Startups need to take advantage of every possible way to get in front of people and make an impression. Instagram and other social media platforms are a fantastic and inexpensive way to do this. However, if you don’t know how to make a quality and professional Instagram account, then you probably won’t gain much traction.
Instagram has over one billion users, and over half of those are 34 and under. Let’s dive into the ways in which a startup can embrace these users and develop an Instagram account, but also create an account that people are going to want to engage with.
Starting your Instagram account
Creating the account is the first step. Make sure that:
- You use a high-resolution profile picture that features your company logo.
- You create the account using an email address multiple people can access. Your whole team may wish to contribute.
- You follow some important industry figures on your account, this might provide you with opportunities to engage with other people.
- Create an introductory post, even if it is just a photo of your team members and a “hello” post. It shows you are active on the platform.
In the early stages, it is about creating a professional profile that multiple members of your marketing team can access.
Think about what people will see when they access your profile. If you haven’t got much content on there, what is the benefit of someone following? If your profile picture is pixelated or unclear, what sort of image does that set for your brand?
Getting your first followers
Upon setting up your account, it is time to try and get some followers. Don’t expect to get thousands of followers streaming to your account straight away.
As well as getting friends and family to follow you, you can buy 20 Instagram likes from espresso.digital to get you started. Even having a few followers helps to show that your account is active can make a difference. It is unlikely someone will trust an account with no followers.
When buying Instagram likes, you also need to make sure you are getting genuine followers, which increases the chance of interaction. Otherwise, you might end up with bots that quickly unfollow you. Buying real likes is important for every platform, not only Insta, so make sure you do it from a reliable provider.
Tips for increasing engagement
It isn’t enough to create an Instagram profile and expect people to come to you. Most startups have to hustle to get anyone to pay attention.
Post regularly
It isn’t enough to leave your Instagram profile to stagnate. You need to be actively looking for ways to engage people, and posting to your timeline is the ideal method.
The challenge is to continue to think of new and interesting ways to create new posts. If your startup has a marketing officer, they should be able to create lots of content for your Instagram.
Luckily, most smartphones are capable of creating quality, pro-looking content. Use this to your advantage and give people a behind-the-scenes look into your business.
Create multiple types of content and types of post
To try to stay in the minds of followers, it is a good idea to keep creating lots of types of content. While most people think that the only option is to keep adding photographs, there are many other things you can do with your Instagram account.
There are lots of different types of posts, including Reels, and this list of engaging ideas may spark some ideas. You can run contests, introduce polls, create professional graphics, and share and create memes. There are many opportunities to be creative with your profile.
Be professional
Remember that you are responsible for creating a professional image for your startup. You can have a sense of humor, of course, but consider how you talk to people and react to others.
Being professional usually means being courteous in the interactions you have with others and also making sure your account shares images and videos that won’t be deemed offensive.
Get your blue tick
Your blue verification tick can make a massive difference to the public perception of your brand. The tick isn’t easy to get for individuals, but for businesses, it can be a more straightforward proposition if you can provide proof of identity.
It may not seem important, but with a blue tick, people are much less likely to think that you are a spammy or unprofessional account.
Engage with others
One of the hacks when you start developing your Instagram account is to engage with others. It shouldn’t all be about you, so do what you can to reach out to others, comment on relevant posts, and network on the site.
Social media is about giving as well as receiving. Even some of the biggest brands in the world take the time to talk to customers and other businesses via social media.
Interlink social media
Are you pushing to improve your presence on multiple forms of social media? It makes sense to interlink them. With sites like Facebook and Instagram (both owned by Meta), you can actually aggregate content, so it shares to both platforms.
By interlinking your social media, you increase the chances that people follow you on more than one platform, which expands your reach.
Ask questions
Looking to increase engagement? Ask for more. It seems too obvious to be true, but one of the best methods you can use to try to grow your account is to ask questions.
Stir the pot and try to create an interesting debate, or ask people to give their own opinions or insights on a matter. This can increase the chances of people sharing or liking your content and following you.
Post things that are on trend (and use hashtags)
If a subject is trending (especially subjects relevant to your business), make sure you are taking advantage by posting about it. You can even use relevant hashtags to increase the chances that you will show on more peoples’ feeds.
Hashtags are always a good idea, as people can follow these tags on Instagram. This means even if someone doesn’t follow your account, if you create content matching a hashtag that has a following, you may expand your reach and gain new followers.
Summary – developing your Instagram presence
Growing your presence on Instagram isn’t always easy, but as a startup, you will have plenty to say and some exciting insights to provide for your followers. Be consistent, professional, and work hard at your social media to get the most out of it in the long term, and even gain customers through Instagram.