Instagram Marketing: The Definitive Guide


CHAPTER 1

Instagram Marketing: A Preface

When Instagram first popped onto the scene back in 2010, it was just like any other social platform: filled with selfies, pets, and pictures of food.

Fast-forward to 2022 and Instagram’s transformation from a simple photo sharing app to a full-on marketing channel is nearly complete.

Just look at some of the platform’s newest features! In the last year alone, Instagram has released dozens of new tool for businesses, including advanced analytics, shoppable Instagram posts, and new ways to drive traffic from Instagram Stories, and the new standalone video platform, IGTV.

Whether you work in ecommerce, education, or media and publishing, it pays to build a presence on Instagram. But if you really want to get ahead, you need to know the platform (and your audience) inside and out, including what kind of content resonates most, how to build an Instagram Stories strategy, and how to track your metrics and KPIs.

That’s where this guide comes in. In the next 16 chapters, we’ll walk you through:

  • The fundamentals of a well-rounded Instagram marketing strategy
  • Tips on how to create an effective Instagram profile
  • Running your first Instagram influencer marketing campaign
  • The ins and outs of your Instagram analytics
  • Tips on how to use Instagram Stories for business
  • And so much more!

But first, let’s take a look at why Instagram marketing is so effective for ecommerce businesses in particular.

 
 
CHAPTER 2

Why Instagram Marketing is Key to Ecommerce Success

We all know how great Instagram is for sharing photos and videos with our friends and family, but it’s also an incredible channel for ecommerce marketing. But why?

Well, an obvious reason is Instagram’s format. Because of this visual nature, Instagram holds massive opportunities for ecommerce businesses looking to showcase their products. Whether through regular photos, videos, or Instagram Stories, millions of businesses have learned that building a visual presence on Instagram can hugely compliment their ecommerce marketing.

There’s also the fact that Instagram users are more engaged than the average social media user. And while trends do seem to show that Instagram engagement is dropping (something we’ll be discussing in the next chapter), the platform is still producing higher engagement rates for businesses compared to both Twitter and Facebook.

But Instagram users are more than simply engaged — they’re also commonly online shoppers. According to a recent study, 72% of Instagram users report making a purchase decision after seeing something on Instagram, with the most popular categories being clothing, makeup, shoes, and jewelry.

This shopping mindset makes Instagram users the perfect audience because they’re high-intent and quick to convert.

Another reason Instagram is so great for ecommerce has to do with the platform itself. As we mentioned in the previous chapter, Instagram has recently introduced a ton of new business-facing tools — and there’s definitely more to come! Whether through links in Instagram Stories or shoppable Instagram posts, soon enough many of our online shopping experiences will start (and end) on Instagram.

All of this said, it would be a mistake to think that just because you don’t sell ecommerce products your business doesn’t belong on Instagram! Beyond its unique ability to move products, Instagram is also an incredible place for businesses to build brand awareness and connect with new audiences (and potential customers).

Of course, if you want to build an Instagram marketing strategy that really resonates with your target audience, you first need to understand how the Instagram algorithm works — something we’ll be discussing next.

 
 
CHAPTER 3

The Instagram Algorithm

Oh, the ever-mysterious Instagram algorithm. When Instagram first announced in 2016 that they were replacing the chronological feed with an algorithm, most people responded with a less-than-joyous reaction... And not much has changed since.

So why did Instagram make the switch from chronological to algorithm?

Well, it had to do with size. As Instagram grew in popularity, it became harder to keep up with all the photos and videos people share. In fact, according to Instagram, people missed an average of 70% of their feeds when it was chronological.

In light of this, Instagram created an algorithm that re-organized people’s feeds so they would theoretically see more content that was relevant to them.

Unfortunately, it also had some undesirable effects.

Whereas a chronological feed requires little-to-no guesswork (all you really have to worry about is posting when your audience is most active), algorithm-based feeds can be influenced by a ton of different factors — like how much engagement a post gets or how long people spend viewing your posts.

And since Instagram is constantly updating the algorithm to improve user-experience and prioritize certain types of content, it can be difficult to know how to optimize your posts to get the most engagement and reach possible…

But it’s not impossible!

Last year, Instagram actually went on record about how the Instagram algorithm works, including the factors that determine how your post will perform in the Instagram algorithm (and how many people will see it!). Here they are below, ranked in terms of importance:

#1: Interest

This is Instagram predicting how much you’ll care about a post.

The more they think you’ll “like” that post, the higher it appears in your feed. This is based on “past behavior on similar content and potentially machine vision analyzing the actual content of the post,” according to Instagram.

Think about this one like the Instagram Explore page: once you like one video of slime, your entire explore page is full of slime videos. And if someone in your feed posts a video of slime, Instagram’s going to guess that you’ll like that too.

#2: Timeliness

How long ago was a photo or video posted? The new Instagram algorithm will prioritize recent posts, so you’ll hopefully see fewer posts from over a week ago.

While the feed isn’t going back to chronological by any means, Instagram is starting to care a lot more about when you post, instead of just the content or engagement on the post.

This was confirmed in late-2017 when Instagram pledged to prevent older posts from showing on people’s feeds.

#3: Relationship

As a result, businesses will need to be more aware of when their audience is most active on Instagram, so they can optimize their posts to appear at that time.

How do you know the accounts that appear on your feed? If you often comment on someone’s photos or you get tagged in photos with them, this signals to Instagram that they fall into your “friends and family” category. As a result, you’ll likely see more content that they post (and vice-versa!).

This is great news for businesses because it gives them a way to stay top-of-mind. Just ask your followers to tag you in their posts and make sure you optimize your Instagram posts and stories to get as many comments as possible.

Other factors that influence the Instagram algorithm:

#4: Frequency

How often do you open the Instagram app? If you’re a frequent scroller, your feed will look more “chronological” since Instagram tries to “show you the best posts since your last visit.”

#5: Following

If you check the Instagram app less often, then your feed will be sorted more to what Instagram thinks you’ll like, instead of chronologically.

How many people do you follow on Instagram? If you follow a lot of people, then Instagram has more options to choose from, so you probably won’t see all of the posts from every account.

#6: Usage

If you spend a lot of time on Instagram, you’re going to see more posts as Instagram “digs deeper into its catalog.”

If you only spend a few minutes on the app each day, then you’re going to just get the highlights from the algorithm.

CHAPTER 4

Identifying Your Goals and Objectives

Now that we’ve covered how the Instagram algorithm works, let’s talk about how to set your Instagram marketing goals and objectives.

Of course, the first step to identifying your goals and objectives on Instagram is to understand exactly what “success” means for you.

Are you using Instagram to build brand awareness and reach more of your ideal customers? To showcase your products and services? To grow an engaged community? To increase brand loyalty?

Will you use Instagram as a tool for customer service? Will you rely on it to educate your followers about your business or industry?

There are a lot of possibilities when it comes to using Instagram to meet your business goals and how you use it is ultimately up to you. Just keep in mind that the goals you set will heavily influence the metrics you use to tracks your success on Instagram (something we’ll be discussing in a later chapter).

For example, if you’re using Instagram to build a large and engaged audience, you’re more likely to focus on engagement metrics, such as likes, comments, and shares.

If you’re having trouble deciding on goals for your account, it can help to consider the following questions:

  • Why are you using Instagram?
  • How can Instagram assist you in achieving your overall marketing goals?
  • How much time or budget can you commit to Instagram?
  • How does Instagram offer you something different to other platforms?
 

CHAPTER 4 | PART 1

Finding Your Target Instagram Audience

Once you’ve determined why you’re using Instagram, you need to think about who you’re trying to target.

If you already have a good sense of who your ideal customer is, a good strategy is to take that customer profile (or “persona”) and extrapolate to Instagram.

What kinds of content do they engage with? What hashtags do they use? What communities are they a part of? Answering these questions is a great way to sure that you’re hitting your target audience on Instagram.

If you’re still having trouble, another option is to research your competitors. Go to your competitors’ profiles and click on their “Followers.” You’ll be able to see the whole list of users who follow them. (Note: we don’t recommend simply going through this list and following each one. Instead, use this information to build a strategy to capture their attention organically).

You can also use this strategy to see what hashtags your competitors are using. Instagram hashtags are still one of the best ways of reaching audiences on Instagram, especially now that you can follow Instagram hashtags like you would other users.

When researching relevant hashtags, try to go as micro as possible. There’s a good chance you’ll find some ultra-niche hashtags that are teeming with activity from your target audience.

 

CHAPTER 4 | PART 2

Run Your Own Instagram Audit

With your goals and audience in mind, the next step is to take a constructive look at your Instagram profile by performing an Instagram audit.

By doing this, you’ll be taking a critical look at everything you’ve done on the platform so far, analyzing it, and then decide if it’s still serving the needs of your business. (Even if you’re just getting started with Instagram marketing, running an audit is a great opportunity to make sure you’re on the right track.)

Each element of your Instagram profile should feel intentional, including your profile photo, bio, feed, captions, hashtags, and more.

Even the accounts you currently follow become part of your brand on Instagram. Do you find them inspiring? Do they align with your business? Or are they completely random and disconnected?

Remember to keep your goals in mind while you’re auditing your account to ensure that every decision you make moves you closer to them!

Once you’ve completed your Instagram audit, you should have:

  • Defined your Instagram businesses goals and objectives
  • A clear understanding of your branding and voice
  • Solidified your content aesthetic
  • Assessed your current engagement strategy
  • Refined your hashtag strategy


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