Instagram Content Ideas for Your Business
Many social networking sites are mushrooming and becoming so popular that it did not only accommodate selfies (self-portrait photographs typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. Selfies taken that involve multiple people are known as “group selfies”. – Wikipedia) but also entrepreneurs and businesses lately as well. Since Instagram updated its services, business owners are turning to this social media site to promote their businesses as well. The new app added to its features the 15-second video and a few more tweaks that made waves to its follower.
Related: Reasons to Use Social Media Marketing in Your Business
10 Ways to Utilize Instagram for Business
1. Show Your Products
Everyone loves to browse products so let your followers do some mobile window-shopping! Show off a collection of your products, share a photo of a new or lesser-known product, or zoom in on a product and engage your Instagram followers by asking them to guess what it is.
2. Show How It’s Made
Let followers in on the origins of their favorite products with snapshots taken at various points in the manufacturing process. If that process is a long one, you might consider making it a multi-part post that follows the process from planning to production to delivery.
3. Go Behind the Scenes
Getting ready to launch or promote products and services is hard work, but presents many opportunities to get some great content for Instagram. Doing a photo shoot for a catalog or ad? Filming a commercial? Getting made up for a media interview? Or getting ready to step out on the red carpet? These are moments that very few people get to experience in real life.
4. Show What Your Products Can Do
Sometimes our imagination only takes us so far. Use Instagram to create demand by helping consumers imagine new or novel uses for what you offer.
This is also a perfect opportunity to invite user-generated content. Have fans submit their own photos demonstrating creative use of your products and pick the best ones to post on Instagram.
5. Give a Sneak Peek
Everyone likes to be the first to know… well… anything. Hire your virtual assistant to help you increase your Instagram followers and engage them. Make your followers feel special and let your VA give them exclusive previews of products and services, or virtual tours of your new stores, production facilities, or offices in the making.
Things never seen before make for particularly shareable content, so be sure to publish the post on Facebook and Twitter as well, since Instagram does not yet have a sharing or reposting function.
6. Show Your Office
People who follow their favorite brands on social media have probably asked at one time or another, “I wonder what it’d be like to work there?” Well, show them!
Post photos that provide a glimpse of a day in the life at your office—work areas, the corporate gym or play-field, decked-out cubicles, brainstorming meetings in progress, training sessions, employees at lunch, employees at play—the opportunities here are countless.
7. Take Us With You
Going to a trade show or sponsoring an event? Use that as an opportunity to take your Instagram followers with you wherever you’re going.
Followers in those locations will be tickled to know you’re in their neighborhood. Folks can also get a better feel for your brand by learning about the events or causes you attend, support, or sponsor.
8. Introduce Your Employees
Humanize your brand by using Instagram to…
Spotlighted employees will enjoy the recognition (and a few seconds of fame) and Instagram followers will get a chance to see the people behind the brand. You might even want to make this profile an ongoing campaign that takes fans around the office to meet staff serving a variety of roles within your company.
Be sure to punch up the post and share a little about each employee in the caption.
9. Share Celebrity Sightings
Let’s face it. We live in a society that is crazy about celebrities—we know who they’re dating, what they’re eating, and where they go on vacation.
Cash in on celebrity cachet and share pictures of them interacting with your brand, whether they’re signing autographs at your sponsored event, speaking, visiting your office, or even using your products or services. These posts will be sure to get followers talking.
10. Share the Cuteness
There is no denying the appeal of animals in social media. Lolcats, CuteOverload, and the countless other jaw-dropping blogs out there is proof that there is capital in cuteness.
Whether they’re pets visiting the office, starring in your ads, or animals sporting your schwag, never miss an opportunity to get a snapshot to share on Instagram. Our furry friends can be counted on to get likes and comments from followers.
If you’re looking forward to using Instagram for your business, consider hiring a social media virtual assistant. One of the reliable virtual assistant services providers in California is Virtual Assistant Talent. Call 1-866-596-9041 to book a FREE, no-obligation consultation today!
Source: Vanessa Au is a Sr. Analyst at Spring Creek Group (IPG subsidiary), a social media agency in Seattle, Washington.