have a steady job, and are looking into buying their first homes. Even more surprisingly, Instagram is nearly split between male and female users, with 51% of users being female, and 49% of users being male. As of October 2020, there are over 100 million active users on Instagram just in the U.S. That’s a lot of advertising potential.

Remember how I said before that Instagram is quickly becoming the best platform for businesses to use in order to reach new and existing customers? That’s because as of 2020, Instagram is the second most used social media platform. Users visit at least one Business Account per day, 1/3 of the Stories that are viewed on Instagram are of Business Accounts, and 90% of all accounts on Instagram follow at least one Business Account. Users browse Instagram for at least an hour a day. That’s great news for Small Businesses who want to reach more people in their area either through targeted ads, through posts with well-researched hashtags, and engaging visual and written content. By creating a Business Account on Instagram, you also have the potential for your business and products to be found by local influencers.

Influencers have a lot of sway when it comes to marketing to potential new customers. Platform users tend to trust information that comes from an influencer more than if they were to simply stumble across a product themselves. As humans and consumers, we want to know what other people’s experiences with a product may be. That’s why we read reviews before making purchases. Aligning your business with an influencer can help to convince more people to try your brand and products.

Instagram has also made it easier to make sales for businesses who have E-Commerce sites, by creating shops right on the app. This in-turn creates an even better user experience. 83% of users on Instagram discover new products and services through the social media platform. Furthermore, 70% of those who are active shoppers, have stated that Instagram is the best platform to use for finding new brands and promotions. Think about Instagram for a moment. It is one of the most visual social media platforms, and we as humans are visual creatures. We like eye-catching content, and if a product is marketed in an appealing way, we are more likely to buy from that brand as opposed to another brand unappealing photos. I say it all the time, but it’s true: users make decisions within a matter of seconds as to whether or not to stay on a page or to keep scrolling.

Simply creating a Business Account on Instagram isn’t enough though. It’s important to reach the right people who will actually buy your goods and services. In my next post I will examine the best way to grow your Instagram account, and to generate sales locally within your area.