• Instagram is no longer only for individuals to post their gym selfies or photos from their trips. The platform has become another tool for small business owners to promote their products and services directly to customers. 
• Posting random photos and videos is by far not Instagram marketing. You need to pay attention to the frequency of posts, hashtags and other elements that will help you achieve better results. 
• Do you want to learn what comprises a good Instagram marketing strategy? Go ahead, read the article and you'll find out all about it. 

They say a picture says a thousand words and when it comes to pictures and content marketing it’s all about that Instagram life.

The popular photo-sharing social media site is booming in popularity and now is a great time to incorporate Instagram into your business’s marketing strategy.

So how can your business get the most out of marketing on Instagram?

Well, the first thing to do is make sure you have an account and its branding and username match your other social media profiles.

If you’ve got that sorted then we are ready to proceed!

1. Create an Instagram strategy

Cat photos and snaps of dinner might be okay for the average personal user, but for businesses serious about using Instagram, you’ll need a serious strategy.

The first thing to establish is a content calendar; you need to set and maintain a schedule of content to be posted regularly.

Too many or too few updates can quickly lead to a channel going stale so once you’ve figured out the perfect balance for your brand draw up a content calendar so updates are properly managed. 

Create a branded hashtag to enhance your Instagram brand. That is what will encourage shares and likes.

This isn’t as simple as using your company name as a hashtag; create a hashtag that embodies your brand. 

2. Get creative with your content

Instagram has moved on from simply posting photos. It is now a platform with lots of interactive features to help you be more creative with your content. Albums let you add up to 10 photos and videos to a single Instagram post so that your content can be more engaging.

Instagram Stories uses disappearing content and live broadcasting features which are perfect for businesses who like to make edgy content that demands attention.

Use this visual platform to do something different with your content that will help you achieve your goals such as teaser photos of new products or “hacks” in a short video.

Alternatively, show the personal, fun side of your business that people don’t usually get to see with behind the scenes videos or photos of the team having a laugh.

3. Collaborate with influencers

Influencer marketing can really drive traffic and sales to your business so it’s in your business’s interest that you build relationships with the movers and shakers of the social media world.

Look into collaborative projects and sponsored content to gain access to their community. The best influencers aren’t always big celebrities or people with hundreds of thousands of followers – niche accounts with a loyal audience are best.

• Find new influencers by searching for keywords.
• Reach out by engaging with their content first.

Influencers appreciate it when you take an interest in their content before you start eyeing up their followers.

4. Use Instagram tools

There are plenty of apps to help users get the most out of Instagram. Third-party apps are good for adding logos, text and other graphics to your photos quickly or stop-motion

Much like business pages on Facebook, you can get business profiles on Instagram which come with extra tools such as "Insights" for post analytics and "Promote" to boost post views.

Final checklist

Once you’ve got a content calendar and are scheduled to make at least one post per week you need to make your profile easily searchable.

You may only post once or twice a week but get into the habit of signing in every day to interact with your audience – both current and potential.

After a while, you’ll figure out what works best for your business and how to make the most of Instagram as an integral part of your content strategy.