Presented by Karen Porter UM School of Business Administration & ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Instagram for Business ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Instagram million active users Owned by Facebook Users skew much younger – teens through 20s Focuses on photos and 15 second videos Photos & videos can be shared on other networks Just staring to be used by brands / businesses ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Instagram vs. Vine Instagram => Facebook vs. Vine => Twitter ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

How Can Instagram Help a Business? Showcase visual business with combination of business-like and “fun” visuals (photos and/or videos) Appeals to younger audiences used to communicating extensively by visual means (those growing up in the “video-age”) Yet another way to grow the “know-like-trust” factor with your target audience ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Setting Up Your Account Sign up for an account Recommended: use same “handle” as used for Twitter (keeps it simple if you use Twitter) Add profile photo (business logo) Complete your profile bio Use keywords and hashtags Include a link to your website Add a link to your website Connect your account to Facebook and let your fans on FB know they can follow you on Instagram ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Cultivate a Following Connect to your Facebook account Use relevant, popular hashtags Engage by following others and liking their photos Cross-post selected images to your Facebook page with a hashtag that aligns with your campaign or brand image to help people who don’t know you’re on Instagram to find you there ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Cultivate a Following (cont.) Embed Instagram video in your blog or website to extend the reach (embedding feature has been added since the chart was developed) Add an Instagram social media icon to your website or blog – connect people directly Leverage photo contests on Instagram with FB Encourage user-generated photos and feature as appropriate ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Who to Follow on Instagram People / brands in your industry Competitors Thought leaders Brands you love People who inspire Your blog readers Potential customers ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Tips for Using Instagram for Biz Follow your followers back Follow those your admire (even if they don’t follow back) Keep a flexible posting plan No expected posting schedule in Instagram Post as appropriate (photos/videos must be pertinent) Never post for the sake of posting Use Instagram apps to get the most of out Instagram Use filters to change up the look of your photos Reward followers with special promotions / deals ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Tips for Using Instagram for Biz - 2 Showcase photos of employees at work Treat visitors to a “visual experience” Use industry-related # hashtags Create your own biz # hashtag for branding purposes Use video for important brand moments (product previews, new promotions, etc.) Feature photos of product users using the product Feature video “testimonials” from actual users Mix it up with some FUN stuff – just keep it related! ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Why # Hashtag on Instagram? Place a # in front of a word with no space to make it a hyperlink that becomes searchable #Hashtags on instagram are used to curate images Create your own hashtag This curates images that are unique to your brand Example: #ImpactOM for Impact Online Marketing ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Use the Share Buttons for Reach Instagram is where you get the most social media reach in under a minute. You can upload to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr and Foursquare with a click of a button! ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Commenting = Connections Interact with your network and ask questions to create conversation Exchanging comments leads to connections Conversations add value to your online relationships Like, comment, and reply to relevant conversation ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Instagram for Business Blog See this blog for ongoing case studies, tips, and best practices for using Instagram for business: ImpactOnlineMarketing.com