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Square AU Pty Ltd is not paid or endorsed by Instagram. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. For specific advice applicable to your business, please contact a professional.
With an estimated 1 billion monthly visitors on the platform, an Instagram account is a must-have for every business. Whether you run a brick-and-mortar or an eCommerce store (or both!), an Instagram business profile can help you to extend your brand’s reach, engage with existing and potential customers and grow your empire.
If you’re new to Instagram or just looking to get more value from this social channel, read on for tips to use Instagram for business.
How do I set up an Instagram business account?
1. Download the app from the Google Play or Apple store. While Instagram can be used on smartphones, tablets and computers, it’s geared towards mobile devices, so you’ll likely use your phone or tablet when posting content.
2. Create an Instagram account. Sign up with your email or mobile number or choose “log in with Facebook”.
3. Set up a business profile. Go to “Settings”, tap “Account” and click “Switch to Professional account”. Connect to your Facebook Business Page and give Instagram permission to manage the Facebook page you want to link to. (You’ll need to be an admin on your Facebook account).
4. Complete your profile. Enter your business’s contact information, opening hours and website address, and choose the category that best describes your business. Add a profile photo (your business’s logo or something customers will recognise) and a bio – a brief message about your brand.
5. Start posting content! Click the plus button at the bottom of your screen to start adding photos to your feed. You can use the “invite Facebook friends” and “invite friends” options to build your following.
What are the benefits of an Instagram business account?
An Instagram business account offers a raft of features and benefits designed to help businesses grow:
- Access analytics: Get detailed insights about your posts, stories and followers. View real-time metrics on how your content is performing and the way followers are interacting with your posts and stories. Instagram Insights also gives you detailed demographics about your followers, including gender, age, location and activity.
- Run ads: An Instagram business account allows you to set up, run and track advertising campaigns in the same way as you do with Facebook ads.
- Sell from your feed: Instagram’s Shoppable posts allow you to sell directly from potential shoppers’ feeds, with users able to browse, buy and checkout without leaving the app. It’s quick and easy to connect your Square Online store to Instagram. If you don’t have a Square Online store, you can still accept online payment for products on Insta with Square Online Checkout.
- Promote posts: Promote popular posts or special offers using page insights to optimise your spend.
- Add a contact button: Customise your contact button to include an email address, phone number or a map of your location, connecting followers with your business instantly.
- Set up quick replies: Instagram’s quick replies feature allows you to create preset messages for frequently asked questions. If you receive a lot of similar queries via direct message, quick replies let you respond to these questions without typing out a lengthy answer each time.
What should I post on my Instagram business account?
Instagram can be used for much more than just sharing photos. Getting creative with your Insta content will give your brand cut through, grow your customer base and deliver more value from your social media activity.
- Run competitions. Popular Instagram contest ideas include asking your audience to follow you and tag a friend, create a post tagging your brand, or like and comment one of your posts. If you’re running a competition, make sure the guidelines and terms and conditions are clear, and don’t forget to create a unique hashtag for the promotion.
- Offer tips and tricks. Create posts or videos with “how to” content relevant to your brand, establishing yourself as an expert in your field and demonstrating the value of your products or services.
- Share user-generated content. Re-posting a photo that a follower has tagged your brand in shows them – and other users – that you’re engaged with your followers and use Instagram as a two-way communication tool, not just a sales channel.
- Create Story highlights. Story highlights allow Instagram Stories to be on your Instagram business page for longer than the standard 24 hours. You can create a series of highlights to give more insight into your brand and answer FAQs, or choose to showcase stories that have enjoyed strong audience engagement.
Instagram is a powerful tool for marketing your business, regardless of what you sell. An Instagram business account gives your brand exposure on this hugely popular social platform while providing you with valuable insights about your audience. Optimise your Instagram profile today and keep your feed fresh to get the most from your Instagram business account.
