In this installment of Two Topics, it’s all about Instagram.
As a marketing agency, we’re out talking to people all the time. We hear this question from clients, prospective clients, and even people on the street: Should I be on Instagram?
For us, the answer is always, “It depends.”
There are 800 million people on Instagram right now, so there’s definitely a case to have a presence there. First, do you have a brand or a product with a story that can be told in an interesting way through pictures and visuals? If so, then there may be a reason for you to be there.
Be on Instagram without paying
Once you establish Instagram as an appropriate platform, then you need to decide how you’ll be doin’ it. There are a couple of ways a business can be on Instagram, and the first is with an organic profile. With a run-of-the-mill profile, it functions like a personal page. You’ll be able to post pictures, gain followers, and like each others’ posts. Posts can include photos of your product, your business, or whatever you choose.
Instagram advertising: How can you spend your money?
The other way to be on Instagram is through advertising. Instagram provides several ways to spend dollars and achieve your goals.
If your business already has a profile, then you can promote a post. Sometimes when you’re posting things on your Insta’ feed, you may feel the need to get more people to see it. Spend some money and promote that post to get a bigger reach!
A new way to advertise on Instagram is through shoppable posts. It’s rolling out to retailers now. With shoppable post, retailers can tag posts with information about featured products. It’s a way to interact with the Instagram audience in a completely new way. Instagrammers are already used to the platform, so they’re already engaged.
Don’t have an Instagram account for your business? No problem! Facebook owns Instagram, so ad functionality is managed through Ads Manager. In Facebook Ad Manager, make sure to specify Instagram placement when placing an ad. If someone clicks on the ad, then they’ll be redirected to your Facebook page. No need to fiddle with another social media platform.
So, should you be on Instagram?
The answer is still: It depends. You’ll need to answer the basic questions
What’s your bandwidth?
What are your resources?
What are the goals?
Once you’ve answered those questions, the choice should be clear.
Want to see us talk Instagram for yourself? Check it out.
