So far, B2B marketers have believed that only B2C companies can use Instagram. That’s the myth that we are breaking today. It is the fourth most popular social media platform and has a wide range of marketing opportunities for B2B companies as well.
Look at these stats:
- 1 in 2 people use Instagram to discover new brands.
- 58% of Instagram users’ interest in a brand escalated after seeing its
- 50% of users followed it up with a profile visit and browsed their products/services.
- Instagram’s ad reach has exceeded that of its sister company,
That said, let’s see what Instagram can mean for your business.
Is Instagram good for B2B marketing?
Instagram is not just a platform for sharing images and videos. Its popularity has grown since its inception in 2010, and as of January 2022, it had almost one billion active monthly users. A Statista report pegs the platform as a growingly popular choice among marketers. Let’s have a look at the benefits of conducting business on Instagram:
Generate awareness
Amplify your content writing skills and generate awareness on Instagram. You can publish images, long videos, short videos on posts and stories. Instagram reels are also an effective way to gain traction. Alongside these you can also opt for Instagram ad campaigns, which have an impressive recall.
Build trust
Instagram allows you to portray your brand to be fun and relatable. Your target audience will then be able to associate with you. It builds trust and loyalty, which can go a long way for you as a brand.
Drive traffic
When your audience trusts you enough, they’ll visit your website. Apart from adding a website link in your bio, mention it in your posts and stories as well. Instagram ads can also be used to drive traffic to your website.
Attract talent
Over two-thirds of Instagram users are under the age of 35. It is, therefore, a great platform for connecting with talent. You can show your business ethics as well as a fun work culture. Apart from helping you recruit, it will also help you impress your target audience.
Track competitors
Instagram enables you to keep an eye on your competitors, irrespective of their geographical location. You can track the kind of content they’re posting, the posting frequency, and how they’re interacting with their audience. A comprehensive competitor analysis will assist you in fine-tuning your strategy.
How can you put Instagram to use for B2B marketing?
The photo-sharing social media platform is a goldmine for B2B marketing. Here’s what experts recommend to make the best use of Instagram:
Create an account
Instead of using a personal account, open a Business account for your company. Give a personal touch to your regular posts. Show your culture and initiate thought leadership discussions. A Business account is public by default, thus, your audience as well as peers can visit you at any time.
You can also boost posts for additional engagement. It enables you to explore the audience and increase reachability. Also, adding your contact information to your bio, makes it easier for your followers to contact you. There’s also a ‘Quick Reply’ option that enables you to set automatic replies to people who message you.
Don’t show it, say it
Most social media marketing strategies are about informing the audience about who you are and what your core offerings are. Deviate from the usual on Instagram. As we know, the platform relies heavily on visual modes. Create images and videos (both short and long-form) to convince them to opt for you in case the need arises.
Capitalize tools
Instagram offers tools for you to capitalize on and excel in your marketing strategy. Apart from traditional posts and stories, advertise your services/products using paid ads. While short videos can become reels, longer ones like tutorials, reviews, webinars, and vlogs can appear on IGTV. Next up is Instagram Insight. It gives you statistics on how your page and posts are performing. Use them to improve your strategy.
How to promote business through Instagram?
As already discussed on Instagram, you’ll have to tweak your existing social media marketing strategy, and then you’re good to go. Here are a few pointers for you:
Post regularly
The key to excelling on the platform is to be consistent with your strategy. Create a calendar and keep fine-tuning it using Instagram Insight. The statistics will also help you determine the best time of day to post. Of course, you can always use split testing to improve your content.
Create a visually appealing feed
Brainstorm to identify a visual board that resonates with your brand values and your products/services. Based on the content calendar and visual board, create posts that are visually appealing. The idea is to create content that entertains and educates them while retaining their attention.
Showcase brand story
Instagram is the right platform to show who you are. Give a personal touch and deviate from a traditional hard-sell approach. Let the audience discover you through images and videos. Create a storyline where you let them know a bit about you in every post. This will intrigue them and entice them to keep visiting you.
Unveil behind-the-scenes
Apart from building a brand story, reveal everything that goes into providing excellent products/services. Humanization will aid the audience in relating to you. Here are a few examples: You moved to a new office, you are celebrating an employee’s work anniversary, your CEO won an award, or an employee completed a major certification. You’ll always have several opportunities to post related to your business. Adding behind-the-scenes posts to your page will give it a new look.
Share testimonials
Customer testimonials will allow your existing and prospective customers to learn about how you function. They are social proof of your good work so far and can mean more business possibilities.
Strategizing Instagram posts is essential, but the platform is also fun. Give freedom to your social media managers to experiment and be creative. While it is an entertaining space, an almost negligible 0.1% of Instagram users only use the photo-sharing platform. Hence, to ace social media marketing, use a combination of the most preferred platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Resolute B2B understands the need to find the perfect balance and has the right set of resources to handle your social media marketing needs. Contact us to know more about how we do that.
