So, you are running a local business and want to drive new customers to your door. Word of mouth is great but can only do so much. What do you need? New customers. How do you get them? Instagram!
In today's time, having a presence on social media is essential. One of the most popular social media platforms is Instagram, due to its high usage and ability to capture a wide demographic with its mobile-friendly nature.
Instagram has proven to be a valuable marketing tool for my local business. The photo and video-centric platform allows businesses to show people a beautifully curated view of their products and build trust and loyalty with their customer base.
However, users don't always know where to find your Instagram handle. So, here are 11 different ways you can promote your local business on Instagram.
How to promote your local business on Instagram?
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Focus on your bio
Your bio is great to include links to your website and social media profiles and a short description of what you do. If you have a new product or service that isn't yet listed on your website, it's also a good place to mention it briefly in your bio so that people can find out more later.
While writing your bio, you can incorporate keywords and use interesting headlines. Also, you can use powerful emojis to attract attention and express your brand's personality.
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Be an active part of the Instagram community
The next thing you need to do when promoting your local business on Instagram is to be an active community member. This means following other people, liking their posts, commenting on them, and posting your content regularly.
The more active you are in the community, the better chance you'll have of building relationships with other businesses and people. They can also help promote your business through their channels as well.
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Create authentic content
The best way to promote your local business on Instagram is with authentic, high-quality content that resonates with a local audience. Local businesses should focus on creating relevant photos and videos for their customers, whether about products or services.
Instagrammers love seeing pictures of their hometown, so be sure to post pictures of landmarks, businesses, and events happening in your neighborhood. Your customers are more likely to follow and engage with brands they know and love.
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Use local hashtags to connect with customers and build awareness
You can use local hashtags to connect with other Instagram users in the same area. Hashtags are a way for users of the platform to search for specific content based on their interests or location. You can use them in photos as well as in captions. Also, you can use geotagged photos to get found by people searching for businesses near your location.
For example, if you're selling shoes and want to connect with people in New York City who might be interested in buying them, then include the #NYC tag in your photo description or caption. This will help people find your post when they search for #NYC-related posts on the platform.
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Make sure your posts are visually appealing, especially if you're a product-based business
The average user spends just 29 minutes on Instagram each day. So, make sure your posts are interesting enough to keep them scrolling through their feed. If people can't
see what your product looks like or how it works in their lives, they probably won't buy it from you.
Instagram is all about graphics. When promoting your local business on this platform, make sure that every post you publish looks great from a visual standpoint. This means using high-quality images,video via video tools and make infographics and videos that are well-composed, clear, and colorful—or at least, have an interesting subject matter or angle.
PNG format is preferred on Instagram as it helps individuals and businesses post high-quality graphics. You can easily use a PNG converter to convert any JPG image to PNG.
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Show the local lifestyle
Show off your city's unique culture and lifestyle with photos of locals enjoying their favorite activities. You can also use Instagram stories to highlight certain aspects of life in your city or region—like a specific festival or event—while encouraging users to follow along with their posts simultaneously.
Using photos of your customers is a great way to show that you're part of the community, but don't just take pictures at your store. Take photos at events, from behind the scenes (like making pizza), or other places around town. The goal is to show people what they might not have seen otherwise while still promoting what you do.
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Consistent brand identity
Your Instagram page should be an extension of your other marketing efforts. That means using the same colors and fonts as you do on other social media platforms and keeping the look and feel consistent with the rest of your website. This helps people recognize your brand across all channels, which can increase your sales.
Use the same filters and hashtags across all of your photos and videos. This will help people find you when they search for similar content—even if your account isn't connected to theirs.
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Stick to a schedule for posting
If you post something random now and then, people will be confused about what your brand or product is all about. Consistency is key when it comes to social media engagement.
You should set up an editorial calendar to have a schedule for posting images and videos on Instagram. It helps your followers know when to expect new content from their favorite brands. It encourages them to follow along more closely. You can also use this opportunity as an excuse for promotions or sales streaks that'll help boost engagement on your posts.
Plan to know when you'll be posting images and videos regularly (ideally every day or every other day). Then stick with it.
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Run Instagram contests
Instagram contests are a great way to get people to interact with your brand on social media and promote your business. The best part? They're incredibly easy to set up.
Here's how:
Choose a theme for your contest: This will help you narrow down what type of photos you want entrants to submit.
Choose a prize: You can choose from many different types of prizes, including gift cards or discounts on products or services offered by your company/organization (like free tickets). If possible, offer multiple prizes so that everyone has a chance to win something.
Create rules and guidelines for participating in the contest: Make sure you follow all of Instagram's policies when setting up your contest and fill out all the information required on their form page before submitting it. This includes providing a list of acceptable hashtags (which we discussed earlier), eligibility requirements (such as age limits)
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Partner with local influencers for promotions
If you're looking for ways to save money and boost sales, one of the best things you can do is a partner with local influencers.
Nowadays, it's easier than ever to find influencers in your industry. Sites like Instagram make it simple to find people already posting content related to your product or service. And sites like Fiverr make it possible to hire someone to create engaging content on your behalf.
The key is finding someone with an audience that matches your product or service and is willing to promote it for a small fee.
You don't have to limit yourself to one influencer, either. If you have more than one product or service to promote, find multiple local influencers who will be interested in helping you spread the word about your brand.
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Research successful local businesses on Instagram similar to yours
The best way to get started with Instagram is to research successful local businesses on Instagram similar to yours. Look for posts with a lot of engagement and use that as a guide for what type of content you should post. Get an idea of how many followers they have, how many times their posts were liked, and what types of comments they get from their audience.
The next step would be creating a persona that fits with the people likely following these accounts. Adopt a voice or tone of voice that fits this persona, and then start posting. This will help you understand what works and why it'll work for you.
Make your local business success with Instagram
If you have proper planning and execution, you can't go wrong in promoting your business on a social media platform.
In the case of Instagram, use relevant hashtags to increase visibility and make yourself a more recognizable name in your community. That way, you can be there when people post photos of your local area or talk about things related to your business.
Then the ball is already rolling. From there, it's merely a matter of keeping up with the conversation, posting interesting photos, and—above all else—being a good listener and engaging community member.