Instagram promotion essentials guide

You’re ready to start with Instagram promotion, but where do you start?

Today, I’d like to talk about Instagram promotion methods. How do you create a well-rounded Instagram marketing strategy?

Do you use Instagram? Wait, it’s not really a question — I bet you do. To this day, Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users, and only Facebook and YouTube have more.

Importantly, it doesn’t really matter whether you like or can’t stand it for your private use if you are trying to run and make your business available online — an Instagram page is a thing you can’t ignore. Statistics show that 90% of all Instagram users follow at least one business. This means a platform is no longer a place to post mainly your latte pic or get jealous of somebody’s gains at the gym. It’s a huge marketplace and a powerful marketing tool.

Furthermore, Instagram was one of the platforms which introduced the term “influencer,” and now the web is swarming with people eager to become one. According to the influencers’ opinions, Instagram posts and stories top the list of promotion formats, and that’s saying something.

So what do you need to do for a top-notch Instagram promotion setup? Start with the strategy, of course. Let’s run through the main steps quickly.

First, think your goals through. Why are you doing all this Instagram promotion thing? Are you looking to create a portfolio? Or do you want to build brand awareness? Or maybe you’re aiming for collaborations by showcasing your brand? Go over your goals and set your sights on one or two options.

Second, define your target audience. Picture your perfect buyer persona before you begin your marketing efforts. Take into consideration their age, interests, location, income, pains, and aspirations. Since you’re on Instagram, research the platform through hashtags related to your business. This way, you will see who mainly interacts with your niche.

Third, do competition research. Spy on similar brands from your niche. Determine the key points of their Instagram marketing strategy: what and how often they post, how they interact with their audience, their tone of voice, or maybe prices. Don’t just copy them, try to utilize things that work for them and make those things work better for you. This way, you will be able to establish ways to effectively stand out.

Next, build up your content plan. Now you know what your audience will most likely read — so start creating engaging content. Yes, it’s time-consuming, but this tactic is more effective in the long run than last-minute posts.

When you’re done with that — get down to collecting your follower base. A fair warning — don’t buy or hack someone’s accounts to chase numbers. You need your audience to get your Instagram promotion to work. Participating in giveaways to collect followers is an old trick, but it works most of the time. Set up your posting frequency, create several engaging posts, interact with fellow accounts, answer the comments, and welcome sharing your content.

Finally, the next step is to Promote your Instagram account.

Basically, you do need to see the difference between Instagram promotion and paid partnerships. The first is you promoting your own content with the “sponsored” label, and the second is cooperating with influencers to promote some product or your Instagram page.

We’re talking about the first Instagram promotion way — through sponsored content.

What are the ways to promote your Instagram page?

Instagram posts and stories promotion

Once you have enough interactions with your content, find a post with the most success within your audience — likes, comments, shares, and saved. Choose it for promotion to attract new followers. Just make sure all of your content is high-quality imagery that catches the eye, and your captions and CTAs are creative and speak the same language as your target audience.

Run Contests on Instagram

The era of giveaways is long gone. Or is it? If your followers support an idea, why not run a contest? Make following your account or tagging your account in the stories an obligatory rule to enter your contest. However, following strict rules might seem harsh and oppressive, so at least sugarcoat (a nice gift) your contest and inspire your users to spread a message with their participation or the photo they participate with.

Go nuts with Instagram Hashtags

That’s a crucial way of promotion on Instagram. Literary, any sort of name or event can turn into a hashtag and spread the message all over the world. Including your brand. Ensure your hashtag is catchy, not too long, and includes your brand’s values, name, or anything you might find engaging. You’re only limited with your creativity.

User-generated content

Encourage your audience to use your product and tag you in their posts or stories. Repost them on your page or highlights, afterwards. This might elevate your organically-generated content without your effort. If you think your Instagram followers might bring you a more targeted audience — encourage them to tag such users.

Go live on Instagram

Video content is another way to reach your fans. You can use Instagram TV or run live streams to create your unique branded content. To promote your page, you can run workshops, Q&A sessions, and interviews with experts or influencers. You will show your expertise and build trust with your audience.

Good old email marketing

Email marketing is forever in our hearts. Never forget to include social media icons in your email signature. Also, you could even send an email promoting your Instagram, which is another medium to point to your Instagram page. Additionally, promote your giveaway, contest, event, or just a poll to encourage the reader to travel from their inbox to your Instagram page and check your account out.

Over to you

Did I miss anything? I probably did. Instagram marketing and Instagram promotion methods are constantly changing and evolving. I’ve tried to cover the most important steps in building a strategy for Instagram promotion for small businesses.

In case you are looking to start marketing on other social media platforms, check out this article that goes into detail on social media channels marketers can leverage in 2023.