Be the Life of the Party on Instagram

Building an Instagram presence from the ground up might seem intimidating, but it’s certainly worth the time. This platform alone provides so many opportunities for brand storytelling, no  matter which industry you’re part of. 

In fact, these days Instagram even comes with a whole new app attached to it called Threads, an almost Twitter look-alike app, where your Instagram followers are automatically your followers on Threads. 

All the more reason to start building your presence and a community on Instagram, if you ask us. Here’s how to get started:

Build an Instagram Profile

First things first, you need to create an optimized profile. Your profile picture should be high-resolution and represent your brand – we always recommend a clear image of a brand’s logo.

Keep your bio punchy and easy to read. It needs to portray exactly what your brand does, maybe even the problem you fix. For instance, Greteman’s Group’s Instagram bio simply says “Turbocharge your aviation marketing with a boost from Greteman Group. We’ll get you to your destination. In style.” Quick, to the point, with personality. 

Instagram now allows you to include multiple links in your bio, so be deliberate about which links you choose. Some brands utilize an app called LinkTree to house multiple links within their Instagram bio. 

Next, it’s important to develop an Instagram strategy that aligns with your overall marketing strategy, and decide how often you want to post from your different content buckets. On Instagram it’s recommended to post 3-5 times per week and incorporate Reels and Stories content into your mix. This takes a little more planning, but the benefits appear in higher engagement rates and increased reach for your account. 

Remember, all posts require either an image or a video, so third party links aren’t recommended for this platform. (Save those for your LinkedIn, Facebook and Threads strategy!)

Attract

After you have a well-defined plan and an optimized profile, it’s time to start posting! Instagram is an all-visual platform, meaning that sticking to your branded look and feel is ideal. Use Instagram to visually tell the story of your brand, while also demonstrating thought leadership and company culture. Post engaging content that showcases your brand’s personality and stays relevant to your target audience. 

Brainstorm creative ways to strategically use short-form video (Reels and Stories) in your content mix. These are the perfect avenue to sum up recent blog posts, share quick tips, or even behind the scenes content. At Greteman Group, we’re currently using Reels to highlight each colleague sharing a marketing tip that matches their area of expertise. 

With every post, make sure to create compelling and engaging captions, remembering to include topical hashtags that will help get your posts discovered. While a picture (or video) may be worth a thousand words, it’s always imperative to add that extra context for search-ability purposes.

Engage

Once you’ve started posting your own content, be sure to regularly come back to the platform and engage with your followers. Reply and react to comments, share relevant posts to your Instagram Story, and go out and comment on other people’s posts. 

By regularly engaging and spending time with your audience, your brand is able to build relationships and community. You might even consider collaborating with influencers and other brands to expand your reach and gain new followers that may not have known about your brand before.