Since Instagram was launched, just over ten years ago, a lot has happened. Even if the channel is basically about sharing nice pictures, the potential is much greater than that and it is not anymore just a tool for individuals, but also for businesses. With this article we want to bring to your attention not only why it is important, but we also want you to understand how and what to do in order to make the best out of it. Here are a number of different tips on how to create awesome results by working with Instagram for your business. Let’s dig in!

Find your niche and stick to it

Does your company work exclusively with health & beauty products? Congratulations, then Instagram is probably just the right channel for you. If you work with complex cloud and hosting services, the challenge may be a bit bigger, but trust us, nothing is impossible. A good tip when you want to start with Instagram as a company is to highlight your USP and convey it with the help of photos and videos. Instagram has over a billion users (!) so it's important to try to stand out, find your voice and fill the damn silence around your brand.

The profile is clear

Try to use uniform and clear photos when you are on Instagram as a company. For example, choose to always use the same filter or to always have a purple frame around the images you publish. This creates visual recognition among the followers and helps to strengthen your brand awareness in social media. After all, keep in mind that it is the same brand you have on your website that you also convey on your company's Instagram channel.

Use the channel for employer branding

Instagram for companies is an obvious choice when it comes to employer branding. Show potential employees (or customers) what a wonderful team you are "behind the scenes". Post all the fun that happens in the office, during your lunch breaks while creating your brand identity. Don’t forget to also share things that show your expertise and professionalism. Why not record a video, when a programmer is working on a cutting edge algorithm, or something else that highlights your specific area of ​​expertise.

Separate the flow and stories

When you are on Instagram as a company - keep the flow separate from stories. On Instagram stories, or events, this is a place where you should share quick things that happen here and now - maybe a Friday BBQ with the team, a fun quiz or some highlights from a team meeting. Stories only live for 24 hours and should therefore be used more spontaneously. The flow, on the other hand, has a longer lifespan and it is therefore worth putting more love into these posts. As a company on Instagram, you should work according to a social media strategy and create posts that are adapted both to stories and to the flow. Work with different formats such as slides, videos and GIFs to create as much as possible a live channel experience. Do you need inspiration? Follow us on Advedro's Instagram.

Do not forget the statistics

Something that differentiates a company account on Instagram from private Instagram accounts is that you get access to lots of statistics. You can see where in the world your followers are, their age and their gender. You also get to see what time of day most users visit your channel. This way, you can more easily create an image of your typical follower and produce material that suits them. Also, use statistics to create awesome ads on your Instagram business account.

Follow other interesting companies

As a company on Instagram, it is good to follow other companies from the same industry that you can be inspired by (without copying anything of course). Take the opportunity to follow your dream customers - maybe you can start a future collaboration on Instagram? Be active, like and comment on other people's posts, you will probably get the same good deed back.

Use hashtags

It is wise to use some well thought out hashtags for your posts on your business account on Instagram. Each hashtag is clickable and your picture will be visible along with other people's pictures that are using the same tag. This is something that can help you increase the visibility of the post.

So just to give you the most concrete example we can, imagine that you are really into meditation and have been practicing it for years and now you want to build a business around meditation or grow your personal brand.

The first thing you need to do is identify the 10 most important/relevant hashtags in your field. Here are some that we have noticed recently on Instagram.

1. #meditation (13.1M uses and counting)
2. #selfdiscovery
3. #freeyourmind
4. #innerpeace
5. #meditate
6. #mindfulness
7. #wellness
8. #awareness
9. #mindset
10. #spirituality
11. #zen
12. #perspective
13. #beherenow

Dare to test new features

Have you tried broadcasting live on Instagram? It is a feature that more companies should try to use. Maybe you can try to broadcast a webinar via Instagram live, why not?

If you run an e-commerce site, you can now link to your products directly on Instagram. Smart, flexible and it simplifies the purchase price for your customers!

Finally, now when you know how to use Instagram for your particular business. What are you waiting for? Start sharing with the rest of us your voice and build a strong visual brand identity on Instagram!