Kaitlin Loyal
Instagram is the fastest growing social network right now, according to the Pew Research Internet Project. There are currently 300 million IGers posting pictures of more than just their perfectly framed lunch, and nearly half of the app’s users scroll through their feed of filtered photographs every day.
Instagram provides opportunity for B2C brands, sure. But it also provides a huge opportunity for B2B businesses to show what they’re up to and who they are.
B2B companies are finally realizing that marketing doesn’t have to be completely devoid of emotion. Even if you’re selling to another business, you’re ultimately talking to other humans. And with millions of Instagram users who check their feeds more frequently than Facebook, Instagram is a great option to get in front of your audience.
So if you’re not on Instagram yet as a B2B business, consider these ways you could incorporate it into your strategy.
Tell Your Brand Story
If you want to help someone remember something, tell them a story. No matter what business you’re marketing, decide on your goals, a theme for your visuals, and start telling the story. Share images of your team hard at work or the latest product you’re working on. Once you hook Instagrammers in with an interesting image, the stage is yours.
Support Your Content Strategy
Instagram is yet another way to distribute content you’re developing, no matter if it’s a blog post, an upcoming webinar, your latest infographic, e-book, or whitepaper. You most likely have some type of visual already associated with the content. Add it to Instagram and tell your followers about it. Post a link in your account bio and direct followers there.
Connect other Social Platforms
Did you know a tweet’s shelf life is only about 18 minutes? With growth of every social channel and changing algorithms, it becomes harder and harder to get in front of your audience at the right time. To drive users to your new Instagram account, post about it on Twitter or LinkedIn. Then, cross-promote content across social channels to give your content more staying power.
Reach a New Audience
Your audience on Instagram isn’t necessarily the same as your audience on other social networks. Your focus on a specific type of imagery—whether it’s a behind the scenes look at how your brand works, or a series of interesting videos or close-up, colorful still images—could draw in new fans and followers, building brand awareness and advancing your goals.
What’s more, Instagram is in the process of rolling out advertising for businesses. These new options—both video and carousel, which feature up to four images a user can scroll through, offer business the opportunity to reach a target audience and incorporate a call-to-action button right in the post.
Don’t shy away from Instagram just because it seems fun and interesting. With a little bit of planning it can easily enhance your B2B marketing strategy.
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