Instagram is one of the fastest growing social media channels right now. Have you tapped into the potential it has to offer your business yet?
Instagram is all about content. The success of a brand on Instagram depends on the quality of the images and videos you post, as well as how it resonates with your target audience.
When used correctly, Instagram can be an excellent social media tool to build the kind of image you want your business to be recognized for.
Many business owners we speak to aren’t sure what they should be posting on Instagram for their business. Do you fall into that category?
The key to using Instagram professionally is to post a variety of content that will be relevant to your target audience. For example, if all you post are “quotes” it’s not really going to create an impact. But a few quotes here and there will definitely be valuable, as they will stand out from your usual posts.
In this article I will share with you 12 creative ideas for types of content you can post that will help enhance your business image in the right way.
1) Post client testimonials
Testimonials are a great way to show people the value you can provide and can help you to convert more of your leads and prospects into sales.
Top Tip: Be sure to tag your customers and tell the world how wonderful they are too! Your client will appreciate the exposure and may even give you valuable likes and comments.
2) Show your company culture
Nothing like a Friday Cuban Coffee after a productive week #Miami #Calle8 #LittleHavana
A photo posted by Skyline Social (@skylinesocial) on
A great way to show the human side of your business is to post things you do when you are not “technically” working. Great examples are coffee breaks, lunches, dinners, team meetings and anything else that shows people what your business is like inside and outside work hours.
3) Promote your latest blog posts
If you want more people to read your content, then promote it on Instagram each time you release something new. It will show you are providing value to those that are following you.
Top Tip: You can’t (yet) post links on your non-paid Instagram posts, so what we recommend is to change the link in your bio to your blog home page and then in the caption tell people that the link to the blog post is in the Instagram bio. By changing your Instagram URL to your blog, it allows you to engage more with your audience. Even if people don’t read the blog post, it’s another great piece of content to post. It puts your brand to the front of your audience’s mind and shows them how you can help them.
4) Post pictures of business networking events you go to
A photo posted by Skyline Social (@skylinesocial) on
Do you go to any events related to your business? Then be sure to share videos or images. Take pictures of guest speakers and tag other companies or people where possible. This is a great way to get your business in front of more people.
Top Tip: Use the event’s hashtag, tag the person speaking or tag the event organizer whenever possible to increase exposure. You don’t need to post every event you go to, just the ones you think will be interesting and relevant to your target audience.
5) Post Fun Stuff
If it fits in with your brand image, then show the fun side of your business. Here’s an example of a post we shared entitled “How we feel every Friday at Skyline Social”.
Top Tip: Depending on who your target audience is i.e. Whether they are more formal or informal, will allow you to decide what type of content matches with your overall brand. For Skyline Social, we want to attract fun, friendly, down to earth and awesome-to-work-with business owners, so we feel very comfortable in posting some “fun” or “humorous” content every so often.
6) Re-post other people’s content
In this example, we re-posted a video that Instagram shared when they changed their logo. It’s related to social media news and relevant to our Instagram followers, which is the reason we shared it.
If other organizations, people, potential clients or existing clients post something that would be interesting and relevant to your target audience, then be sure to repost it using a free app called simply the “Repost App”.
7) Post Infographics
If you have any visually appealing infographics, then Instagram is a great way to share them. Remember, a picture often paints a thousand words!
8) Post images and videos of the events you speak at
A photo posted by Skyline Social (@skylinesocial) on
If your company is hosting or speaking at an event, then let people know! It’s an excellent way to show people how you are an expert in your industry.
9) Promote your own events!
A photo posted by Skyline Social (@skylinesocial) on
If you are organizing an event or webinar then you need to be talking about it EVERYWHERE, including Instagram.
10) Post quotes that relate to your business
In this quote we wanted business owners who still feel “shy” about using social media to “take the leap” (so to speak) and start using it.
Great #Quote by @equalman the @tonyrobbins of Tech #BeMoreSocial #SocialMedia #Business
A photo posted by Skyline Social (@skylinesocial) on
In this post, we wanted people to see the importance of social media for their business
Most people love a good quote. If you find one that matches your brand, voice and personality then share it. You can even create your own quotes and share them too!
11) Introduce your team
In the above example, we introduced Josh to our followers on his first day of work at Skyline Social. You could do the same! Or, you could introduce everyone to a person from your existing team each week. Share with people their hobbies, personality and their role in your company!
12) At Networking Events
#Repost @ashdavis90 @jrridinger and @xiaa_hc in Miami #Business #Networking
A photo posted by Skyline Social (@skylinesocial) on
Met someone cool at a business networking event? Why not tag them and share it on Instagram too?
These 12 Instagram posts should give you some ideas on what kind of content you should share. Feel free to come up with your own ideas as well. Instagram is an excellent place to showcase your creativity, your brand and build a strong impression in the minds of your target audience.
3 Tools to help you create better content on Instagram
Tool #1: Canva for Instagram
At Skyline Social, we use a number of tools to help us post content that look great on Instagram. Our favourite is Canva. Canva makes it super easy for anyone wanting to create and design images, as they have hundreds of templates and great quality stock photos that you can buy for just $1 (and sometimes they are even free!)
Tool #2: Ripl for Instagram
Another tool we like using is Ripl. Ripl can turn your images into videos with some nice fancy effects. We sometimes use Ripl to create simple but effective videos to promote our new blog posts on Instagram. One of the great things about Ripl is that it’s a smart phone app. So you can easily create images and videos for Instagram from the comfort of your phone and while you’re on the go.
Tool #3: Layout for Instagram
Finally, the last tool you should check out is called “Layout” by Instagram. This allows you to put multiple pictures together as a collage, then save and upload them as one image. It’s a free app that you can download to your phone and again makes editing and uploading multiple images in one go super easy.
Want to learn more? At Skyline Social we help small to medium sized businesses generate more leads via social media.
Ashley Davis (or ‘Ash’ for short) is the CEO & Founder of Skyline Social. For over 15 years, he has been helping business owners with lead generation. Ash specializes in helping businesses get high-quality leads, appointments and clients each month in an automated, scalable and profitable way. You can watch his free Masterclass training to learn more.
