by Marelise da Silva | May 11, 2020 | Instagram
Instagram has over 1 billion users (more than Twitter) which makes it ripe with social media marketing opportunities. You can use this platform to reach a massive audience with high impact posts that drive sales and brand buy-in. Do you know how to harness Instagram to boost your small business? Here are a few simple steps you can follow to put the platform to good use.
Set up an optimised business account
Aside from keeping your business account separate from your personal account, you need to optimise your profile for user appeal. Include a link to your website in your bio. Speaking of your bio, you need to craft it to be interesting and hook readers quickly. Make it easy for them to make the decision to follow you.
Create great, tailored, interesting posts
Once you start posting, make sure you are creating posts that users really want to follow – this requires a good knowledge of your intended audience. Finally, never revert to a hard-sell tone on this platform – keep it relaxed and conversational, ensuring that your tone is in line with your target market.
Expand your audience
You may have beautiful posts, as well as a small, dedicated following, but you need to expand your reach and make sure that you’re not just preaching to the converted. One of the most effective techniques you can use to attract more followers is the use of hashtags, which could draw the eyes of people who don’t know your brand but have an interest in your general field.
Boost engagement
You want users to interact with your posts and your brand. One of the most important ways of doing this is through really careful, creative caption writing. Again, be careful with your language – make sure it matches the tone of your brand and the sensibilities of your target market. Also include a call to action that is alluring and never pushy.
If you need help with your Instagram strategy, come to WSI OMS. We are a leading internet marketing franchise that can take your social media marketing to new heights. Contact us for more information.
by Marelise da Silva | Apr 28, 2020 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing
Ephemeral content, which is content that is only accessible for a brief period of time, is bigger than ever before in 2020. Facebook and Instagram Stories are great examples of this type of content that can really play a sizeable part in terms of maximising your social media marketing efforts going forward. The question is, how exactly can you leverage Instagram Stories to promote your business? Follow our simple three-step guide!
1. Follow Best Practices
According to statistics provided by QuickSprout, images with faces used in Instagram stories receive 38% more engagement. Statistics also show that over 60% of the top-performing brands on Instagram use a consistent filter in all of the stories that they post. Finally, posts and stories that feature a location tag boast 79% more engagement than posts that do not.
2. Use Instagram Stories to promote Specials and Discounts
Your stories are bound to generate engagement if you give your followers what they want – a great deal! Considering how these stories are only accessible for a period of 24 hours, they are perfect to use for promoting flash sales. You might want to notify your followers and existing customers both in-store and on other social media platforms, that these specials are exclusive to Instagram, ultimately resulting in an increase in your number of followers.
3. Screen Interesting Content Live
Just like Facebook, Instagram Stories allows you to screen content live. And, research has shown that social media users cannot get enough of live streams. Not only is it sure to generate more interest, but it also facilitates more genuine interactions with your followers, especially as they are able to comment in real time, and you can respond in a similar fashion. Once you have recorded your live session, it will still be visible to anyone who missed it for 24 hours just like all regular Instagram Stories.
Looking for a digital marketing agency to lend a hand when it comes to mastering the art of digital marketing and social media marketing via Instagram Stories? Look no further than WSI OMS. Get in touch today.
by Marianna Muscat | Apr 20, 2020 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms such as Instagram have a unique community culture. Actively understanding and participating in this community takes time and effort. If you consider Instagram a focus-platform for your 2020 marketing strategy, here are some statistics to support that choice:
- 95 million posts are shared on Instagram every day
- 1 billion people use the platform every month
- 500 million people use Instagram Stories daily
- 63% of users log in at least once a day
- 28 minutes is the average time users will spend on the platform every day
- 18 to 34-year olds are the most active age group.
There is one Instagram strategy that brands seem to be using above all others, and that is the implementation of user-generated content (UGC).
What Is User-Generated Content (UGC)?
User-generated content is the sharing of user’s photos in your social media or other platform campaigns. Once you identify potential content, you will reach out to the owner and ask them if they would like to participate in your campaign. Campaigns might include photo contests with give aways and product or company reviews. Getting people to tag their friends, through your call-to-action (CTA), seems to drive the largest Instagram follower growth in the shortest period.
Why Is User-Generated Content (UGC) Important for Your Brand?
Providing content that your audience loves will build a vibrant, engaged community. If Millennials, with their growing purchasing power, are your target market, user-generated content might result in sales as they trust user-generated content more than other types of media. The reason? The creator of user-generated content has no ulterior motive other than to add to the digital conversation. So, the lesson is to be authentic in everything you do.
What Is the Start of Your User-Generated Content (UGC) Campaign?
The start of your campaign is deciding what you want all user content to ‘say’ about your brand, product or company culture. Consider these questions:
- What makes your brand or product unique?
- What makes your company culture unique?
- How do you want others to see your brand or product?
- What might people not know about your brand or product?
- What compelling stories must your chosen users tell?
- What is the most beautiful and engaging way to present your brand or product?
Now you can start searching for great user content either by hosting social media contests (with give aways) or actively seeking users through hashtags or social media tools.
WSI OMS in South Africa will support you and your business if you consider Instagram a focus-platform for 2020. Contact us, and we will manage your Instagram community with you.
by Marianna Muscat | Apr 16, 2020 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing
You are already using social media optimisation services as content is regularly added to your social media profiles and website, and you are tracking and capitalising on traffic and visitor trends. Yet, you want to grow your exposure even further and are, therefore, considering using influencers to promote your product or service. But, how do you measure the success of an influencer? Especially now that Instagram is hiding ‘like’ counts from everyone except the account holder?
Instagram decided to hide the ‘like’ counts because they wanted to create a more welcoming environment where users feel comfortable expressing themselves. They are already hiding ‘likes’ in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and the United States, with South Africa no doubt on a future list. Here are 3 ways to measure influencer success on Instagram, without the ‘likes’:
Measure Influencer Success With Verified Content Views
Very few followers actually see the latest social post of any particular influencer, no matter what time of day the content is shared. To establish a credible measurement strategy that will overcome current and future platform changes, you should build your influencer plan around verified influencer content views.
Measure Influencer Success With Meaningful Engagement
‘Simple’ engagement will continue to be a measurement method as agencies, their clients and influencers have attributed value to this method for years. But you want meaningful engagements where comments are thoughtful and relevant, allowing followers to genuinely engage. To achieve meaningful engagement, the quality of your content is important.
Measure Influencer Success With Sales Conversion
The best measure of influencer success is traceable sales conversion. The ability to directly drive sales and make direct attribution to influencer content is becoming routine as social referral to eCommerce sites has risen extensively. Social media platform add-to-cart capabilities is just one of the ways to measure the connection between content and conversion.
WSI OMS can guide you on the use of Instagram influencers if you want to grow your company’s social media presence. Contact us today to optimise your social media presence.
by Francois Muscat | Feb 13, 2020 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing
Instagram is a social media marketing must-have, as it’s a great platform to visually present the services or products of your business. With a focus on images, including video, it allows your business to make connections and share posts across multiple social platforms. For instance, according to Instagram, more than 200 million users visit at least one business profile daily.
Below, we discuss what else Instagram offers as well as how to set up your account.
Instagram Is Mobile-First, With Shoppable Posts
The vast scope of Instagram is just the tip of the iceberg. Here is what else is offered:
- One of the more noticeable aspects of Instagram posts is the use of #hashtags – keywords that summarize what is being said in your post. This makes it easy for you to not only to be found, but also to be recognisable.
- Because it was created in 2010, Instagram is truly mobile-first. This means that you can be in the pocket of your prospects and customers – increasing your engagement with them through high-quality photos, local hashtags and even by uniting with other brands.
- Instagram recently launched Instagram Shoppable Posts that allows users to tag and shop products directly from organic Instagram posts. Simply add tags to the products in your photos with links that include the product description, price and the ability to “shop now”, which will lead the user to your online store.
How to Set up Your Instagram for Business Account
Follow these easy steps to set up your Instagram business account:
- Start by setting up a business Instagram account or converting a personal account to business.
- Decide on an appropriate social media marketing campaign, bearing the following in mind:
- Who you are marketing to?
- What stage of the customer journey are you targeting? Is it the awareness, engagement, conversion or the customer?
- Why you are marketing?
- What are your goals?
- How will you measure marketing success?
- What is your timeframe?
- When you will be posting? (Keep in mind that a regular posting schedule is imperative.)
- Optimize your profile for the best results.
- Test and measure using Instagram Insights.
We Offer Solutions for Your Social Media Marketing Strategy
For more information on our digital marketing, social media marketing and online reputation management solutions, contact us now.
by Francois Muscat | Jan 23, 2020 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing
Instagram’s introduction of its Checkout feature added a new tool that online retailers can use to monetise their hordes of followers on the popular social platform. If you’ve yet to put the feature to use, this blog is a gentle introduction to its range of benefits.
Enables Consumers to Complete Purchases Without Leaving the App
Checkout on Instagram enables consumers to complete purchases in the app, without having to be redirected to the seller’s website. This would promote Instagram from a social media platform to a centralised online marketplace where an unlimited number of brands can make sales quickly and easily – on the spot.
When a user taps to view a product that interests them, the “Checkout on Instagram” button comes up, and they can complete the transaction right there if they choose. Not only will payment take place within Instagram, but also after-sales services such as tracking of orders. First-time users will have to enter billing and delivery information, much as they would on any other shopping site. These details are then saved for later use, regardless of the number and variety of sellers they buy from.
Lower Traffic to Your Site Is Offset By Quicker Conversions
This may present both good and bad possibilities for you as an online business operator. On the one hand, it could mean a reduction in traffic going through to your website from Instagram. But, on the other hand, it would make for quicker conversions – and thus possibly even an increase in conversions over time. It cuts out all intermediate steps, meaning you get a more immediate sale.
According to Instagram’s stats, 60% of users discover new products on the platform, making it a very useful promotional method. It now goes one step further, because it not only promotes the product, it can close the sale too.
The service is currently in closed beta testing, rolled out to a select few brands earmarked by Instagram. Once it rolls out of beta in general use, it is not certain what the cost of the service will be to retailers. But, it seems likely to be worth the expense. We’ll be sure to keep you posted.
Thinking of adding Instagram to your suite of social media marketing platforms? The platform’s new Checkout feature, which is still in beta, is one of many features that appeal to online marketers. Contact WSI OMS today to learn how you can put Instagram’s powerful marketing features to use.
