Images are one of the keys to establishing rapport with potential customers.
In fact for anyone who uses social media or wants to market their business in the new Internet era they are essential.
According to top US content marketer Jeff Bullas, good quality images can…
• Increase your webpage views – Studies have shown that website articles with images get 94% more total views than those without.
• Deepen your engagement with prospects – The rate of engagement on Facebook is 0.37% for posts with photos, compared to 0.27% for text-only.
• Enhance your product credibility – When it comes to purchasing online 67% of consumers say the quality of a product image is “very important”.
The increasing importance people place on images is the reason why the photo-sharing network Instagram has become the world’s fastest-growing social media application, with more than 400 million users.
A significant 30% of Internet users are now on Instagram, with over 60% of those users logging in daily making it the second most engaged network after Facebook.
Here’s why you should take Instagram very seriously
Instagram isn’t just an app that kids use to chat to one another and share memes.
It’s global. It transcends language barriers and all you need is your phone to engage.
People use it as a platform to share inspiration, experiences, ideas, stories, events… even products.
That’s why it is definitely something you should think about using if…
• You run an offline or online shop selling physical products (homeware, art, crafts, toys, collectables, furniture, food, drink, confectionary, clothing, electronics, musical instruments).
• You’re involved in a business niche that has a strong visual element, for instance – outdoor pursuits (hiking, cycling, camping, sailing, long distance running), photography, travel, cookery, DIY, crafting, animal training and gardening.
• You’re a creative who makes your own product – eg, illustration, design, painting, photography, upcycling, crafts, fashion, cakes, bread, beer.
• You’re a writer, reviewer or journalist whose subject matter lends itself well to photographs – for instance, travel, landscape, architecture, animals, sports, food and drink, fashion, design.
However, simply sharing any old photo is not going to help you build a business. You need to follow a strategy:
1. How to use RITE to attract and engage the right kind of audience on Instagram
Your photos should be:
Relevant – the photos should relate to your business’s subject matter and to the interests of your ideal prospects. What is it they like and dislike? This is more important than your own taste. For instance, if you’re a vintage model train blogger, you might post pictures of trains, scenery, modelling kits, tools and paints. But you wouldn’t post random pictures of your cat.
Interesting – you need to keep your audience engaged. So try to post photos that are interesting in some way – it could be something rare, something funny, something unusual, something taken from a strange angle, or something your competition isn’t doing.
Timely – as much as possible, keep it topical. A photo you took last week won’t have the impact of one you took that day. If you’re launching a product, post a photo of it that day, not weeks later. Post photos that relate to special holidays like Christmas, Easter, bank holidays… or that relate to the weather or sporting events.
Engaging – your followers need to feel that they’re in the thick of the action and playing a part in your business. You want them to comment and like your photos. So give them sneak previews, exclusive news, ask them what they think.
You also need to keep up the frequency. That means posting at least one picture every day, but ideally more (aim for three or four if you can).
If you don’t want to have to be on your phone at various times of day, use Schedugram to schedule your Instagram posts.
2. Don’t forget the hashtags
Adding a Hashtag to photos on Instagram makes it easier for people to find them. It’s a great way of qualifying your audience, as you’ll be attracting people based on specific keywords and search terms relevant to your subject matter.
You’re allowed up to 30 hashtags per post, which might look strange at first but it’s common in Instagram, and works as a filter, helping you get the right people to see your post.
Think of relevant tags that fit your photo. If it’s not immediately obvious what hashtag to use, then try Webstagram. This is a research application for Instagram users. It helps you find relevant, related and popular hashtags.
3. Remember to be social!
Instagram is a social network, so don’t just use it to pump out photographs. You won’t get any significant following of your own until you start following others.
Make sure you track down and follow the Instagram accounts of:
• Your competitors (and your competitors’ followers)
• Magazines, journals and news sites (and followers of those magazines, journals and news sites)
• Experts in the subject matter – authors, top photographers, journalists, business owners (and followers of those experts)
• Enthusiasts and super fans
A tool called Populagram will help you find popular hashtags and people.
Many of the people you follow will follow you back. But if they don’t, try liking and commenting on their posts. Eventually they should notice you.
As a final tip, when you see the feed of a competing business, look at the people who are liking and commenting on their pictures and videos. These are your target prospects, so make contact by following them, liking their photos and commenting.
Later on, once you’ve built a decent list, you can always take a step back and unfollow people who don’t have an interesting enough feed of photos.