Instagram is an important modern-day marketing asset for any growing company. Yes, you can exist without social media, but it will only help you and your store’s exposure in the long run. Social media can feel like a beast to tackle, so I am going to share with you a few tips and tricks I have acquired while working as a Social Media Specialist!
Set Up Your Instagram Account as a “Professional Instagram Account”
This can be done in your Instagram settings and is completely free! Here you will gain insight into the way your followers are interacting with your content. A few benefits to it: you will find the best time to post (for your brand according to your own statistics) and other helpful details down to the nitty-gritty like how old your average follower account is and what time they are most active on social media.
Leverage the Power of Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are one of my personal favorite social media features. It shows a more authentic version of a brand and helps you take your followers to places your grid can’t. There is less pressure to make everything look “perfect” and more pressure to just have fun with it! Instagram stories are also a great way to drive up engagement (engagement = the number of times that users engaged with your post). The more opportunities you allow your followers to interact with your brand, the more likely it is that you will show up at the top of their newsfeed. That’s why here at Stuller, we love incorporating fun Instagram stories that include interactive polls like ‘This or That’ or ‘Which is your favorite?’
Bonus Tip! My favorite tool for creating branded Instagram stories is Canva.com. Start off by making a template that best represents your brand and then use it over and over again. By doing this, you can quickly make a story at the drop of a hat while not having to sacrifice the cohesion of the brand.
Be Flexible
Things are ever-changing when it comes to social media. One day, one platform might be all the rage and then something new comes along and sweeps up the attention of the millennium (talking about myself here!). I am a firm believer in filling in the gaps of your business wherever your weaknesses may lie. We can’t all be good at everything and lucky enough there are so many talented people around us who are good at the things we may lack. A really cool thing that Stuller offers is a free one-on-one consultation with our Social Media Team. Reach out to us and let us know the pain points you are facing when it comes to social media along with links to your existing social accounts. Hannah and I will do a Social Media Audit for you and then come up with a game plan for your brand’s social media strategy.
If you would like to schedule a social media consultation with us, email us at victoria_stinson@stuller.com and hannah_blaine@stuller.com.
