Ever wonder what the “kids” are into these days? It’s Instagram. This social media platform which allows users to share images and videos took off quickly after it was released and has continued to be one of the fastest growing. So much so, Facebook jumped on the bandwagon and purchased it a few years back. That acquisition led to even faster growth among a variety of age groups, particularly young adults and teens. The total number of users now exceeds 200 million!
Simply put, if you own a small business in Milwaukee and want to get in front of customers, Instagram is a great tool. It’s likely clients will be on at some point! It’s actually more common for the younger audience to have a presence exclusively on Instagram, meaning they don’t have a Facebook profile.
Above all, staying true to your brand is most important. Images and/or videos which showcase your products or services are a good starting point. As you come up with content, consider the quality. You want to be sure you’re posting high quality content with a consistent style. Avoid grainy, poorly-staged, or text heavy posts.
Hashtags are an essential element when you’re working to grow your following. Its purpose is to allow users to see your post based on relevant terms (such as #milwaukee, #toys, #design). Each hashtag becomes a clickable link which will bring up a list of popular and recent posts using that term. When starting out, you’re best off using mostly general hashtags, as you’ll be able to reach a wider audience. You should also use your brand name or slogan as a hashtag. An important note – punctuation breaks a hashtag! If you’re trying to hashtag something like “it’s the best,” you have to write it as #itsthebest not #it’sthebest.
If you’re just getting started with Instagram and could use a bit of guidance, get in touch with us! Our Milwaukee Instagram marketing experts will help you incorporate this fantastic social media platform into your overall strategy!