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What started as a mobile photo-sharing app has evolved into a diverse social media platform.

With over 1 billion users – about 60% of whom use the app daily – Instagram is the perfect platform to grow your audience and build brand awareness. 83% of users have said they discovered new products or services via Instagram.

Do you want to put your brand before Instagram’s engaged user base? It’s easy to get started!

Follow these tips to get started on Instagram:

· Create an Instagram Business or Creator account. A Business or Creator account allows you to access additional insights, analytics, advertising ability, and unique profile benefits (such as contact info).

· Optimize your profile. Follow these steps to optimize your profile so people can easily find you in searches and learn about your business by looking at it.

o Use a recognizable profile picture

o Have a searchable username and name

o Choose the correct category for your business

o Write an engaging, descriptive bio

o Include website and contact information

Decide which hashtags to use for posts. Hashtags help categorize your content. You can use up to 30 hashtags per post. Choose at least one relevant hashtag so that users can find your business. Get familiar with the types of posts on Instagram. There are a variety of ways you can share content and engage your audience on Instagram:

· Grid. Your grid displays photos and videos that appear on your profile. Your posts can have captions with up to 2,200 characters. Remember that the first two lines of your caption will appear before a “Read More” prompt. Write the first two lines to be engaging or incite curiosity.

· Stories. Stories are photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours unless on your profile highlights. You can post more often—more behind the scenes.

· IGTV. Instagram’s IGTV platform allows you to post vertical, longer-form videos to display on your grid and stories.

· Reels. Instagram Reels are 15-30-second vertical video clips you share on your stories. They are a great way to engage your current audience.

From there, you can create a content schedule of what to post on Instagram.

Types of content to post on Instagram:

· Behind-the-scenes. Post content that shows followers the behind-the-scenes of your company.

· Motivational. Curate shareable, inspirational quotes that align with your brand values and resonate with your audience. Add your company’s branding to quote graphics you post on social media!

· Tutorial. Tutorials and how-tos guide your customers through specific problems. Tutorials are great targeted marketing examples because you know prospects who land on a tutorial are there to solve a particular issue.

· Video. You can add video to Instagram in several ways, including Instagram stories, 60-second grid videos, 15-30-second reels, or on IGTV.

· User-Generated Content (UGC). Sharing posts from your followers (UGC) can be a great way to build a relationship with those followers, engage with other followers, and effortlessly fill your content schedule!

· Case studies and testimonials. This type of content uses real stories to show followers about your product or service. Through real customer stories, you can show that you understand customer pain points.

· Storytelling. This type of content tells your brand’s story. Even though it’s a story, there should be a lesson here. Storytelling content builds awareness and engages your prospective customers.

By balancing between these types of content, you hit many goals, including expanding your reach, connecting with your customers, and telling them about your business. Overall, posting on Instagram humanizes your company through visuals.

There are plenty of ways to grow your reach and market on Instagram. It’s a dynamic platform that allows you to connect with viewers and humanize your brand!