There are often a lot of questions about how best to use Instagram for marketing. And while the actual strategy will vary for each business and brand, there are some key rules that you should adhere to.
I recently wrote a blog post about the 75 Twitter rules for businesses and it got a lot of traction. In talking to one of my fans, he asked if I had a similar set of rules for Instagram. And while I definitely know what I do and don’t do, I hadn’t put those practices to paper. So, I sat down and wrote out my 50 rules for Instagram.
If you’ve read the Twitter rules, you will notice that a few of those rules crept into this list and that’s because, really, these rules are universal. But, hey, why not reiterate them!
So, without further ado, here is my list of 50 rules for using Instagram for business.
So there you go, the list of things you should and shouldn’t do on Instagram when marketing your business. For those of you who are new to using Instagram for marketing, I hope this will help get you settled and take out some of the guess work. Like any other site, it will take time to really determine what works best for you and your brand. However, I hope that these rules guide you to success a little faster.
I recently wrote a blog post about the 75 Twitter rules for businesses and it got a lot of traction. In talking to one of my fans, he asked if I had a similar set of rules for Instagram. And while I definitely know what I do and don’t do, I hadn’t put those practices to paper. So, I sat down and wrote out my 50 rules for Instagram.
If you’ve read the Twitter rules, you will notice that a few of those rules crept into this list and that’s because, really, these rules are universal. But, hey, why not reiterate them!
So, without further ado, here is my list of 50 rules for using Instagram for business.
- Complete your bio with relevant information
- Make your username related to your business
- Avoid odd spellings of your name in your username (Instagram search is not as friendly as other sites)
- Include your full business name (or your real name) in your bio
- Include your website in the bio – this is the only place where you can include a hyperlink
- Upload a profile pic, ideally the same one you use on other platforms
- Make sure your posts are PUBLIC – uncheck “Posts are Private” on the Edit Profile page
- Do NOT connect your Instagram to Facebook or Twitter. Give people a reason to follow you here
- Ensure you receive notifications for likes, comments, and contacts
- Learn the Instagram lingo
- Instagram is about being visual
- Get creative
- Learn how to use the edit tools
- Determine which filters you like best
- Determine what artistic effect best represents your brand
- Be consistent in your use of artistic edits (filters, layers, angles, etc.)
- Being consistent doesn’t mean you can’t try new things occasionally, but learn what works for your brand and your audience
- Use the geo-tag (add to photo map) option when relevant
- Actively post to your account
- Use a variety of posts that showcase you, your brand, your customers, your products, etc.
- Use Instagram to advertise sales or provide exclusive discount codes
- Host a contest, but adhere to Instagram rules
- Never leave your post comments blank
- Take advantage of the post comments to ask questions or provide details
- Use the @name to respond to followers comments (otherwise, they won’t see your response)
- Thank and engage with those who comment on your posts
- Like a LOT of posts – don’t be shy
- Comment on others posts
- Use a mix of photos and videos
- Use relevant hashtags to boost reach
- Don’t overuse hashtags – more than 5 or 6 per post is excessive
- Don’t use popular hashtags, if unrelated, just to get exposure
- Avoid selfies!!! Seriously! One every now and then is ok, but not daily or even weekly. Please!
- Don’t post explicit or inappropriate photos
- Unless your account is about food, we don’t need to see your every meal
- Space out your posts – don’t crowd the feed with your posts
- Use your own photos
- If you use someone else’s photo, you must give photo credit
- Follow other industry leaders
- Follow your competitors
- Follow people with similar interests or post styles
- Follow more people to get more followers
- Don’t follow someone to get them to follow you, and then unfollow them – it’s just rude
- Don’t buy followers
- Do not follow everyone that follows you – follow only those with similar interests or engagement
- Check your notifications regularly. Instagram only shows you your last 75 interactions
- Monitor and analyze your stats and engagement (I recommend statigr.am)
- Know which days and which times are the best to share your posts
- Encourage your customers and fans on other sites to follow you here
- Be you – be authentic
So there you go, the list of things you should and shouldn’t do on Instagram when marketing your business. For those of you who are new to using Instagram for marketing, I hope this will help get you settled and take out some of the guess work. Like any other site, it will take time to really determine what works best for you and your brand. However, I hope that these rules guide you to success a little faster.
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