Digital Marketing Inbound Marketing Instagram Social Marketing

Instagram for Business

Brands spoke and Instagram listened!

Shortly after Instagram revealed their new “algorithm” and new look, they made another big announcement: “Coming Soon: New Instagram Business Tools.” Brands wanted a better way for their content to stand out and a way to better understand their customers. These tools do just that.

What are Instagram Business Tools?

Business Tools allow brands to monitor their posts and advertising campaigns on Instagram and provide useful data, such as the best time of day to post and how their target audience is responding to their content. They provide real-time data in three main areas:

  1. Account Insights.

Account insights includes impressions (how many times your post is seen), reach (how many people see your post) and engagement (like or comment) of posts. This allows a business to see how well they are increasing awareness of their brand.

  1. Ad Insights.

Ad insights includes impressions, reach and engagement of paid campaigns.

  1. Ad staging.

Staging allows these brands to create, preview and schedule upcoming campaigns.

Who can access the tools?

To start, Instagram rolled out the tools to brands that are verified, have a large following and are already advertising on their platform. They hope to receive feedback to help improve this new feature and then release the tools to more brands later this year.

How do you create an ad campaign on Instagram?

This is the fun part! A brand can simply choose a photo they’ve already posted, add a button and select their audience. Some button options include, “Learn More” or “Shop Now.” When it comes to creating an audience, a brand can create their own targeting or use the suggestions from Instagram. The final step is to choose the time frame the ad will run and the rest is history!

Why will this work?

According to Instagram’s Global Head of Business and Brand Development, James Quarles, there are currently 200,000 active advertisers on Instagram. 50% of users follow a business on Instagram and 60% of people learn about products on Instagram. With that being said, Instagram has quickly become the platform to discover and engage with your favorite brands. It is, in a sense, a digital store front. Business Tools will help brands put the right content in front of the right people; therefore, a higher ROI (return on investment) for the brand.

What about your Instagram profile?

Brands with a Business profile will look almost identical to a non-business profile with the addition of a couple things. The first, big difference is the “contact” button to the left of the current, “follow” button. When you click contact, you can choose from a list of unique call-to-actions, such as email, get directions, or visit website. Second, in the bio section of the profile, there will be a category to let you know more about the type of business; for example, “Food/Grocery.”

 

Stream’s Kick-Start Step:

Don’t have an Instagram account? Create one today for free and see how you can increase awareness of your brand. Remember: tell a story through your content, connect with your audience and keep a balance between lifestyle and product photography.

 

These new Business Tools are just a few ways you can learn about your audience and grow you brand. Instagram is just getting started and we look forward to what’s to come.

Ready to start your social media strategy? Make sure to download our free Social Media Checklist to learn the 15 Steps to Social Success.
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Thanks for reading, now time to get social!

Kasey

– Kasey is a is a Social Media Coordinator at Stream Companies, a Philadelphia based advertising agency