To ensure the success of your business on the Internet is not enough just to create a website. You also need to ensure that you attract a steady stream of visitors to your page. Who is your target audience?

One of the best ways to find such people is to go to their habitat – social media. Cloud Retouch users report that social media has doubled traffic to their sites. And the most successful business platform right now is Instagram.

According to the data, more than a billion people use Instagram every month. It is one of the most popular social networks for inspiration and finding new brands. With tools for business accounts, Instagram helps brands increase awareness, promote products and services, and increase sales.

In this guide to Instagram promotion, you’ll learn:

• How to promote Instagram by setting up and optimizing a business account

• How to create the right content

• Best time to post

• About collaboration with influencers and much more

Instagram promotion: 5 essential steps

1. Create a business account on Instagram

2. Develop a strategy

3. Strategically use all Instagram formats

4. Build a robust content plan

5. Tips for Instagram promotion

1.Create a business account on Instagram

The first thing to do is create your Instagram account. Download the mobile application or register through the website. Once the profile is created, transfer it to a business account. This will give you access to advanced features such as ad posting, analytics, and store customization.

How to create a business account:

1. Register.

2. Settings> Account> Switch to a professional account.

3. You will see a request to link your account to the company’s Facebook page. We recommend that you do this before promoting Instagram: this way, it will be easier for you to share publications on two platforms simultaneously.

4. Update the settings:

• Make your profile public. That way, people who don’t follow you can see your posts and interact with your brand.

• Allow receiving messages and comments from all users.

• Turn on notifications.

how to create a business account on Instagram how to create a business account on Instagram

2.Develop a strategy

For Instagram promotion to bring tangible results, you need to develop a good strategy.

1. Set clear marketing goals

2. Define your target audience

3. Analyze the accounts of competitors

4. Create a profile and description

5. Choose the style and aesthetics of the page

Set clear marketing goals

You need to understand why you started Instagram. This will make it easier to measure the success of the campaign. List the primary and secondary goals. Think about how much effort and money you are willing to invest to achieve them.

Here are examples of Instagram marketing goals:

• Demonstration of a product or service

• Increase brand awareness

• Notification of company news and updates

• Increase in sales

• Community building

• Increased loyalty and trust among users

Define your target audience

Your audience cannot be the entire Instagram. It is essential to determine which group of users you want to attract. To do this, think about the ideal customer using different categories:

• Demographics: gender, age, location

• Personality: interests, needs, motivation

• Behavior on Instagram: what hashtags he uses, what he publishes, who he subscribes to, etc.

Find users following your competitors. They are already interested in similar products – so they will most likely be interested in your offer as well.

Analyze competitor accounts

When building your Instagram promotion, remember: “Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.” Follow your favorite brands, visit the pages of competitors and companies you look up to, and pay attention to the following details:

• Hashtags: What hashtags do they use? Do other brands in the industry duplicate these hashtags?

• Description: in what style are the texts of the posts written? How do brands communicate with their audience?

• Content and Images: Analyze which type of content gets the most “likes” and comments from your target audience?

You don’t need to copy your competitors’ marketing strategy. However, you can more easily determine where to start by paying attention to the details.

After careful analysis, you will have enough Instagram profiles for inspiration. It’s time to create your own.

Create a profile and description

The company’s Instagram account should look professional. From the profile description to the color palette of the “stories,” every detail should reflect your brand.

Write an impressive profile description.

The first impression is the most important. So make sure your profile header text is memorable and stylish. You have 150 signs to convey the essence of the brand and the value of the product or service.

The profile description includes:

• Name: can be the same or different from your login. The name appears in the search, so add keywords that describe the service. This will make it easier for users to find you. For example, Kaekoo added the keyword “pillows” to her Instagram name to help users find her product.

• Category: Consider which industry your brand belongs to. This makes it easier for users to understand what services you provide.

• Description: Describe in a nutshell what your company does. Take Kaekoo as an example. She clearly described that her company produces handmade textiles and shelves for the home. You can add emojis or hashtags.

• CTA: Add a call to action (CTA) button. It can be the simplest one, for example, “Buy.”

• Contact Information: Tell users how to get in touch with you. Add a phone number or email address. Potential customers will immediately contact you without going to the site.

• Link to the site: The profile description on Instagram is the only place where you can insert an active link. Be sure to take advantage of this. If, besides the site, you also have an online store or blog, use the services Elink.io, Shorby, or Linktree. They allow you to combine multiple links on one page.

how to create a description in your Instagram profile how to make a description in your Instagram profile

Select your profile picture

Use your logo as your profile picture. Use the logo maker to create a stylish logo for business and social media. Make sure the image size is at least 320×320 pixels, and keep in mind that Instagram will make it round. To get precisely the size, use the image resizing tool. Be consistent and use the same logo on social media and your company website.

how to choose a profile picture on Instagram how to select a profile picture on Instagram

Now that the logo and description have grabbed the user’s attention, you need to keep it with a beautifully designed Instagram page.

Choose the style and aesthetics of the page.

Building an Instagram page is similar to building a website. Your brand message can be conveyed with various colors, fonts, images, and templates. Use the Ascend tool to choose a template for your social media posts.

how to choose the aesthetics of an Instagram page by example how to choose the aesthetics of an Instagram page by example

Here are some ideas for transforming your Instagram page:

Composition

Each row of an Instagram page consists of three images. This tile format is helpful for planning and designing posts. For example, you can create a checkerboard from your profile pictures by swapping between light and dark photographs.

example of a composition in an Instagram profile example of a document in an Instagram profile

Alternatively, you can take an example from the Ray-Ban style and use a different color scheme for each row.

Instagram profile composition using ay ban as an example Instagram profile composition using Ray-Ban as an example

Instagram offers several tools for scheduling posts. For example, Feed Previewer, Planoly, and Plan. You can see how your page will look before uploading photos to your profile.

The color palette in images, texts, and stories

Choose 3-5 shades of colors in images and texts. Sticking to one shade group, create a visually appealing and professional page. For example, the profile of Lexylicious Ice Cream is dominated by pink.

the color palette on the Instagram color palette on Instagram

Use filters to make it easier to maintain consistency in the color palette.

Filters for images

With tools such as retouch Photo Studio, Lightroom, or built-in Instagram filters, you can transform your photos beyond recognition.

See how organic tea company The Tea Story uses filters to keep the orange and red colors consistent in their publications.

filters for Instagram image filters for Instagram images

The font on images and stories

Fonts are part of the brand language. Chanel has created a signature typeface that has remained unchanged for decades. Even on Instagram. Want to achieve the same branding success? Use the same fonts in stories, images, and videos.

example of using fonts in images and Instagram stories example of using fonts in embodiments and Instagram stories

Templates

Use ready-made Instagram templates to create eye-catching visual content. These templates look professional and are easy to edit and customize to suit your profile. The template will save you time and help maintain a coherent look for your page.

Could retouch has Instagram templates for sales, app downloads, new product announcements, reminders, quotes, and more. To find templates for your page, visit coudretouch.com, go to Marketing & SEO, then click on Social Media Posts.

example of using templates on the Instagram example of using templates on Instagram

3.Strategically use all Instagram formats

The possibilities of Instagram are constantly expanding. Initially, only static images could be loaded in the application. There are different features and formats on the platform now. For example, Stories, IGTV, Instagram Live, Shopping, and the newest one is Reels.

We will understand each format and tell you how to promote Instagram using them.

1. Standard image

2. Carousel

3. Video

4. Stories

5. Selected stories

6. IGTV

7. Reels

8. Live и Live Rooms

9. Shop

Standard Image

Standard picture posts are static profile pictures. Instagram is a visual social network, so you should use beautiful images in good resolution.

Carousel

This type of post can contain up to ten images and videos combined into one position with the ability to scroll to the side.

The picture below shows how designer Zimmermann used the carousel format to display the dresses in the front and back. In addition, on the last slide, he established the dress in motion thanks to a short runway video.

The carousel format is helpful for more than just showcasing products. The algorithm shows posts with great reach. Reach also depends on the time the user spends staying on the seat. Naturally, viewing multiple images takes longer. In this way, the efficiency and reach of the post can be increased.

example of using a carousel on Instagram Example of using a carousel on Instagram

Video

Businesses can use Instagram videos to tell a brand story, showcase new products, and communicate company news. According to a report from Instagram, in-app video watch time increased by 80%.

To create impressive videos, use the could retouch Video Editor for editing, voiceover, and titles.

example of using video on Instagram

Stories

The idea that something interesting can disappear forever is very intriguing. Instagram has played on this feeling, forcing 500 million people to interact with the stories every day. After 24 hours, the “story” circles in the top bar of the screen disappear.

The Story is 15 seconds long, which may seem insignificant to post, but it is a powerful tool for Instagram promotion. 50% of the respondents confirmed that they went to the site to buy a product or service after seeing it in the “story.”

The stories show the right side of the brand. This is not a perfect picture in the feed, but the company’s daily routine, its culture, and what remains behind the scenes. Using the Ascend Social Post or the Story and Ash apps, you can set up custom layouts and templates for your Stories.

In addition to product images, use videos, text, stickers, and widgets to keep the user’s attention on your Story longer.

Types of widgets:

Vote

Allows users to choose one of two options. Use voting in Stories to give users the option to choose between their favorite products or two images. This is an excellent way to engage customers in a game format.

Countdown and product launch

With the countdown function, you can set the date and time of any critical event in your company. This can be the day of the prize draw, the launch of a new line, or the beginning of discounts. Users have the option to set a reminder when the countdown ends. This will return them to your account and take part in the promotion.

See how Summers Snugglers have used the countdown for their upcoming product launch.

example of a countdown function on Instagram Example of a countdown function on Instagram

Questions

Everyone likes it when their opinion is asked. The question function is specially designed for this. You can also answer users’ questions or use the procedure for market research.

Quiz

A quiz is a multiple-choice test. Choosing one reveals the correct option. Come up with some intriguing questions about your company, product, or service.

GIF

GIFs (“gifs”) are animated images. Stories have a search field to find a suitable GIF animation by keywords.

Use the new post GIF in Stories to increase reach on profile posts.

Location

Use the location feature to show users the Store’s address. This will make it easier for them to find you. Or mark the location of the event where you are. According to Omnicore, posts with a site get 79% more reach.

In the hashtag

Use hashtags to highlight words that describe your post. This will help interested users find your Story.

Active links

Active links in Stories are available for users with 10,000 subscribers or more. By clicking on the button with the link, the user is taken from the “story” to any page of your choice. For example, to a website or an Instagram store.

See how illustrator and designer Lili Arnold Studios used this feature to get users to buy her book.

example of using active links in Instagram stories example of using active links in Instagram stories

Mentions

Mentions allow you to tag other users who can then share the post in their Stories. You can mention your customers, employees, or other brands.

Shopping

Use this feature to tag products in Stories and direct users to your Instagram store. This stimulates the development of the Instagram account and helps to highlight the products shown in the photo. For example, H&M used this feature to tag a blazer.

demonstration of goods on Instagram demonstration of goods on Instagram

Selected stories

It’s a pity to forget some “stories.” Thanks to the Featured Stories feature, they can be saved to your profile forever. These stories are located under the profile description and are available for viewing by everyone who visits the page. Regular users use this function to keep memories of important events, such as a vacation or a wedding. And big brands save company descriptions, products, and special offers as favorites.

For example, the wheelchair cover brand Izzy Wheels uses select stories to help shoppers find different collections: Hello Kitty, Barbie, and bridal covers.

All featured story covers can be changed according to categories.

To create a cover, upload a picture from your camera roll or use an already published story. You can also use the cover maker app or buy images from Etsy.

featured stories – examples featured stories – example

IGTV

IGTV uses a 1 to 60 minutes vertical video format. These videos can be used for product overviews, interviews, or product demonstrations. If you have video content from other channels, it can be easily reformatted for Instagram TV. If you want to stand out, download IGTV. These videos are much more visible than the featured posts photos.

To get more people to watch your IGTV, advertise it in Stories.

Watch the IGTV of Vivi et Margot, the owner of traditional French tableware. She produces shopping videos, table decorating tips, and inspirational home design videos.

example IGT example IGTV

Reels

Reels is similar to the popular social network TikTok. Users upload 30-second videos with interactive filters and popular sounds. The peculiarity is that you can start shooting, stop shooting and start shooting further, applying different effects. If the account is public, then these videos will appear in the recommendation feed of other users.

Gift store Nurturing Nature Cards writes that Reels helps increase audience reach and encourages all brands to use the tool.

example of using reels on the Instagram example of using reels on Instagram

Live Broadcast and Live Rooms

Use the live streaming function as a virtual event to which all Instagram users are invited.

If you want to invite other participants to the stream, use Live Rooms. Live Rooms allows you to stream simultaneously with up to three different users. It’s like a webinar with several speakers. The listeners have the opportunity to ask questions and write comments in real-time.

Several ways brands can use the feature:

• Creation of the illusion of live shopping. Users are shown the products and a link to purchase each product offered.

• Interview with a buyer or opinion leader.

• A series of questions and answers where a company representative answers frequently asked questions.

• Behind-the-scenes show of the company event is taking place right now.

• Video tutorial or master class.

Score

With the rise in popularity of online shopping, Instagram has brought the eCommerce experience to social media. According to research, 130 million accounts click on store posts every month to learn more about a product.

An Instagram store allows users to find out about discounts from brands they subscribe to and see other recommended stores.

In the Store, place all your products in catalog format. If you have a payment system connected, users will buy things directly through the social network. This is an excellent tool for making money on Instagram.

The Instagram Store feature can be used in Stories and Profile. After clicking on a product tag, the user will see an image, price, description, and a link to purchase the product. For example, the Granola brand Les Granolas de Jenny has an Instagram store, which you can go to by clicking on the “view products” tag.

example Instagram magazine example Instagram magazine

4.Build a robust content plan

Beautiful product photos are not enough for Instagram development. To succeed, you need to infuse images with material that teaches, informs, inspires, or entertains. We recommend building a content plan based on the following categories:

1. User Content

2. Working moments

3. Quotes

4. Employees

5. Promotion of products

6. Teaching posts

7. Seasonal posts

8. Events

9. Reviews

10. News, press releases, and publications

11. Entertainment content

User Content

These are images, videos, or text that have been created and posted by users online. Such content not only saves time to make but is also a very reliable and valuable asset.

According to data from Social Media Today, the conversion rate for user-generated content is 4.5% higher. Encourage users to tag your page in photos and share these posts in your Stories or profile.

Working moments

Let users see what’s behind maintaining a brand or business. By showing how products are manufactured and packaged, you can showcase a more personal side of the brand and build more trusting relationships with customers.

Quotes

Quotes relieve the profile tape, inspire and energize. We recommend that you publish quotes related to your industry and audience. For example, we shared a quote from Adele Goldberg, a computer scientist. This quote echoes our website-building audience.

example of using quotes on the Instagram example of using quotes on Instagram

Employees

Employees are the face of the company. Show the world what your business is made of by introducing your audience to you and your employees through publications. Photos of employees help humanize the brand, showing that real people are behind the business. According to a study by Backlinko, posts with visible faces receive 38% more “likes” than the rest.

Promotion of goods

83% of users claim that Instagram helped them find new products and services. One of the critical points of a content plan should be marketing your products.

Alternate promotion with other posts so that your profile doesn’t look aggressive-selling. Post new items, bestsellers, and promotions.

For inspiration, check out how Marc Jacobs mentions a limited edition perfume in one of his posts.

example of promoting goods on the Instagram example of promoting interests on Instagram

Educational posts

Tell subscribers about your goal or the problem you are solving. This will help them understand if they need your product or service. Thanks to informational content, users will learn new valuable information and trust the brand more.

See how natural candle company Fontana Candle Co. created a post about each ingredient in her product. The description focuses on the difference between candles made from pure and toxic components.

example of educational Instagram post example of an educational Instagram post

Seasonal posts

Post for seasonal and national holidays. This is a reason to declare yourself once again and stay relevant. For example, the waffle company Bubblewrap used International Nutella Day to showcase its product.

an example of a seasonal post on Instagram an example of a seasonal position on Instagram

Events

Show your followers the events you host or attend. Allow them to watch the events so that they want to take part in them.

Reviews

As good as your logo and slogan are, positive customer feedback sounds better. Add customer testimonials to your posts to increase brand credibility and improve your image.

News, press releases, and publications

Explain that your brand has been mentioned in the media. 

Take Brown Girl Jane as an example. Their product was mentioned in Elle, and the band did an excellent posting of the article snippet.

example of a news post on Instagram Example of a news post on Instagram

Entertainment content

Think about what jokes and “memes” are popular in pop culture. Join the trends by making a related post on the topic. It will also “humanize” the brand and help create a deeper connection with users.

After putting together your content plan, focus on growing your account.

5.Tips for Instagram promotion

We’ve put together 10 of the essential tips on how to get your Instagram started from scratch.

1. Understand the Instagram algorithm

2. Write exciting descriptions

3. Use hashtags

4. Interact with existing and potential customers

5. Conduct contests and sweepstakes

6. Collaborate with influencers

7. Make Promotional Posts with Instagram Advertising

8. Know the best time to post

9. Measure and optimize performance

10. Promote your account on the site

Understand the Instagram algorithm

Many mechanisms for using artificial intelligence for the Instagram algorithm remain unknown. However, some users discerned several principles by which Instagram defines “favorite” posts and accounts.

The Instagram feed is not built-in chronological order but under a particular user’s interests.

For the algorithm to play in your favor, you need to convince Instagram that your posts are interesting to users in the first seconds after publication.

There are several ways to do this:

• Increase the time people spend looking at the post

• Encourage conservation

• Get people to share your post

• Attract more comments and likes. You can leave two comments under your post in the first couple of seconds after publication. This will help initiate communication.

• Add alt text to images. This will help the algorithm determine who will be interested in your post.

Write exciting descriptions

There are 2,200 characters to describe a post. However, after 125, the post is already difficult to read. Concentrate on the first two lines.

Include calls to action (CTAs) in your text. According to Instagram statistics, the effectiveness of campaigns that use calls to action is 89% higher than the rest.

The most popular CTAs encourage users to comment on something specific under the post. Others urge you to look at the link in the profile description.

Watch how designer Abby Leighton announced the launch of an online store and invited subscribers to “look at the link in the description.”

Use CapGenius or Preview for inspiration. Don’t forget to use emojis and hashtags.

example post text in Instagram sample post text in Instagram

Use hashtags

Social media uses hashtags to discover posts, increase the user base, and increase engagement.

Posts with at least one hashtag increase engagement by 12.6%.

It’s essential to choose hashtags relevant to your niche, audience, region, and account goal.

Let’s look at some of the best practices for strategically using hashtags.

Hashtags with different reach

Each post is allowed to use up to 30 hashtags. This is a prominent figure, but you need to be selective in your choice.

Combine high, medium, and low reach hashtags in every post. 

Hashtags with over a million posts (like #fitnessmotivation ) and niche ones with a few thousand ( #fitnessclothes ) are equally important. By using hashtags, your posts will be seen by people interested in specific categories.

The less hashtag reaches, the easier your post will be to find, as it will stay at the top of recent posts for longer.

Change hashtags

If your hashtags are popular with users, try complimenting them to attract a new audience. Create a list of 6-10 groups of 30 hashtags to copy and paste under your posts. Then all that remains to be done is to alternate them.

Create branded hashtags

The difference between a regular and a branded hashtag is that a branded hashtag is built around the brand name. For example, use the company name, #ShareaCoke, or mention a product like Disneyland – #ShareYourEars.

The goal of a branded hashtag is to create buzz around the brand and collect user-generated content. Tell your followers about the branded hashtag and offer to use it for a mention in the profile.

example of using branded hashtags on the Instagram example of using branded hashtags on Instagram

Subscribe to trending hashtags

Instagram shows popular posts by hashtags from your followers every week. This will help you keep an eye on what’s happening in the industry and participate in the community.

Use Hashtag Expert and Hashtagify tools to make it easier to work with hashtags.

Interact with existing and potential customers

Interaction with the audience has its science. The more you “like” and comment on the posts of other users, the more chance they will go to your profile, subscribe, and, possibly, go to the site.

Here are some tips on how to interact with your audience:

• Respond to all comments. Leave comments and “like” posts of other accounts. The more personal the statement, the more likely the recipient will be taken to the brand profile.

• Collaborate with similar accounts. Agree to share each other’s posts in Stories to attract a larger audience.

• Join or organize an outreach group. Several accounts like, comment, and save each other’s posts. This activity makes the algorithm think your content is worth the attention.

• How do you get more subscribers? Many marketers recommend Gary Vaynerchuk’s $ 1.80 method. Find ten different hashtags in your niche, comment on nine posts, leaving your “2 kopecks” under each post. It turns out 0.02 x 9 x 10 = 1.80.

Sometimes a comment and a “like” are not enough. Therefore, it is worth offering subscribers a competition or a prize drawing as one of the marketing tactics.

Conduct contests and sweepstakes

People love gifts. Many will happily subscribe, share, tag friends and advertise another Instagram account in exchange for the chance to win a prize.

Ideally, the value of the prize corresponds to the amount you are willing to pay for new subscribers. Depending on the budget, the reward could be an expensive piece of equipment, a discount, or a brand product.

Make sure the giveaway lasts 2 to 5 days. Use the comment picker or giveaway picker to pick a winner.

For example, Coal and Canary Candle ran a giveaway that generated 4,000 comments. All people tagged under the publication in the course of the competition saw the company’s profile.

Collaborate with influencers

Influencers, or opinion leaders, have many followers whose opinions are listened to. Brands partner not only with Instagram celebrities but also micro-influencers with fewer followers.

To gain user trust, you need to promote your brand through influencers. According to a survey, 55% of shoppers purchased clothes after advertising from an influencer.

How to partner with influencers

1. Find an influencer through Intellifluence or Tribe that matches the right influencer for your niche.

2. Check the profile of the influencer. Look at your audience reach and subscriber count. Use the fake follower checker or scroll through the follower list to make sure they are real people.

3. Contact them and offer cooperation. In a letter or meeting, discuss the price, type of content, and time frame.

Make Promotional Posts with Instagram Advertising

Advertising on Instagram works through the paid promotion of publications and “stories” shown to a select target audience that has not yet subscribed to your profile. 

Considering that 50% of users are more interested in a product after an Instagram ad, this is an effective promotion method.

Here’s how to start a paid ad campaign:

1. Select a subject to promote: You can click on any post or Story in your Instagram business account and click Promote. We recommend checking Instagram statistics and upgrading posts with good organic reach.

2. Select a campaign objective: select your business objectives. Awareness (reach and business awareness), attention (traffic, engagement), or conversion (sales, traffic to the Store).

3. Determine the target audience: Instagram automatically detects people similar to your subscribers. You can customize the targeting yourself by choosing the target audience’s location, interests, age, and gender.

4. Set budget and duration: Instagram ad tools will show approximate reach based on your set daily budget and campaign duration.

5. Optimize your performance: Track your ad performance. Did users go to your site or landing page? What is the coverage? The more reach, the more engagement. If you are happy with the results, you can promote related posts. If you feel like you can achieve more, try changing your description, target audience, or ad post.

Know the best time to post

You need to publish 1-2 posts to your profile and upload more than 10 Stories for maximum results per day.

When to post?

Service Hootsuite analyzed more than 200,000 publications and gave the performance indicators in each industry. It turns out that the best time for the travel industry to post is Friday at 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. Friday is also a good day for food industry publications, especially during the day.

The best days for the real estate industry are Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Measure and optimize performance

With the help of Instagram analytics tools and built-in statistics, you can get information in the following areas:

• Geography and age of subscribers

• Growth and decline in the number of subscribers

• Involvement in every publication

In stories:

• Touches forward

• Touchback

• Next Story and exit

• Answers

Use this data when deciding what content to keep as the main one.

example Instagram analysts example Instagram analysts

Promote your account on the site

Add an Instagram icon to your site to get loyal users to follow you. Using the Instagram Feed tool, add images from the app to your site. This will automatically sync new posts.

Read More: How to Become a Blogger in 2022: A Step-by-Step Guide