How to Double Your Business Revenue With Instagram

Instagram is bigger than Twitter and has over a billion monthly active users. Not only is the network huge, but the users are more likely, at least compared to other social platforms, to make a purchase. That makes it the perfect social media tool to help you increase your business revenue. Take a look at how to get the job done.

1. Use Instagram Automation

Use an automation tool to help increase your Instagram followers. Not only can automation help you automatically find targeted accounts to follow, but it can help you schedule your posts in advance so you always have new content coming in, and automate liking content from other users to boost engagement.

As long as you use automation to save time, rather than to eliminate the need to invest any time in Instagram, you’re on the right track.

2. Focus on Creating Quality Content

Use the time you save with automation to focus on creating the kind of eye-catching content your followers will love. If you’re using sub-par quality images or graphics, people won’t engage with you, or worse, stop engaging with you or even unfollow you.

If you need ideas on what kind of content you should create, take a look at what the competition is doing. Pay attention to the content that gets the most engagement, and do what you can to mimic it yourself. If you’re not the best photographer, take time to study up on some smartphone photography tips, or rely on tools like Canva to create graphics as many brands do.

3. Make it Easy for People to Buy Right From Instagram

If you sell physical products, then you can make it easy for people to shop directly from your Instagram feed, by tagging your products in posts. First, you’ll need to create your catalog on Facebook, and then link it to Instagram.

Then, you can tag the products as they show up in your photos. If you run a Shopify or BigCommerce store, they make it super easy to integrate everything into to Instagram, too. The idea is, the simpler it is for people to make a purchase, the more likely they will do so.

4. Use Instagram Ads

Investing in Instagram Ads can help you in a number of ways. You can advertise your products to a new audience of people who aren't’ following you to increase your followers and purchase potential. Instagram Ads are managed through Facebook, and offer a variety of ad types and targeting options.

It’s a good idea to run two similar ads for a week or so to see which one performs best - then turn off the underperforming ad so you can direct your funds to the ad that’s converting the best.

5. Invest in Retargeting

Retargeting ads allow you to catch people who’ve visited your website but didn’t complete a purchase. Because people have to be exposed to your brand multiple times before they make a purchase, you can catch those people on Instagram to remind them to come back to you.

All you need to do is install the Facebook Pixel on your website, and then you can set up ads that target people that have visited your website, or a certain page on your website. You can target them on Instagram or Facebook, or both.

6. Run Contests to Grow Your Following

If you want to increase your Instagram following while also building more brand awareness, consider running an Instagram contest to boost your numbers.

There are several styles you can use - and as long as the entry is easy for people to do, and the prize is something they’re interested in and related to your business, it can pay off quite well. Plus, you can run them over and over again to keep the growth momentum going.

7. Get Creative with Captions and Hashtags

Make your captions tell a story, and work hashtags into it as you can. You can use up to 30 hashtags on each of your posts. Hashtags are useful for exposing your content to another audience, as long as you are using them correctly.

Aim for a mix of generic hashtags, niche specific hashtags, and brand-specific hashtags. Use tools like Display Purposes, RiteTag, and Hashtagify.me to stay up to date on the latest hashtags so you don’t accidentally use ones that can harm your credibility.

8. Work with Influencers

Instagram influencers are people who already have established audiences similar to the one you’re trying to build. And those people trust the Instagrammer, so if you work with them to promote your products and services, you’ll connect with people who are interested in what you have to offer. Use tools like HypeAuditor, Crowdfire, and Discover.ly to find influencers and create a partnership.

Provide the influencer with a discount or promo code that’s exclusive to their audience, and you should see an increase in sales. Remember, micro-influencers, or those with a smaller following can still be valuable, too.

Consistently staying active and engaging with your followers on Instagram, while making an effort to keep your following growing, is one of the best ways you can double your business revenue with Instagram.

Focus on providing your followers with quality content, and the sales will follow. If you make your Instagram feed nothing more than a constant sales pitch, then you’ll turn your audience off and sabotage your efforts to increase revenue.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.