Instagram is one of the main social media platforms that a great many businesses have a presence on, don’t be fooled into thinking Instagram isn’t a good platform for commerce as it is a very viable marketing tool.
There are a few different ways to utilise Instagram by posting as you would do to many other platforms and also being able to post a ‘Story’ which has a 24 hour lifespan so it great for getting a quick, punchy message across to an audience of followers.
Many users have an existing Instagram account so the first decision is to either use this account and convert it to a Business Account or set up a separate Business Account, keep in mind that this represents your business so make sure the existing content is in context.
If you are new to Instagram then you’ll just need to follow the stages below to set up your new Instagram Business Account.
Stage 1 – The sign up
Download the Instagram app from the App Store or Play Store, open the app and tap the Sign Up button.
Enter your email address and tap the Next button, you can connect both your Instagram Business Page and Facebook Business Page by using the same email address or you can also tap Log in with Facebook.
Choose a username and password in the relevant boxes and tap on Done.
Stage 2 – Convert An Existing Instagram Account To A Business Account
If you aren’t already you will need to log into your newly-created or existing personal Instagram account and tap on the Profile Icon, then tap on the Menu icon (three horizontal lines in the top right of the screen) and tap on Settings.
Tap on Switch to Professional Profile and then tap Continue, you can connect your Instagram Business account to your Facebook Business page by following the prompts.
You can now select a category that best describes your business from the suggested list, you can also type in the search bar with your business description and it will show more results than in the search bar, tap the slider so the business description will Display On Profile then press Done and finally you will need to select whether you are a Creator or a Business.
Now complete the required information such as email address, business address and telephone number, then tap on Done.
Stage 3 – Adding Your Bio Information
Under the Edit Profile header you can add more information, the Bio section of your profile is there for you to give a brief overview of your business but be aware there is a 150 character limit to convey the message you want to get across.
As the Bio section isn’t formattable it isn’t easy to type directly into the section on page, a great tip to get around this is to create the content in Notepad or a text editor such as Word and then you can copy-and-paste it straight into the Bio section (don’t forget the 150 character restriction though).
Stage 4 – Invite Friends and Follow Contacts
The more people you have following your page and your business then the further you reach is with Instagram, your followers will help promote your business and expose it to their followers so it is worth spending a few minutes to invite people to follow you.
This is really simple to do via the links that are already set up by tapping the WhatsApp, SMS Text or Email buttons and Instagram will use your contacts information in your devices contacts list, you can also use the Invite Friends Via link which gives you further option spending on how your device is set up.
Do not ignore the Follow Contacts link as when you follow others they will often reciprocate and follow your profile too.
Stage 5 – Calls To Action
From your Instagram homepage tap on Edit Profile and then tap the Action Buttons, now tap on the Add An Action button which creates a button that specifically allows users to book appointments, make reservations, buy tickets etc. directly from your Instagram page.
Stage 6 – Double Check
An Instagram Business Profile carries more functionality than a personal Instagram account, it is worth making sure you have completed all the available information touch-points that your potential customers will see.
Once you have set up your Instagram profile you can tap the Insights button to see information such as how many people are following you, new followers what your interaction rates are etc.
Well done... you are now one step further ahead than you were yesterday!