How to Use Instagram for Your Business #Mompreneur Meetup

This morning I had the privilege of presenting to the Modern Mompreneur Meetup in Bethesda for the second time. It is a fantastic group of women that are doing amazing things with their businesses and juggling motherhood. I love sharing tips and ideas that will make their businesses grow or even make a daunting task a bit easier. Thank you to Lani Inlander from Real Life Style for introducing me and moderating!

Today we were discussing How to Use Instagram for Your Business and we had such a great conversation. I was also able to Periscope it so a few people caught it streaming online (hi!). I am using this post as a round up of what we discussed and to list some specific pointers.

1. Familiarize yourself with Instagram for Business
There is a good amount of information here to get you started and for you to figure out how to set up a business page. There is also inspiration from businesses that are doing it well. I also try to keep up regularly with the Instagram Business Blog for good ideas, new features, best practices, and more.
2. Use 11 #s that are current/relevant & pertinent to your industry
A study showed that 11 hashtags is the right amount for the best engagement. Often times people struggle to get to that many and too many more can really clutter the description. People today asked about putting hashtags in the comments, and ultimately they serve the same purpose as putting them in the description but they make it look much cleaner. So if you want to reach an even wider audience and use more hashtags, putting some in the comments can clean things up- but doesn’t do anything different from a search and discovery perspective.
3. Balance fun pics with business pics
People like to use Instagram to see behind the scenes of a business. It is a great visual way to pull back the curtain. You should be thoughtful when you do this- obviously you don’t want to give competitors too much information. But this is a chance to give your brand some personality. Show your team on an outing to get ice cream or after a big meeting. Have an adorable office dog? We want to see him!
4. Pick a point of view that is unique & visual
You should think through your point of view and how you want to portray your aesthetic. If you decide on a general theme upfront, that helps your followers understand your brand.
5. Connect your Facebook Page
I mean this in two ways. If you have a strong Facebook fan page, then make sure you have a link to your Instagram account or an app tab with your Instagram stream that you post about (with the mobile friendly link). This will help your FB audience learn about your Insta account and follow you there too. I also like using Instagram to post to my fan page because it actually shows the image and the copy. I do NOT like linking Instagram posts to Twitter because it just shows a link to the post not the actual picture in your tweet (tweets with images and videos get more engagment!).
6. Cross promote on other social channels
Obviously you should use the channels where you already have a following to promote your Instagram account.
7. Embed Instagram videos in your blog
If you are writing a blog then it looks very cool when you include an embedded Instagram video (or picture) in your post. This also will make people aware of your account and they can follow you very easily.
8. Respond to comments- and most importantly ENGAGE!
Don’t post it and disappear! Check back and see what people had to say. Did they like it? Did they want more? Did they have questions? Be sure to respond and engage with them- they are much more interested in you when you talk back.
9. Follow your followers back
This is a great way to create a following and engagement. Follow them back. You will see that many people will also follow you back if you spend some time in discovery finding key partners, people you want to know, potential clients, etc.
10. Utilize apps to make your content amazing
This is where I could spend all day! My favorite part of what we do for our clients. We utilize amazing apps that help raise the bar for content creation on a regular basis. Since I have so many favorites I am going to list them and let you discover all of the awesome things they can do for your Instagram content.

• WordSwag
• Videohance
• Gravie
• Over
• Pic Collage
• Video Cover
• Layout
• Enlight
• Vidstitch
• Photo Blur
• Magisto
• iMovie for iPhone
• Repost
• Lategramme

11. Run an Instagram photo contest and promote it on Facebook
This is a great way to increase followers and engagement. I suggest looking at Woobox or Shortstack to help you facilitate a contest. You also must be familiar with appropriate T&Cs for your state and include them. There are a few ways to do this- comments, tagging, photo submissions. Be sure you understand what your objectives are before you decide on how to run your contest. You can promote it on Facebook via your fan page or ads to drive more awareness.
12. Optimize your profile
Be sure you have your logo sized correctly, a link to your site (or a specific product you are promoting) in your description. Here is a handy infographic from Gerry Moran.

Source: Gerry Moran

13. Reward your followers (discounts, promo codes etc.)
Thank your followers and encourage them to keep watching what you post on Instagram with an occasional promotion or discount just for your Insta fans.
14. Showcase your team & employees
As I mentioned with the peak behind the curtain, this is the perfect place to put your team on display. Show new employees or when people do something spectacular. Does someone have a talent that would look cool in a 15 second video? This is a fun way to give them recognition and to tell your audience more about what makes your business tick.