Ultimate Instagram Marketing GuideFrom Yinc Marketing

Can I Advertise on Instagram?

Well…not yet.

They’ve begun to “promote” certain companies, but you aren’t allowed to actually advertise just yet.

Facebook owns Instagram, so you can bet advertising is on it’s way soon.

But for now, there are some tricks to use Instagram as a marketing tool.

The Instagram Reach

Instagram reaches a different market than Twitter or even Facebook.

Instagram is all visual. All pictures and video.

Available on iPhone, Android, and now has webpage profiles.

Nearly 200 million monthly users.

7.3 million using it daily.

Instagram Growth

Grew 25% between December 2013 and March 2014.

Only social app that could be used for marketing that outgrew Instagram was Vine-a short video service.

Online Presence

Follow for Follow? Follow your followers back.

Like and comment on their photos or videos.

Reply to their comments on your posts.

Share their photos-with their permission of course.

Make sure your followers know that you appreciate them.

Contests and Promotions

Users are able to like and share your posts, or tag their photos with your username or hashtag.

Have your users get creative for you. Use them to promote you.

People love contests and winning free things.

Run promotions. Give promotion codes, or free shipping codes for your products.

Location, location, location!

Geotag your photos.

Let your followers know you’re near to them.

Or find your followers that are close.

Online Presence

Post updates

Show your work team

Get creative

Share your followers posts

Best Time to Post

Anytime for photos-research shows there’s not a particular best time for this.

Videos are a different story

Post videos in the off hours of weekdays. Research shows this produces the best results.

Shout-Outs

Find ways to get your followers to give you a shout-out.

Have them post a picture of your product or service and how it’s helped them.

This will allow new followers to find you and your product.

#Hashtag

Hashtags are used like keywords. They will bring people searching that particular hashtag to a page with all the photos that have been tagged.

This is why it’s important to have great photos. People will get drawn to a collage of photos, make sure yours stands out.

Don’t tag in the original description line. Add a comment after your post and fill it with hashtags. This will hide the long list of hashtags you’ve included and wont deter your followers.

Hashtags

Make them general hashtags

Don’t hashtag sentences. No one can read those, and no one will be searching those

Between 4 and 7 hashtags work best according to research, but load those babies up if you’d like.

Filters

Mayfair gets the most interactions, but isn’t used very much.

Research shows that no filter seems to get the best response.

But don’t forget to #nofilter your photo as well!