I know I know, the new algorithm is killing you... yea me too, but it is imperative that we take the time to strategically plan and create our brands. Establishing a brand is like creating a fingerprint for your business. When attempting to establish a brand on Instagram, we must always leave room for never ending discovery. We also have to be authentic, be creative and be consistent. Here are a few tips to help you establish a sensational brand on Instagram:
Cut the Act: People can see right through you. Approach branding with an air of truth, Do not lie in an attempt to boost credibility. In the case of Instagram, if you post creative content relative to your brand in a consistent manor, you will soon achieve believe-ability.
Pinpoint your Passion: What exactly are you passionate about? What message do you want your brand to give off? The images and captions you post on Instagram should align perfectly with what you want people to get from your brand. For example, if you own a public relations firm, you may post PR tips. If you own a clothing boutique, you may post pieces from your store, and so on. Make sure that every post is quality and has meaning.
Know Your Why: Every post should have a purpose. For what reason are you sharing this photo? The reasons may range from inspiration to motivation. The point is to post with purpose and not to aimlessly throw things on Instagram searching for likes. If you know your why, you’ll know exactly what type of pictures fit into the vision that is your brand.
Quality Photos: You have to make sure that the photos you post on Instagram are clear and have great lighting. Blurry, dark photos are unappealing and they add no value to the overall presentation of your brand. Make sure you either invest in a quality phone or a quality camera.
Don’t Ask Permission: Share material that you believe will boost your brand quality. There are a million different ways to portray a message. While it is helpful to look to brands that are similar to yours for inspiration, that example brand only shows you one way of doing things. Some times it is necessary to create your own path.
Stop Competing: Each brand has something different to offer. There are numerous clothing stores, supermarkets, car brands, etc. and they all have unique qualities with unique clientele. We can all win if we tap into what makes us stand out from the rest. There’s no competition if you’re in your own lane!
Killer Bio: Instagram bios should be short, sweet and to the point. You only get 150 characters. Don’t fill that space up with emojis. Make sure your bio highlights the best assets of your brand and includes booking info, contact info, websites, etc. The people need to know how they can get in touch with you.
Keep It Simple: Since Instagram is photo based, it helps to keep your captions simple and let the photo do the talking. While there are times when photo captions have to be long because there is a story to tell, it helps to use nice, simple captions.
Use Hashtags: Start by brainstorming hashtags that fit your brand. Once you come up with a few different ones, search them on Instagram to see if they are already in use. If the hashtag you create is already in use, you may want to come up with a different one because the hashtag is going to be a storymap of your brand. Once you find a unique hashtag, use it often. This allows all your post to be connected. People can simply click the hashtag and find all posts related to your brand.
Take Advantage of Cross Platform Posting: Instagram allows you to connect what you post to other sites including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr and Swarm. This is an easy way to ensure that all of your brands social network sites are cohesively connected.