According to Avanquest’s Opinion Way survey, photography has become a cultural phenomenon and a real communication tool. Every day more than 1.4 billion snapshots are taken in the world! No wonder then that the famous Instagram app has conquered a large audience with over 800 million active users worldwide. Brands have understood it well and the social network now has over 25 million business accounts.

In addition, to meet the needs of consumers, the platform is evolving and still offering more features. It allows, for example, users to make purchases directly via the social network. With more than 80% of the members of the Instagram community following at least one brand, Instagram has become a real showcase for businesses.

Here are 9 tips for an Instagram Pro account

1. Create a profile

If you do not have an account, start by downloading the app to your phone. Then choose a username. Try to take the name of your shop or brand. In some cases, it may happen that the username is no longer available, too long or too short, so choose a name that is as close as possible to your shop or brand. You can add the city where you are or the word “official” like the brand Maje @majeofficiel. Be creative!

Then choose your profile picture keeping in mind that this is the first thing your visitors will see. In general, most companies display the logo of their brand.

Finally, add a short original biographical description that explains what you do or what you sell. Do not forget to add the link to your website or a link to an ongoing promotion, this will attract visitors to your online store. 

That’s it, your registration is over. Your profile is automatically in public, you are ready to start the next step!

2. Develop a content strategy 

Before posting photos, think about what kind of content you want on your account and how often you would like to publish. The secret of a good Instagram account is a consistent page with a distinctive style. For every photo you share, your followers should recognize at a glance that it’s your brand.

If you are a clothing boutique, offer pictures with outfits to your customers. This gives them layout ideas and you will see that some customers will come to your store to try out the complete outfit! Also try to vary the publications, posting photos of animals, travel or other, to create an atmosphere. This attracts other visitors. 

Credit: @adameveboutique 

 You can also share photos of your customers wearing one of your articles. Ask them for permission to share the photo and do not forget to tag them in turn to strengthen the link with your customer.

3. Choose the frequency of publications

Once your strategy is complete, post multiple photos to feed your account. Subsequently, post a minimum of 2 to 3 photos per week. The best is to post once a day to appear constantly in the news feed of your subscribers. You can also subscribe to a content planner such as Onlyput or Later. This will allow you to have an overview of your visuals and do not forget to publish your content or to share good photos as mentioned in our article The power of images. 

4. Filter or not filter?

Sometimes a filter can spoil the quality of your photo if it has been taken by a professional. If you use your phone’s camera, in this case, a filter and some adjustments can make the difference. You can use apps that offer other filters than Instagram such as Snapseed or VSCO. If you decide to use a filter, the best is to use the same for all publications to obtain an aesthetic whole.

5. Write an original caption 

Instagram works with an algorithm. The more likes and comments your photo accumulates, the more likely you are to appear in your subscribers ‘news feed, so add a caption that will drive your visitors to interact! As only the first 3 or 4 words are visible, be eye-catching and choose a tone that suits your target audience. Do not forget the emoticons 😉

6. Use the right hashtags 

Add an original description to each of your posts and hashtags to get more visibility. To save time, do not hesitate to prepare different lists of good hashtags for each type of products or photos. By using the right hashtags, you can really increase your subscriber count. Make sure you use the correct hashtags to attract as many people as possible. You can also put your brand forward by creating your own keyword. Your customers will be able to use them and at the same time advertise you. For example, the BBDakota brand has created its own keywords #bbdakota and #babesinbbd.

7. Use geotagging

Adding a place to your photos allows potential customers to know where you are in one click and engage consumers in your city and neighborhood.

8. Create Stories

There are more than 300 million daily users of Stories; ephemeral publications that last only 24 hours, and one third of the most viewed Stories are posted by brands. Stories will help arouse the curiosity of your subscribers especially if you create a storyboard! Planning an event? You are at a supplier? You receive the new collection in store? Realize interesting content to share on your profile, and thus, create links with your customers and suppliers.

9. Carry out a promotional campaign 

Promotional campaigns will allow you to gain more subscribers and visibility. They are easy to make and are not expensive. Here is a tutorial. Collaborating with influencers to promote your promotional campaign can also be very effective!

Now you can apply these 9 tips and make your Instagram account a real showcase for your business! This app can really improve the customer experience and increase your popularity. Whether you own a physical store and/or an online store, Instagram is a strong contributor to the omnichannel experience! It’s your turn!

About Techni-Connection

Techni-Connection is a reseller of 3 POS softwares in Canada (Yourcegid Retail, VisualTouch, Retail Management Hero), addressing today’s evolutions and needs. New features are constantly added to the systems (Clienteling, eCommerce, Click & Collect, SaaS, Mobile-POS) to match omni-channel strategies and personalizing the customers shopping experience.

Techni-Connection delivers cost-effective IT solutions to companies of all sizes. With its 24/7/365 helpdesk support system, TCI responds quickly and efficiently to customers problems and provides on-site support. TCI’s strong in-house technical team is also complimented by a network of 150+ certified IT experts across North America.