In our hyper-connected world, Instagram is arguably the most powerful tool to promote up-and-coming businesses. You can advertise for free and reach millions of users with just a click of a button. But why are there still thousands of online businesses that fail miserably?
Poor marketing methods are often the culprit to the demise of a whole slew of promising ventures on Instagram. Apparently, many would-be business people do not have a solid grasp of modern marketing strategies. So here are five common practices you shouldn’t be doing when building your online enterprise:
No Unified Identity
Many up-and-coming businesses do not know the importance of solid branding. They often make the mistake of launching a page that has no coordinated theme, no consistent tone, and no distinct voice.
If you want to establish brand recognition and credibility on Instagram, you must first deliver a singular identity to your audience. So, how do you make your page unified?
Create a logo and graphic template that represent who you are as an enterprise. Adhere to a distinct color palette and font style that mesh well with your overall brand.
Refrain from making your Instagram feed a hodgepodge of images and videos. Align your content with your chosen color scheme and overall style, and religiously stick to that theme. The key is to create a recognizable, consistent as well as aesthetically pleasing landing page for your chosen audience.
Over-saturating Your Audience
Bombarding your followers with multiple posts in a single day is equivalent to sabotage. Being overly active on Instagram is not the best way to achieve an online presence.
Tossing out content every 30 minutes or every two hours would not increase your social media engagement; it would only cause “content fatigue” to your online audience and would even inspire an unfollow.
Create a social media calendar instead and schedule your posts wisely. There are Instagram Insights and data analytics tools available that would tell you the ideal time and date to post. Take the time to study your target audience’s demographics, activity rate, and other preferences, as this would help you make guided decisions when it comes to posting more effectively.
Little to No Customer Service
Ignoring inquiries or replying late shows your lack of commitment and professionalism. Just like in any industry out there, if you’re trying to make a name for yourself, you should always try to put your best foot forward.
Make it a priority to accommodate all questions and concerns from your followers. Understand that you have to lay down a good foundation for your online business so that you will be able to establish trust and loyalty among your target audience.
Trivializing Paid Ads
Since Instagram is already a free advertising platform itself, many budding online shops shrug off the need to try premium marketing options.
However, paid advertisements can significantly increase your reach and increase your engagement tenfold because it’s no longer a matter of hit-and-miss. Instagram sponsored ads are actually targeted to a specific demographic. If you’re selling customized medallions, your ad will reach the online shores of those who are interested in collectibles or looking for keepsakes. If you’re providing facial services, your ad will reach beauty junkies and skincare aficionados.
This paid promotion will appear on your target audience’s Instagram feed or Instagram story, increasing your brand’s online presence and potentially boosting your sales performance. You only need to shell out a few bucks, and you will immediately feel the results of your paid ads.
Lack of Engagement
User-generated content (UGC) is the cheapest way to promote your online business. Who would’ve thought that reposting your followers’ content already makes for an effective marketing strategy?
However, when choosing content to reshare, make sure that the image or video bares your product or service, and it is the focal point. To make it more compelling, the UGC must also be in sync with your overall branding.
If you’re having doubts, it’s safe to say that UGC is a success in the online sphere since even big brands such as Lush Cosmetics, Mejuri, Whole Foods, and Daniel Wellington are joining the bandwagon. There’s no wrong in trying what works. Because in the age of social media, to make headway, sometimes you either have to adapt and to innovate.
Not everyone knows how to make it big in such massive cyberspace. To thrive in the world of Instagram, you have to know how to make the most out of this powerful platform, and after that, everything else will follow.
