Getting the hang of
using Instagram can take some time, dedication and patience. Even those who
aren’t new to the platform need to pay attention to trends and stay up-to-date
and the latest features being unrolled.
If you want to gain
followers and make money on Instagram,
one thing that can truly help is to take notes on what others are doing. Take a
look at these 10 lessons you can learn from some of the best brands on
Instagram.
A lesson that often
goes overlooked is the value in showing what your product can do. One of the
best ways to do that is to showcase how your customers are using it. An added
bonus of this approach is that it allows you to give credit to your followers
and to generate increased engagement.
Adobe is a company
that’s doing this right. It also shows
the capabilities of their software. Most of us would consider that a win-win.
2. Show your creative side.
Due to the sheer
volume of users on Instagram, it definitely helps if you have a creative
approach to your marketing. Creativity is something that seems so simple, but
truly takes a great deal of talent to pull off in ways that stand out from the
crowd. L’Oreal is a brand that takes this concepts to new levels and excels in
showcasing their products in visually appealing, yet innovative ways.
The one thing they’ve
managed to pull off exquisitely is the placement of their products within their
feed. A basic rule of thumb on this platform is to follow a common color theme
within your feed in order to make it more pleasing to the eye. L’Oreal manages
to showcase a vast array of colors within their product line in ways that make
aesthetic sense. It’s playful, fun and a real work of art.
3. Be of value.
No matter how lovely
your Instagram feed looks or how wonderful your product may be, you won’t get
far on any social media platform if you don’t offer immediate value to your customers.
They follow you for a reason. Some market research can clue you into what it is
they want most. Once you find out what that is, be sure to deliver.
Give them a reason to
want to follow you, as IKEA is known to do. They offer glimpses into how their
furniture can be displayed within your home through both their image and video
content.
Seeing items placed in
real life settings shows how usable the pieces are and inspires followers to
want to check out more. Also, while I don’t recommend this as a long term
strategy, you can buy Instagram followers for
social proof, so more people are likely to follow you.
4. Share instead of trying to sell.
No one wants to feel
like they’re being sold to. Consumers want to exercise free will and choose the
products and services they find worthy of their hard-earned dollars. Hard sells
rarely go over well in any medium, but especially on social media platforms
where transparency is crucial.
Try not to make every
post a sales ad. It’s important to mix it up with content that’s relevant to
your niche and that adds value, as already noted. Walmart does this quite well.
They showcase their
products in a number of settings, both in-store and out in the world. They tell
a story.
5. Just ask.
Increasing engagement is
a goal most brands have on social media. When your followers are actively
involved with you, they feel invested and are likely to become repeat
customers. One of the best ways to increase engagement is to ask your audience
for their feedback directly.
Whole Foods is a
company that excels in this area. They ask insightful, meaningful questions
within their captions to solicit input from their followers. In return, they
receive tons of likes and comments.
