Instagram for Business - Ultimate Beginner's Guide

if you're a complete beginner to Instagram and want to know how to promote your business on what is becoming the most popular app out there you've come to the right place in this tutorial I'm going to show you how to use Instagram so you can increase your online visibility and generate more business more leads and hopefully make more money throughout the video you will learn how to set up an Instagram business account how to create an efficient content strategy how to loot photos videos how to create user stories and how to use hashtags and location tags so people can discover your business regardless of the type of industry you're in I will also show you how to look at the performance of your content so you can do more of what works sounds good then stay tuned hi there I'm Rick Duran the founder of ranking Academy co uk where I help small business owners like you get better online results if you're new to my channel consider subscribing and clicking on the bell bottom so you get notified straight away when I publish a new video according to the Instagram business website 80% of accounts follow a business on Instagram wouldn't it be nice if one of those businesses was yours there is no reason why it shouldn't be before we get started there are a couple of things you need to do firstly download the Instagram app on your phone and create an account secondly create a facebook business page for your business if you haven't created one already if you need to know how to do this check my video how to create a facebook business page finally grab yourself a cup of your favorite drink because we have a lot to cover ready let's go in this tutorial this is what you will learn how the Instagram interface works how to set up an Instagram business profile how to optimize your Instagram business profile how to create an Instagram content strategy how to build a recognizable brand for your business how to post photos and videos how to create Instagram stories and how to analyze your performance you can jump directly to any of these topics by clicking on the appropriate timeline in the description below let's start with the Instagram interface [Music] before we get into the nitty-gritty I'm going to quickly run through the interface of the app so you can familiarize yourself with the navigation options if you're totally new to Instagram this should be a useful exercise if not feel free to skip this step using the links in the description below when you first log into the app you will land on the Instagram home page this is where you'll see all the videos and photos posted by the people you follow very much like a facebook newsfeed you will know you are on the home page because there's a small blacked out icon in the shape of a house at the bottom left of the screen whenever you navigate from one section to another the corresponding icon is always blacked out so you always know where you are let's have a look at the second option the magnifying glass tapping this icon will take you to the Instagram search page in there you can start searching for specific hashtags and narrow your search down to people tags or places the search option is a great way to spy on your competitors and I will talk about this a little more later the next option in the shape of a cross or plus button is to upload photos and videos on your profile once in there you have the option to load directly from your phone library or take a photo or video on the fly tapping on the heart icon will take you to the section that shows the activity in relation to your account you will find out about your new followers comments that have been made on your posts and who liked them if you select the tab following you can see the activity of users you follow which is another great way to quickly figure out what your competitors are doing the last icon is to access your Instagram profile when you tap on it you will be taken to your profile where you will see all the photos and videos you have posted so far on your account this is also the place where you can edit your profile and your account settings now you familiarize yourself with the interface it's time to move on to our next step as mentioned at the beginning of this video to set up an Instagram business profile you must have a facebook business page if you haven't create one just yet watch my tutorial how to create a facebook business page then come back to this tutorial if you've already created a facebook business page make sure you are logged in your Facebook account on your phone then open the Instagram app log into your account and navigate your personal profile by tapping the icon on the bottom right of the screen once on your profile tap the hamburger menu on the top right of your screen this should open a new panel all the way down the bottom tap on the settings option from the list of options available select switch to business profile you will see a series of screen describing the advantages of switching to a business profile scroll through the pages until you get to the screen that asks you to connect your facebook business page and choose the Facebook business page you want to associate to your Instagram account in this instance I'm going to choose ranking Academy click Next you should now be prompted to add some contact information for your business by default this page should already be filled in with the information you have used on your facebook business page if not make sure you add at least one form of contact either your phone number or your email address once you're ready tap the done button you've now created your basic Instagram business account let's now move on to the next chapter this is a very important part of your Instagram strategy and mustn't be overlooked creating a great profile is your opportunity to show the world what your business is about and where they can find out more about your business your profile is made of several elements which we are going to run through now at the top of your profile sits your username the username is what people will use when they want to tag you into one of their posts your username is searchable so it is recommended you make it your business name the next element is your profile picture this picture should be representative of your business such as your logo or one of your products if you are an individual then a picture of yourself would also work well as long as it shows what you do think of a fitness instructor exercising for instance below the picture is your name not to be confused with your username which we've just covered this can also be the name of your business however it doesn't have to be I for instance use my own name as it is also representative of my business and I mention it in my videos since it's also searchable you can add some relevant keywords in there which will increase your chances of being found and followed that's why I have added online marketing to mine below your name is your business category which is pulled directly from your facebook business page underneath your category is one of the most important element of your profile your business bio a good business bio should include a carefully crafted headline that will convey what your business does including keywords so people can find you on Instagram search where your business is located the benefits to reviewers either decide to follow you a call to action a link in relation to the call to action that will send people to your website or your latest offer since this is such an important element I encourage you to watch my tutorial called Instagram bio tips tricks and hacks so you can craft a very efficient boil finally adding your email details your phone number and the address of your business to your profile will automatically generate three buttons right below your bio which customer can use directly from the app to get in touch with you adding all the info I have just mentioned is very simple login to the app go to your profile by tapping the icon at the bottom right of the screen and tap the edit profile option [Music] with 95 million photos and video is posted daily content is the heart of Instagram therefore the content you will be posting on Instagram should be the foundation of your business strategy the idea is to encourage potential visitors to do business with you just by inspiring them through your content alone for some businesses such as a flower shop a hairdresser or a restaurant posting pictures or videos related to their products or services seems easy enough but what should you do if you are in an industry deem less visually appealing such as a plumber check out this plumbers account located in London called precise plumbing for instance his angle it's clearly to show how neat tidy and clean his work is by posting pictures of pipe work mixed with a few examples of completed projects such as bathrooms toilets and boilers who would have thought water pipes could look so good looking at his account instantly makes me feel this plumber is very meticulous and if I needed a plumber for my house and he was located nearby I would certainly consider giving him a call if you are feeling stuck and are unsure what type of content you should be posting here are a few ways that should help you come up with some ideas position yourself as an expert in your field by providing tips hacks and advice on the services you provide you can do that using images or even better bite-sized videos here is an example for a therapist giving stretching advice with the simple image check this video from a plumber demonstrating a funky smooth glass in a bathroom use humor everybody responds to humor so try thinking of ways you can be funny while showing what you do or what you are selling here is an example from a company called tutino which sells frozen pizza rolls use quotes people are very receptive to quotes and they are a very easy and popular way to engage with your audience you can literally find quotes that will relate to any type of business check out this example from a law firm called wolf of law show your product or services in a unique way try being creative with your product and services let's a small business that sells handmade leather boards has found a perfect way to show off their product all their images feature a board with a message using some of their letters in different locations this is very smart and super cost effective show off your company who's-who success stories behind the scenes as a small business it's important visitors are able to relate to you a great way of doing this is by posting picture of your team look at this example from pearl-white dentistry post a profile for each member with a small bio or you can do a team photo two people also love seeing what happens behind the scenes of your business here is an example from a beta food studio showing how to harvest cactus figs for their menu or setting up a raised beds for organic herbs and spices this really makes me want to have dinner there used before and after photos this can be really effective and will give visitors a very good idea about what you are capable of doing they work very well for many types of businesses look at this example for a design company special events and promotions if you are running a promotion or there's a special event coming up Instagram can be the perfect platform to tell your followers looking at I be the food studio again you can see how they cleverly mix these messages in their feed every now and then they post a message about a special event or menu if you follow this guy unlike their food you are likely to take the bait make sure you don't overdo it people will not be interested in your business if your feed is a collection of self-promotion posts it's a social platform after all and heavily based on connecting with your audience a good rule of thumb will be to post content that adds value regularly such as tips and tricks along with posts that will help create connection such as team profiles and occasionally promotional content let's now move on to the second part of our content strategy spying on your competitors if you want to beat your competition you need to understand what your competitors are up to so you can outdo them understanding what content they post when what works and what doesn't will help you create your own content thankfully it's easier than ever to spy on your competitors these days and Instagram is no exception I'm going to run through a few tips that will enable you to do that let's imagine I'm a landscape gardener located in London and I'm targeting the high end of the market one of my competitors in that market is called Garden Club London let's have a quick look at them selecting the search option I'm going to search for Garden Club London and tap on the top results from their bio you can see they are really highlighting a few points that set them apart using gold medallist and multi award landscapers they've also added a link to their website which is really important scrolling down and looking at their feed shows they only post high quality imagery of work they have completed in what seems to be high valued properties notice the consistency of the imagery and the overall feed which is something we will be talking about later on based on this if I'm a landscape gardener and want to position myself on the same market it's clear I can't cut corners and must make sure I publish high quality photography too let's now look at one of their posts in the caption they have described some of the material they have used and a description of what they have built also notice the hashtags they have been using which you might want to write down for some of your future posts let's have a look at another example in this one the caption is a little shorter which is a shame it could have been extended captions are the perfect opportunity to talk a lot more about the work you've done or engage with your audience by asking questions or feedback or anything else one thing I have noticed is that they don't seem to use a great deal of hashtags and the ones they are using are very broad this means they are limiting their chances to show up in search results more on hashtags later you should repeat this exercise with all your competitors so you get a good feel of what you need to do I recommend you follow all your competitors so you see how they interact with their audience through comments replies unlikes make sure you follow them using a separate Instagram account so they don't know who you are if your competitors use specific hashtags you can also use these to do further research look at this example that includes a hashtag for water features tapping on it will open all posts related to this particular hashtag and help you find other competitors and more content ideas let's move on to part 5 [Music] for your business to be recognizable on Instagram your content needs to be of high quality and consistent what I mean by that is your feet should not look like a patchwork of random pictures the idea is to create your own visual identity that reflects your business here is a perfect example that illustrates what I mean EAL and cafe based in London this business has done a great job developing a beautiful feed look at the quality of the imagery as well as the consistency of colors there is a very vibrant pink theme and it's clearly targeting young and glamorous females in London you want a coffee that matches with their lifestyle and that is not Starbucks so how do you achieve something like this for your own business firstly the quality of your imagery is paramount basic photography rules apply avoid dark and blurry pictures make sure your photos are crisp well lit with good composition try sticking with one style of photography and pay attention to colors to imagine if elin cafe suddenly posted a random photos with blue tones on their feed what would that look like if you are using text in your images make sure you use the same font apply a filter to your photos if filter is like a visual signature it will give your feed the cohesion it needs applying a filter is easy to choose a filter simply load a picture on your feed and select next below the picture you should see a selection of filters you can apply to the image and select the appropriate filter from the list available once you've decided what filter works best stick with it it will be easier for people to recognize your business time to move on to our next chapter [Music] whenever you post a new photo or video you have the option to add what is called a caption to explain and contextualize the subject of the content a lot of businesses overlook this aspect and fail to do this properly look at this example from a restaurant located in London for instance the caption only says winner winner steak dinner imagine discovering this business for the first time you'd have no clue as to what it is in this picture there is clearly an opportunity to tell a good story to introduce the staff members to brag about the prize they have won etc that's what the caption should be all about here is a much more explicit example the caption here is describing in details what we are saying and the work that has been carried out since captions can be up to 2,000 characters it is also your chance to educate communicate and engage with your audience to attract new customers here is a list of what you should consider including in your caption for best results as I've already mentioned be as descriptive as possible put yourself in the shoes of the visitors who will come across your post for the first time add a question that will trigger comments for more engagement the more comments you get the more visible you will become use emojis to break up the copy share some of your customer stories add a call to action such as click on the link in the boil to drive visitors somewhere you want them to go if you can run a giveaway or a contest as they can generate a lot of engagement for instance you could encourage your followers to tag some of their friends to participate to the contest which will drive more visitors last but not least captions are also where you can add hashtags to your post hashtags are so important that the deserve to be treated separately and this is what I will be covering in the second part of this chapter [Music] the best way for your posts to be discovered on Instagram is to add hashtags to them you've most likely heard of hashtags before since they are heavily used on Twitter and also Facebook if you're still not sure what they are here is the definition a hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a hash sign used on social media websites and applications to identify messages on a specific topic what this means is by adding hashtags to your posts it makes them searchable and people can find your post when they search for a specific hashtag you have been using let's look at an example and search for the hashtag landscape garden tap the first result and select one of the posts that is listed scroll down you should see the hashtag listed within the post without it the post wouldn't appear in the search results hashtags are extremely powerful and that's why you must use them for all your posts here is a list of recommendation on how to best use hashtags add up to 30 hashtags from each post to maximize your chances of being found you can add your hashtags either in the caption or the comments of your posts make sure the hashtags you have chosen are relevant to your posts make sure you don't use the same hashtags on every post choose hashtags that fit with your industry type one thing to remember is not all hashtags are made equal if you are targeting hashtags that are extremely popular it is unlikely your posts will be discovered due to the amount of content you will be competing with for the same hashtag for example if you are a personal trainer and are targeting the hashtag Fitness it returns over 290 million posts which means it is unlikely you will ever get found amongst all the other posts however if you try the hashtag barbell training they are just over 15,000 posts not only you have a better chance of being found but it's also a good idea for post whether you are found or not will also depend greatly on the number of followers that you have the more followers you have the more likely Instagram will show your content to viewers even for very competitive hashtags if you are starting out on Instagram and I have between a hundred to 500 followers join targeting hashtags that return anything between 2,000 and 75,000 posts as your followers grow you can try targeting more competitive hashtags to know exactly what post rains you should be targeting depending on your number of followers I finally recommend you download a very easy to follow chart I have made available on my website at ranking Academy Kudo UK to do so just click on the link in the description below a very important aspect on Instagram for local businesses is the fact that people also search for specific locations it is therefore important to add location tags in your posts depending on where your business is located there are many ways of describing a location so try thinking about all the possible options to maximize your chances look at this example from this barbeque restaurant located in Washington who is using multiple variations for his location so the next question you're going to ask is how and where do I find hashtags the easiest way to find hashtags is by searching for them on your desktop as we've already seen for the fitness and barbell training example go to Instagram comm and log in to your Instagram account in the search box type the symbol hash and start searching for a term related to your business you should see a list of suggested hashtags including the number of posts right under them this makes it super easy to choose the appropriate hashtags based on the posts range we have already discussed don't forget to download the chart range and keep a copy on your desk to make things easier let's take the example of a personal trainer again if you search for hashtag personal trainer you'll see a list of suggestions you may have not thought about for example it might be easier for you to target personal trainer online and personal trainer food since the competition is nowhere near as big as the broader term personal trainer I've already mentioned the importance of location searching for location hashtags will return suggestion directly related to your area searching for the hashtag Dublin for example will show some interesting suggestions such as Dublin foodie Dublin food Dublin restaurant so if you are in a restaurant business I would recommend to use these the other thing you can do to uncover hash tag is to check what hashtags your competitors are using let's say you run a wedding dress shop in New York City and one of your competitors is lovely bride open a few of their posts and see what hashtags they are using and if you can also use them don't forget to refer to the chart when deciding which ones you want to use as they may have a lot more followers than you finally on the Instagram app search for a hashtag of your choice just above the results you will see a list of related hashtags these are very useful to come up with additional content ideas make a note of them and research them further in the same way I've already described now for a practical tip as you do your research make a note of all the hashtags you think are relevant you will want to use try categorizing them too if you can and save them somewhere easy so whenever you decide to post content it's just a matter of copying and pasting time to move on to the last part of this chapter geo-tagging [Music] one of the most important aspects for local businesses is geo-tagging so simple yet many businesses do not use this functionality once you've completed your caption you have the option to add a location by default the location field should give you some suggestions if none of these are suitable you can search for the location you wish to add have a look at this company that sells Sporting Goods located in 10 of an C in France by adding their location to their post they will appear in a suggested content when people are searching for that particular location giving them a chance to attract customers who are interested in outdoor activities if you do not geotag your post you're missing out on a chance to get local visibility you can also geotag your Instagram stories which is something I am going to talk about in our next chapter [Music] if you are familiar with snapchat you will know what stories are since Instagram literally ripped off the concept according to Instagram stories lets users share special moments of your day through photos and videos which are displayed in a slideshow format stories just like in snapchat disappear after 24 hours when creating a story you can add text drawings and emoticons as well as using filters and augmented reality stickers stories are prominently displayed in a row right at the top of feeds so are not to be ignored as part of your strategy as a local business creating a story can be useful when you want to cover a special event such as attending a tradeshow an award ceremony or anything that is in the moment let me show you how to create an Instagram story log in to your Instagram account from the home page tap your profile picture at the top left of your screen to start uploading a story this will automatically open your camera from where you can take either a photo or shoot a video you can use some of your own photos or videos as long as they haven't been taken within the last 24 hours once you've loaded your photo there is a multitude of options you can overlay on top such as texts emojis and dates you can also add hashtags and geotag your content if you geo tagged your story it will appear right at the top of the screen when people are searching places once you finish creating your story tap the plus icon at the bottom of the screen to save your story to verify what your story looks like just tap on your profile picture again since stories expire after 24 hours I would recommend not to focus a huge amount of time on them as a local business you're probably struggling with time and therefore should invest more effort in publishing content that will last time to move on to our very last chapter [Music] one of the biggest advantages of creating a business account on Instagram is that it gives you access to analytics for free if you want to understand how your account is performing and how you can improve it you need to check your analytics regularly as it is full of extremely useful information to access your analytics data just log in the app and tap your profile icon on the bottom right of the screen once there tap the hamburger menu on the top right of the screen which will open a panel from there tap on the insights option which will open a new page where three tabs are available starting with the activity the activity tab is split in two sections interaction and discovery the interaction section will cover what action people have taken when they engage with your account such as profile visits website clicks emails and calls the discovery tab uses two indicators reach and impressions which essentially measures how many people see your content these are very useful numbers for instance if many people see your content but very few interact with it it probably means you most likely need to improve the quality of it let's now have a look at the second tab called content the content tab will give you insights on all the content you have posted on your feed and is split between posts stories and any promotional activity you may have run do you find out about the performance of a specific post or story select one of them and tap the view inside option where you will be given a bunch of information such as how your post was discovered how people interacted with it etc allowing you to understand what type of post works and what doesn't and help you shape your content moving forward the final tab is all about your audience this tab will help you understand gather information about your audience such as how many more followers you've gained the Gen display of your audience where they are located and even at which time your followers are most active this is great as it will help you understand when the most strategic time is to publish your content to get maximum reach I know analytics is not as exciting as posting pictures and that's why I have kept it till the end however the success of your account will depend on it running an Instagram business account without looking at your Nara tix would be as pointless as a flashlight in a black hole that's it we're all done congratulations if you follow the tutorial till the end feel free to share it like it comment on it and if you have any question please post them in a comment below happy marketing

Channel: Ranking Academy

Views: 358,115

Keywords: instagram for business, instagram for business beginners, instagram for business tutorial, instagram for business basics, instagram for business 2018, instagram for business marketing, instagram for business tips, ranking academy

Id: Op-sKPePo2o

Length: 32min 12sec (1932 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 18 2018