21 Advantages and benefits of using Instagram for businesses

Instagram came to light in 2010 as just another social network, but currently it has millions of users around the world and has various tools to increase visibility. For this reason, companies are betting on this social network and including it in their digital marketing strategy as an essential part.

In this article I tell you the advantages of using Instagram for businesses, the keys to success and how to start your digital marketing strategy on Instagram . Let’s get started!

Where to start your digital marketing strategy on Instagram?

The first steps to start a digital marketing strategy are to have an account, update it, provide the necessary information and start browsing each of the available tools.

It is also necessary to know the formats offered by this social network so that they can adapt to the content you want to publish. The Instagram formats that you should know are:

Photos and videos

Instagram  is the social network with audiovisual content par excellence. Photos and videos are key in any feed, although video is the format that drives more interaction and visibility today .

Instagram TV (IGTV)

This format is trending in 2021, as it allows you to generate more dynamic, attractive and longer content . The video you upload must last at least 60 seconds and at most 15 minutes if you do it from the mobile application, although if you do it from the web platform it allows a maximum of 60 minutes.

Instagram Stories

The jackpot in terms of views goes to Instagram Stories . This format is characterized by its visibility in vertical mode and by having a maximum duration of 24 hours . The content published there may be in version:

• Photo.
• Video.
• Boomerang.
• Rewind.

Instagram Stories are ideal so that, as a company, you can report on your news or offers, but also to generate greater interaction with users through questions, to mention a few examples. This is one of the great benefits of Instagram for businesses: great interaction.

Live on Instagram

Live streams on Instagram allow the company to have real-time communication with its audience. The advantage is that they are saved for 24 hours , as if it were a Story.

Reels

Reels are small videos with a maximum duration of 60 seconds that are intended to generate dynamic content. One of the advantages of using Instagram for businesses is that the options with reels are unlimited. You can add filters or effects, add music, include augmented reality elements, create transitions…

Photo carousel

Has it happened to you that you have so many photos on your mobile that you would like to upload many in a single publication? The photo carousel format on Instagram makes this possible. In this option you can add a maximum of 10 photographs . For example, it is useful for companies to highlight the various benefits or properties of some of their products or to make infographics .

Benefits of having a digital marketing strategy on Instagram

Instagram has the possibility of boosting and taking your brand to another level, but there is even more… Now I will tell you some benefits of Instagram for companies and how to include this social network in your digital marketing strategy .

1. Brand creation and promotion

One of the positive aspects of Instagram is that it allows brands to define their identity and reinforce their corporate values . For example, if a company makes a publication with photos accompanied by its corporate colors and elements, its audience will feel more attracted and identify with what they are looking at, that is, they will feel familiar.

It is important that, as a company, you take advantage of the tools of this social network to give your audience valuable content : attractive, dynamic and of interest.

2. Increased traffic to the business website

As we mentioned at the beginning, Instagram has more than 1,000 million active users , a figure that is increasing due to the benefits of using Instagram for companies. In this sense, it allows companies to redirect users to their website, blog or to your online store, and thus increase traffic . Although Instagram does not allow you to click directly on the links, so it will be necessary to add the URL of your website in the biography of your Instagram profile, in the location or in a story.

3. Wide diffusion

Instagram has the option to link to other social networks, such as Facebook , Twitter or Tumblr. By performing this action, you allow the content to reach more people and have greater coverage.

4. Interaction and feedback

Through Instagram, companies can interact with their audience in real time, understand their concerns and receive feedback from them to improve. Hashtags are the strong point, since users can share their experiences through the brands’ hashtags. In addition, you will be able to know your customers better, an added value for any business.

5. Accessibility

By having a mobile version and a desktop or web version , Instagram turns out to be accessible to any user. The benefit? That the content reaches more people.

6. Geolocation

But, without a doubt, Instagram’s strong point is geolocation. I recommend that each photo you upload is accompanied by its location. This way, your company will appear on the photo map and increase its visibility.

7. Instagram Ads

Instagram Ads allows you to create visual ads that will allow you to humanize your brand and reach new audiences. Thanks to it, companies ensure visits to the profile and the objectives of the strategy they have established, segmenting  the audience they want to reach.

 

8. Advanced segmentation

Closely related to the previous point, Instagram has very advanced segmentation options when it comes to creating an audience that you impact with Instagram Ads. If you’ve ever worked with Facebook Ads, you know what we’re talking about.

9. Shopping from Instagram

Did you know that approximately a third of Instagram users use the social network to shop ? This platform will allow you to promote your products using tags in photos and direct the user directly to the purchase.

10. Track ROI

When a client or potential client clicks on an ad on Instagram, we can track their behavior and therefore have very precise information about the return on our investment.

 

11. Special features for professional profiles

Did you know that if you have a business account you can add a call to action button to your profile? This is one of the many features that are unlocked when you have a professional account.

12. Instagram users follow brands

90 % of Instagram users follow at least one brand , you don’t want to miss this organic engagement with the followers of this social network, right?

13. Visually focused platform

One of the great advantages of Instagram is that it allows you to create visually attractive content that engages your followers. Don’t forget that we have a great visual memory, so this impact is key.

14. Promotion of already published posts

One benefit of running paid campaigns on Instagram is that you can promote already published posts, which means it will look the same as a normal post. This will generate a higher click rate.

15. Analytical tools

With Instagram you can access the analytical tool of your account, where you can know the characteristics of your followers, impressions, followers gained and lost… among others.

16. Insights about your clients

Closely related to point 15, the analytical tool will allow you to discover a lot of information about age, gender, location, and digital consumption habits. And all this will help you improve your marketing campaigns, both on and off social networks.

17. “Swipe up”

If you have more than 10,000 followers, you can count on “Swipe up”, a useful functionality that allows you to add links to your stories.

18. Mention your brand address and attract visitors

In your professional profile you can add a postal address, this way you can attract visitors to your physical store.

19. Brand ambassadors

On this social network you will find many users willing to be free ambassadors of your brand if they are satisfied, take advantage of them! Users rely a lot on the opinions of other customers.

20. Intuitive tool

If you have already started moving around Instagram, you will have noticed that it is an intuitive and easy-to-use tool. You’ll set up your account in quick steps and be ready to get the most out of it

21. Reuse of resources

You can share your Instagram profile and your posts on your website to take advantage of your efforts and even gain followers who visit your website.

Keys to success on Instagram

To be successful on Instagram it is necessary that you follow the tips and keys that I tell you below: on the one hand, I will tell you some tricks for your profile; On the other hand, I analyze what shadowban is and, finally, why reels are so important:

Tips for a good Instagram profile

1. Create a company profile. Remember that this is not the same as creating a personal profile, as you will be able to take advantage of other tools and features, such as Statistics, Ads, Purchases, Contact Information and a call to action button on your profile.
2. Define your objectives . Your objectives can be very diverse but it is essential that you have them clear and that you create your strategy thinking about these objectives.
3. Determine the profile of the audience you want to reach. Is your target audience on Instagram? What contents usually interest you? Do they interact with brands? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself.
4. Keep your company profile updated and optimized . Make sure that with a simple glance at your profile, the user knows who you are and what you do, or at least piques their interest with your description.
5. Look for a profile image that matches the company .
6. Generate attractive and innovative content and learn about what works and what doesn’t : try to offer different and new content so as not to lose the interest of users.
7. Make sure the appearance of your profile is in harmony and balanced .
8. Try to make the description or captions attractive . Remember to use trending hashtags that match your brand.
9. Don’t forget the captions ! Try to make them unforgettable and use hashtags.
10. Stay active and respond to comments or direct messages from your audience.
11. Very important: upload Instagram Stories frequently . Many users are interested in more than the posts themselves. Interact with the user with surveys, open questions and more.
12. Generate featured stories so your audience can find your content more easily. Plus, you won’t lose the effort dedicated to stories.
13. Make the most of the ecommerce feature . If you have an online store, this point may be key for you.

The Instagram algorithm and the shadowban

An important point that you should not overlook is the algorithm , which is responsible for prioritizing the content that is shown to each user . For this reason, company accounts try to be the first on their audience’s wall with attractive and relevant content.

Although it is difficult to know exactly how it works, there are several ways to combat it and be the first on your followers’ walls. The first step is to know it personally and know what things it rewards or penalizes:

• Share content every day in your feed so that users interact with your brand.
• Establish a relationship with your followers. You can do this through publications that provoke a reaction on their part.
• Analyze what is the best time to publish, the one when your target audience is online.
• Also take advantage of stories in this sense. Publish not only images or videos, but also options that the tool gives you such as questions, surveys, gifs…
• Do a good job with hashtags, which are the door to appearing in the Explore section, where users who do not yet follow you can see you.
• Don’t forget about IGTV and Reels (I’ll tell you why below).

On the other hand, for a good marketing strategy on Instagram it is key to track the success of the actions you take. Review and track the metrics you will find in the statistics section. Don’t forget to also review your story metrics .

What is shadowban?

Shadowban is the action that Instagram performs by blocking the content of a user from its online community , so that they do not realize that they have been banned . In the case of Instagram, shadowbanning means that that person’s content is shown to the users who follow them, but it delays and stagnates the growth of their account.

Instagram has certain rules that it is important that you follow so that your account is not blocked or you suffer from a shadowban:

• Do not use prohibited hashtags.
• Don’t spam.
• Post content infrequently.
• Be careful with massive actions: give many likes, unfollows…
• Don’t buy followers: it is never a good option.

Take advantage of Instagram reels

Reels are a very popular tool on Instagram : they are a way to offer products or services in a dynamic way. Creativity is key here! These are videos with a maximum duration of 60 seconds , to which you can add music, effects, filters and other elements that will make your content attract the eyes of users.

With the reels you can:

• Create videos that are short, lasting 15 seconds.
• Add creative effects and filters that are already pre-designed.
• Use music created by you or that already exists.
• Increase or decrease the speed of a video.
• Post your clip to the Feed or Stories section. In turn, you can send it to another user as a direct message.
• In the Top Reels section you can see the most popular videos.

 

Templates for your Instagram marketing plan

If you want to start creating your digital marketing strategy on Instagram, here I share with you some useful templates. Get the most out of them!

Surely right now you see Instagram as a great tool that can grow your results in your digital plan. In this link you will find a guide with everything you need to know about Instagram for businesses. What are you waiting for to start and implement a digital marketing strategy on your business account on Instagram?

I hope this article was the boost you were looking for. Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this: are you using Instagram to grow your company’s community? Do you use it to sell? Tell me in comments.