Should your small business be on Instagram? I know you can’t be on every social platform. You have to actually find time to run your business.
In fact I always tell clients it’s better to get really good at one or two social platforms than to dabble in many.
That said, I think that most businesses should really consider making Instagram one of the social networks they use. Here’s why:
Get Your Small Business on Instagram So You Don’t Fall Behind
First of all, Instagram hit 1 billion users in June 2018.
In 2018 71% of U.S. businesses are on Instagram compared to almost 49% in 2016. That means if you’re not there, you’re falling behind. The good news is only 52% of small businesses are using Instagram. If you jump on now you can be one of the leaders.
People are Using Instagram – A Lot!
Instagram is one of the most downloaded apps on the App Store and Google Play.
Once they download the app people are spending a lot of time on Instagram – about 30 minutes per day.
And while Instagram does skew younger than other platforms (64% of 13 to 17 year-olds and 59% of 18 to 29 year-olds are on Instagram) older folks are jumping on board too.
On my main Instagram account (yes I have more than one) the largest group of followers are women aged 45 to 54.
And don’t forget there are a billion users. Even if you have an older customer base, you’ll still reach a lot of them on Instagram.
Facebook owns Instagram
Facebook is the largest social network on the planet. And they’re throwing a lot of money at Instagram. This says to me that it’s not going away any time soon and is only going to continue to grow.
They’re also adding new features all the time – Instagram Stories (to compete with Snapchat) and now IGTV (some think it’s a direct shot at YouTube).
There’s a lot of ways you can put your small business on Instagram
Either way, there’s lots of ways you can get a jump on the competition if you get started now.
Instagram Has More Engagement Than Facebook
Have you ever complained about the lack of organic (free) reach on your Facebook page? Then you really should be considering Instagram. It has 58 times more engagement than Facebook.
Instagram is Great for Local Business
Instagram allows you to add a location tag to each photo you upload. Do it. Posts with location tags get 79% more engagement.
This is partly because there’s a “Places” tab in the search feature that allows users to locate Instagram posts and accounts near where they are right now. It makes it easy for people to find your business.
Just as importantly, you can easily find out who has been posting images about your business. And when you find those people, like and comment on the posts. Thank them for visiting your business. You can even reshare “user generated content” about your business.
Want to take engaging with your customers up a notch? When you find someone who mentions you on Instagram (or other platforms) in your comment invite them to bring the comment into your store/restaurant for a discount or free gift. They’ll become raving fans and it will encourage others to post as well.
Instagram Ads Are Cheaper
I run a lot of ads on social media. And while Facebook is still a good value, ad costs are going up as more people jump on the platform. Frankly, Facebook is running out of places to show ads so the price keeps going up.
However Instagram ads are still dirt cheap. And they get amazing reach.
More importantly, people are buying from Instagram. 30% of users have purchased a product they first saw on Instagram.
Content for Other Social Networks
No, you don’t want to share everything on every platform. They all have their own audiences and styles.
However, great photos can be shared across platforms since most people have one platform they use more than others.
However, to make sure you don’t piss off people who really love you and follow you everywhere, I’d stagger the use. If you post a photo on Instagram Monday, don’t share it on Facebook until next Wednesday and on Twitter the Saturday after that. It’s unlikely someone will see all the posts and if they do, they may have forgotten by then.
Do I have you convinced that your small business should be on Instagram? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.
And if you want to follow me on Instagram to learn more you can find me @andreastenberg or @hackingmyhealth
