The 5 main questions you should consider before using Instagram for your company

There is no doubt Instagram has become a big part of many consumers’ everyday lives. For the same reason, it creates a huge opportunity for companies that want to be present where their customers are.

But just being on Instagram is not enough. How you act, is what can provide value to your customers and thus to your company. We will come up with five considerations and main questions you should ask yourself before establishing your company on Instagram. In this way, you are well equipped before throwing yourself into the popular social media.

#1 Why should your company be on Instagram?

It is important that you as a company consider why you want to be on Instagram. For some companies the answer is obvious, because social media is clearly linked to their business model and the business itself. For other companies it can be more difficult and vague to see their rationale and position.

Although Instagram at first glance is based on the creative, visual expression that emerges, you will achieve the greatest success if you have a targeted strategy in advance. This way you avoid posting a whole lot of random content. Therefore, it is important to have a clear idea of what drives the business’ presence. You must both reflect on what the company’s overall purpose is, and also set specific targets for what you as a company would like to achieve with an Instagram profile. In such a way, the framework can be formed for which strategy you prefer in order to accomplish the desired goals and objectives.

#2 Who do you want to reach out to on Instagram?

Another important consideration is to check if your company’s customers are on Instagram. Some companies may see it as a requirement to be on Instagram just because everyone else is. But if your customers, or some of your customers, do not spend their time on Instagram, it is not necessarily the right strategy to move forward with.

That said, there will usually be a larger or smaller portion of your company’s target audience(s) that appears on Instagram during a day. So these are the ones you should be focused on and target your content to! It is crucial that you know your target audience and their needs, in order to maintain their interest in a platform with many impressions at all times. It is a learning process, and you may find that what has previously worked on your target audience may not work on the same audience on Instagram, because the platform allows different behaviors.

As your company increases the number of followers on Instagram, you can use Instagram Insights to track whether your followers and target audience equals your customers. From there, you can continuously optimize your content in order to target your audience in the best possible way.

#3 What should your followers know about you on Instagram?

Once your company has determined what it is you want to achieve by being on Instagram, as well as which target audience you should reach, the creative and visual strategy can be developed. The first thing you should consider is the basic information that consumers see when they “enter” your profile. A solid description of your profile, a recognizable profile picture and a relevant link will therefore help give a good first impression when people visit your profile. This is where you define which customers you are contacting and how you can help them.

Your profile bio on Instagram can have a maximum of 150 characters and therefore it is important to be clear and consistent and shortly explain who your company is, what your company stands for and your company’s personality. This is without a doubt a difficult task because your company will most likely offer many different solutions. Therefore you should for example consider UPSs or highlight news like your company’s next product launch or event to clarify your company’s key features.

Also, keep in mind that the only link your followers can actually click on is in your bio. Therefore, instead of just linking to your company’s website, make it a habit to change the link often and use it to, for example, run app downloads, event registrations or newsletters.

#4 How do you want to show what you company does on Instagram?

Everything your company says and does, both online and offline says something about who your company are. On Instagram, it is possible to tell your story in a different way than on other social media. It can be very effective if it is done the right way, but it is a difficult task.

Creativity and the visual expression are paramount on Instagram and therefore it is crucial with a common thread that exploits Instagram’s creativity without compressing your company’s identity. In other words: Show what your company does in a creative way!

Instagram allows you to be creative in several different ways, primarily through your feed and your posts. It can be a good idea to use a certain color palette and even though it is smart to use colors that your customers already associate with your business, you can also expand the palette.

In addition, you have to decide the type of content. For example, should it mainly be products, landscape, close-ups or people? You can off course use several types of content, but it is smart to opt out of some to keep a reasonably clear message.

It is also effective to take advantage of Instagram’s many features. For example, IGTV is a great way to explain your products. Instagram Shopping can be used to easily manufacture your products, while you can use Instagram Reels to create a video that shows how your products can be used in different situations. It also may be a good idea to use Instagram Highlights to save past Stories that will be interesting to new followers.

In this connection, it can be a good tool to develop a content calendar so that a framework is made for what you need to set up in the future. It provides a security and a structure that is necessary to not lose control and overview.

No matter which way your company chooses to go, it is important to always have your purpose and goals in mind so you remember to ask yourselves if the content will help your company achieve their goal.

#5 ... and what now?

Instagram may seem a little overwhelming and even though you spent a lot of time preparing for the launch of your company’s Instagram, you might still have questions. We hope that this post helped your company with some of the questions that can arise when you want to start on Instagram. But it can still be difficult to find the resources and time to manage Instagram on your own, both in the start-up phase and also if you have been using Instagram for a long time. At Iternum, we are always ready to advise and guide companies about the use of Instagram and other social media. We provide professional sparring that can help your business get off to a good start on Instagram – both in terms of organic material and advertising.

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