When Facebook (now Meta) came in the early part of the 21st century, it disrupted the world so much so that social media became akin to Facebook. A few years later, a photo and video sharing platform gave the Mark Zuckerberg-founded company a run for its money (only to be later acquired by it…). No brownies for guessing who we are talking about! It’s Instagram.

Today, Instagram’s popularity is unmissable. It has also gone much beyond from merely being a platform where you can share pictures with your friends and family.

It is an oasis of business opportunities with user-friendly tools, making it the perfect place for marketing your products and services and growing your business overall.

This week, we decided to break down the platform for our readers and provide a beginner’s guide to anyone who needs it.

SO LET’S GET STARTED!

Instagram Bio

The first thing your potential customer will check out is your bio on your Instagram page. So make sure your bio clearly explains who you are, and what you do. Don’t forget to put in your contact details or the link to your website so that your user can connect with you directly with a lot of ease. Remember, a short Instagram bio sometimes also works to your advantage.

If you are able to tick all these boxes then chances are that you will be able to target your ideal audience.

At, Criya, #Criyators create their studio cum portfolio using the format - name.criya.co- which they can easily add to their Instagram bios!

Instagram Lives

If you are looking for some affordable promotional activities to increase your reach and engagement, then Instagram lives is one of the easiest and most convenient tools to fall back on. Doing lives on Instagram is a great way to build engagement, connect with potential customers, share some news or announcements and increase your visibility.

Moreover, interacting with your audience live helps break barriers and allows you to express your true, authentic self before your audience.

Additionally, Instagram reels are huge and exciting in today’s time. Did you know that you can also monetize your talent using Instagram reels? Instagram has rolled out a feature wherein as a user You can now create reels and earn bonuses based on the number of plays spanning over a month.

Connect Instagram with Facebook

While Instagram is a popular tool, Facebook has a far larger user base than Instagram and you don’t want to miss out on the potential audience there as well? Isn’t it? Moreover, according to experts, the ‘likes’ you acquire on Instagram will translate over on your Facebook posts as well. Additionally, Instagram’s algorithmic feed has been shown to prioritize the more engaging posts, meaning additional likes received on Facebook which could eventually help your content rank higher.

If you don’t know how to connect Instagram to Facebook, here is a step by step guide-

1. Open your Instagram account and go to the Profile option (click on the three horizontal dots on the top right corner of the page).
2. Click on Settings.
3. Then go to Account.
4. Tap on Linked Accounts.
5. A page with a list of different platforms will open up. Click on Facebook and you are done!

Use trending hashtags

Instagram hashtags are one of the most underrated tools. You can have the best image on the post, and an amazing caption but if you fail to get the hashtag game right- it can practically make or break your marketing endeavour.

The primary job of a hashtag is to expand your reach and help you grab your target audience. Instagram suggests various ways to accomplish this-

• Use hashtags indicating your product or service.
• Check the popularity of the hashtags. Although a popular hashtag doesn’t necessarily translate into something widely effective but keeping a view of the same is important.
• Create a hashtag for your own business.
• Tag and mention your customers. You can even create your own location tag.
• Encourage customers to use your business’ hashtag.
• Create hashtags for special events or product launches.

A word of caution: Avoid spamming people with your tags. Tag only those with who you feel relate or will relate to your business or products.

Instagram Insights

In the tech world, there’s a saying that “data is the new oil.” Perhaps, that’s why it’s not difficult to fathom why data and numerical insights are so paramount to leverage to further empower your small businesses.

Instagram Insights help you understand what is working, what is not working, and what you need to do to get more likes and followers to gain greater visibility for your brand.

The Insights Overview option gives you a peek into the number of accounts reached, engagement generated from a particular post, impressions, etc.

Moreover, Instagram generates insights for posts, reels, stories, and even live videos, which will help you understand what worked and what did not work in terms of engagement.

Make sure you ‘switch to a professional account’ to view insights for your business page. If you haven’t done it yet, here are some easy steps to get you started.

1. Open your profile on the Instagram Page.
2. Go to Settings > Account > Switch to Professional Account > Done.

So what’s stopping you from getting started?