Covert Ops on How to Increase Targeted Visits from Instagram

Instagram is proving to be very promising system to get website visitors, and in capturing laser-targeted prospects while simultaneously get free backlinks for better page rank. While it is enjoying only a fraction of the share of the entire social media industry compared to what Facebook is holding on to right now, it is gaining momentum. In fact, it is one of the fastest growing social media today. This makes it imperative to add to your social media marketing mix.
2012 seems to be a breakthrough year for Instagram. From a measly 1.7 million users at the start of 2011, its user-base quickly surged up to 11 million in the early days of 2012. After just 5 months from the start of the year, the number of Instagram users has now ballooned to about 50 million as of May 2012.

The sudden jump in subscribers was fueled by the acquisition of  Instagram by Facebook in April 2012. Today, it is on its way to acquiring more numbers of registered users, and it is estimated to end the year surpassing the 100 million mark.

While the above figures and projections are quite motivating, marketers must still need to create a well-laid marketing plan to achieve greater success through this method of marketing. Instagram is mainly a photo-sharing social media network. The sharing is driven by photos, and pictures usually have a lot more to say than words.

Moreover, creative and expertly-made photos have the power to ignite social media engagement. Viewers awed by the amazing capture of events and people are usually inspired to post comments or feedbacks on what they felt and think about the photo-shots. This is where marketers can harp on to establish a connection with the prospects.

However, such technique is just a basic strategy known to internet marketers. Nothing is new and it works not only in Instagram, but in other social media networks as well. Doing the same campaign that most marketers are already doing will definitely not separate you apart from the pack. Thus, you can’t expect to get amazing and remarkable results from your campaign.

If you want to see notable output, then you need to set yourself apart from the rest of the competitors. You can follow some of the best practices shared only to a few by successful businessmen and large corporations who have made it big using simple yet enjoyable Instagram strategies.

Instagram Best Practices in Giving your Business Better Exposure

Show Off Your Products to the World

A better way to promote your products through Instagram is to show it off to your customers and prospects. Take a couple of shots of the merchandise taken from different angles and post the best photos. Soda companies like Coke and Pepsi are experts in this. They have effective techniques on depicting the product in a way that it is very tempting and quite appealing to those who are thirsty and to those who are longing for a nice cold drink to quench the dying thirst. You can do the same to your merchandise.

Highlight How the Products where Made

Another effective method is to give your prospects some snapshots on how you’re products were made. Give them a walk-through on the manufacturing process if applicable. Some coffee shops were successful in getting loyal customers by sharing some photos on how the lattes were made, even sharing a couple of recipes for those who want to make their own coffee at home. This is not just limited to products but it is also applicable to services. You can take a couple of shots about how a particular service is delivered. So, squeeze out your imagination and let your creative juices flow to create unique and amazing share-worthy photos.

 

Depict the Benefits of Your Products in Photos

Capture the expression of people who enjoyed the benefits of using your products. Portray the happy faces, the sweet smile, and the expressions of joy and contentment in the photos. Another way of taking the photos is to show the comparison of the facial expression of the people before and after using the products. Highlight the difference and it will wow the audience. This will surely ignite engagement among the viewers who are amazed on the effects and the presentation. The main goal here is to impart to the prospects what your products can do and how it can make a difference in their day-to-day lives.

Show Your Business

Establish credibility through the photos you shared at Instagram. Give them more information about the company by showing them photographs of the headquarters or the in office. This will correct their doubts and wrong impressions about your company and start trusting your firm. This is vital in today’s world where many people are now being scammed by bogus companies posing as something big when, in fact, they are just run and managed in a garage office. If you have made some expansions, show them the expanded facilities and other assets that you acquired. This will make your business more credible and trustworthy.

Show the People behind the Company

Prospects and customers will trust a firm more if they know the people behind the company. Thus, show them the entire staff and highlight the people behind some important tasks, such as the customer service professionals, the tech guys, the management team, and the founders. You can see company sites with ‘About Us’ pages that provides an overview of the company and the people. You can do the same through your photos of the staff and the big guys behind the scene.

Highlight the Major Events

If your business is composed of a team of people, surely there will be get-together parties, team buildings, social community services, and other company events. Capture those moments and share the photos in Instagram. You will build further build credibility and trust among your prospects if they are able to get to know more about the people, the company, and its various undertakings. If you have a ‘go green’ project, depict in your photos the things that you did to reduce the carbon dioxide emission within your office, such as using the back empty side of the papers to minimize the number of papers used in your office, and so on. This will be hailed by green advocates who shall start following you.

Share Your Uniqueness and Creative Ideas

Don’t just limit your photo-sharing on your products and your company. Give your fans something worth sharing with from time to time. Be creative in capturing photos. Before you make the next shot be mindful of your goals, which is to ignite social sharing of your photographs and at the same active engagement among the viewers. As a guide, ask yourself if the photo is unique or not, if it is something worth sharing with others, and if it sparks curiosity and interests to start a discussion.

There are other creative ways to market your products and services through Instagram. You can innovate a couple of techniques in using photos to reach out to more customers and to establish rapport and trust among your target audience.

Bear in mind that photos are more powerful mediums compared to articles. They appeal better to the emotions of your prospects and enhance engagement. Consequently, they are also excellent marketing tools to get website visitors and boost the performance of your business.