1Knowing your audience is the foundation of your strategy
Before posting, try to define exactly who you’re talking to and single out your core customers. Are they busy commuters after a quick bite to eat? Local students hunting for a quick fix? Or weekend walkers in search of something ‘Instagrammable’?
Build simple personas by giving them names, jobs, hobbies and preferred content formats (Reels, photos, polls) and use Instagram’s poll stickers and DM surveys to ask what they want to see: hands-on tutorials, behind-the-scenes peeks or limited-edition drops.
By aligning every post, Story or ad with those interests (rather than chasing vague and difficult to act upon ‘likes’) you’ll spark genuine engagement, boost saves and shares and grow a community of loyal fans who feel seen and heard.
Ultimately, however, Instagram is a platform about appearances, so keep it aesthetically appealing, relevant to your audience and, most importantly of all, shareable. You want to build a customer base organically and on Instagram (in fact, on social media in general) that’s about content that’s fast, authentic, personal, clickable and actionable.
2Use hashtags for growth
Instagram marketing tactics can seem a little contrived. Indeed, it’s always a bit sad when the number of hashtags in a post exceeds the number of likes it gets. The ironic, tongue-in-cheek hashtags (#ilovemondaymornings) may occasionally be a fun way to connect with followers, but they are utterly useless. Also, you’re probably unlikely to gain followers other than spammers when you tag #picoftheday, #instagood, #instalike, or similar.
Instead, use hashtags as part of your strategy. If you run a café in London, you could of course use #london and #londonlife to get into relevant photostreams, but by using hashtags such as #visitlondon and #thisislondon and tagging accounts like @visitlondonofficial and @london, you could actually get picked up and exposed to thousands of followers.
That’s how many accounts grow in the beginning.
3How to promote your business on Instagram day-to-day
Push your daily menu on Instagram and avoid updating your website all the time. In fact, you can consider directing your web visitors to your social media accounts from your landing page.
One of great parts of Instagram is that you can post directly to your Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr accounts with one click. Using Instagram first enables you to grow and reach potential customers on multiple platforms.
Just remember to stay active: reply to comments and questions on all platforms. And don’t forget that few people will see the content on your Facebook page unless you pay or go viral.
A streamlined POS system like PayPal POS can be a legitimate game changer here. By tagging products directly in your feed or Stories (think everything from individual products and services to gift cards and merch), customers can tap to buy without leaving Instagram, boosting impulse sales and smoothing the path from ‘I love that mug!’ to ‘I have to have that mug’ and a smooth, successful checkout.
Meanwhile, your POS dashboard tracks which posts drive the most revenue, so you can double down on high-performing content. Integrating your POS and Instagram helps to reduce manual order-taking and stock surprises, and to have clear ROI on your marketing spend.
4Humanise your Instagram business page with personal content
Sure, you may use Instagram for posting menu updates and cool pictures of munchie lunch sandwiches and artistic cappuccinos, but unless you reveal something more, you won’t create an emotional bond with your followers. There’s a reason why selfies are so enduringly popular as a form of expression and an Instagram marketing campaign tentpole.
Post photos of yourself, your staff or even your customers if that’s ok with them. The people are the foundation of the culture of your business. Embrace them.
5Get more out of your marketing strategy by using desktop tools
If you’re asking yourself: ‘how can I promote my business on Instagram without losing that air of professionalism?’, look no further than your desktop.
Because, while Instagram is a truly mobile experience, you could save time by using Instagram.com on your desktop computer when replying to comments.
And to get more knowledge from your work with Instagram, use a program like Iconosquare1. It lets you see exactly who started following you during the last week, and who dropped out and you can analyse which posts get the most likes or comments, so that you can tweak your content further.
