As you know, Instagram can be a powerful app if you’re trying to market your small business. It takes one viral post for a struggling business to make millions. However, it’s a highly competitive platform, with over two billion users and counting.
If you’re doing paint-by-numbers content, you may grow a following slowly, but it probably won’t be enough to truly be successful. That’s why we wanted to look at how you can stand out among other small businesses. One tip: buy Instagram followers with Google Pay using SocialsUp!
Have a Unique Brand Identity
Your brand identity is Business 101. Even if you do something generic, like sell flowers, you may do something different that you can use to stand out among the crowd. Your brand voice also matters here. Going back to flowers, you may use edgy language when other flower companies have class, or you may have a unique way of writing your captions that’s your own little signature.
Your brand identity isn’t just your voice, though. It’s also your logo. Your logo should be simple enough to be memorable, but also stand out among others. Think of the greats, like Nike, McDonald’s, and Apple. Their logos aren’t anything complex, but they sure do stand out.
Also, remember the colors. Think of striking color combinations that set you apart from the others in your field.
Post Unique Content
Your content should follow some rules of the road, such as satisfying those in your niche. You want content that is funny, informative, or promotes a useful product. Ideally, you should look to your competition for inspiration but not post the exact same things they’re doing. Add your own take on it. Use your voice and colors to make the content seem fresh.
Also, you’ll want your content to use a combination of all Instagram’s formats. Stories, Reels, and carousels each have their own purpose and can help you reach new heights.
Engage With Your Audience More Than Others
Engaging with your fans is something any small business can do. But many businesses will leave a “like” or reply to only a select few comments. You don’t need to answer every single comment under the sun, but replying to as many as you can will show that you care about your customers.
One idea is even to acknowledge critical comments beyond a canned reply. Having a one-on-one convo with a disgruntled customer can show that you care, even if you can’t please anyone at the end of the day.
Don’t Just Use Hashtags, But Geotags
We all know that hashtags are a common-sense way for you to be discovered. Ideally, your posts should have up to five of them and have a combination of tags with larger and more niche followers. However, geotags are just as essential. This is when you tag your location on your posts.
Tagging your location will tell the algorithm to recommend your content more to people in the area. This strategy is especially good if your small business is brick-and-mortar or serves a specific region.
Use Micro, Not Macro, Influencers
Many small businesses collaborate with the biggest influencers possible. The issue is that they are casting a wide net, and they need more money to work with these users if they don’t have the clout. Since most small businesses don’t have much money, we recommend collaborating with small-time users.
Micro influencers, who usually have under 10k followers, may be smaller, but could still have a devoted fanbase. Not only that, but they may serve niches that are very specific to yours. This means that their fans will be more likely to check out your business.
Make Shoppable Posts
Instagram lets you create shoppable posts, which means that you can showcase your products on your Reels, Stories, and then let users buy them from that post. Many people want to stay on Instagram for as long as possible, so shoppable posts will make it easier to buy your products.
Use Insights
Finally, we have this tip. It seems like common sense, but many businesses don’t bother to crunch the numbers and see what content is working and what isn’t and adjust accordingly. Therefore, if you’re able to do this, you’ll stand out among the crowd. The same can be said for most of these tips, as many businesses just have an “If you post it, they will come” mentality.
These methods will help you stand out among the crowd. That being said, growing your small business can still be tough. But with a clear strategy, it’ll be just a little bit easier.
