3 Instagram Features Every Business Should Leverage

Nowadays, there are more than 700 million people are using Instagram. Marketers are using it as a marketing platform too. It is normal to see a company’s account in Instagram that is promoting products or giving updates on the company/brand. There are some functions that are not utilized as much, which may cost the company to under-utilize the usage of this platform. Read on for the 3 functions that every company should use.

1. Make use of hashtags

Hashtag is a feature of Instagram, that allows people to show what theme are those photos and videos belongs to. You need to type # and your hashtag in caption, such as #car or #beautiful, then they may group your photo with others that shared the same theme. If there is no the theme you typed, they will just create one. You may ask what is the function of adding a hashtag. Instagram user sometimes love to search for hashtags, and view the picture related to the hashtag. So, if your photo is connected with the hashtag, your photo will appear in the search.

Remember to add relevant hashtags wherever possible. Don’t just use a few, as sometimes people will use different wordings for the hashtag. For example, if people want to search for some photo related to car, they may type #vehicle #machine something like that, so if you just add a hashtag #car, they may not view your photo. The hashtag is so specified, therefore even with or without a “s”, they are two different hashtags already, like #car and #cars are different. Also, don’t type irrelevant hashtags as you may not find the potential customers and it will let people feel bad towards your brand. Beware of this information when you are typing your hashtags for your post.

2. Use Instagram Story

Instagram Story is a function that allow people to post photos and videos which will be viewable up to 24 hours. It is said that there are 400 million daily users using this feature! However, some companies may not have heard of this feature and keep posting things in a traditional way. They are missing out on a great and free funnel to communicate with their potential customers. Also, Instagram story is customizable and interactive where you are able to grab people’s attention. You may also make use of the Instagram story to do a ‘call to action’ as there are many functions, like asking people to vote, or you may ask some questions and receive people’s feedback. This can also help your Instagram seem fun and engaging; and at the same time, strengthen your relationship with your followers.

If there are some Stories that you want people to view even after 24 hours, you may set this as ‘Highlights’ which will be on your profile page to view at any time. Keep in mind to group them with a clear title to ensure your followers are able to navigate easily.  

3. Instagram Direct Messages

Instagram is not only about sharing photos and videos. It is also be a communication tool. You are allowed to have mutual communication with your followers with the use of the Direct function. You or your follower can send some direct messages to one another and chat. If a customer has some questions about your product, you may help them to solve it through this way of communication. Potential customers are able to communicate effectively through the direct message function. Therefore, I encourage you to utilize this form of direct communication to chat with your potential customers.

Actually, Instagram has a lot of functions that I have not illustrated here. You should explore and consider how to make use of them. Running an Instagram account is not a simple task. You need to pay a lot of time and effort to utilize this platform as a communication tool with your customers. I hope my tips will help you understand how to approach some of the features of Instagram you can use to improve your page.