How many of you have been replied to with this ludicrous comment? Or what’s worse – the shop profile urges you to whatsapp them for details, and they were “last seen” two months ago.
It is great to see small businesses jump on the social media bandwagon; however, this is when too much is simply – too much. There is nothing more off-putting than a business providing random businesses with your personal number, and then sending a whatsapp message, only to have it ignored or to start getting spammed by these businesses.
There is no doubt that Instagram has opened up some serious opportunities for businesses. For some, they got the best boost from shifting from an online store into a physical one. But for others, Instagram has become a safe cocoon. These business owners are comfortable and have become focused on the wrong thing: updates. They have no problem spamming timelines with pictures that have zero appeal to potential customers, and could also result in existing customers fleeing and hitting the block button. As a result, there is a noticeable shortfall in customer service and taking the business to the next level. They might even notice that many customers are not repeat customers, and eventually, this will result in a definitive decline in sales.
There are some simple tips on how to effectively make use of Instagram for businesses, and when applied – customers will notice an immediate change.
- Use relevant hashtags. And don’t overdo them. Seeing hashtags take up the entire screen is a pure annoyance. Seeing #icecream tagged in a picture of a shoe is condescending.
- Jazz up the picture. Instead of just posting pictures related to your line of business, try to include some surprising pictures to shake things up a bit – refreshing your timeline and potentially getting more likes than usual.
- Use videos – they are there for a reason. But make sure they are classy and relevant. There are several apps that enable easy editing and producing of videos.
- Follow your customers back.
- Appeal to potential customers. Imagine a non-customer viewing your timeline; they would either be turned off or intrigued enough to hit the “follow” button. Opt for the latter.
- Don’t buy followers – it’s pathetic. It doesn’t make sense for you to have 35k followers and get a maximum of 50 likes.
- Use the filters! They work for others; they will work for you.
- You don’t need to post every day, but don’t disappear from your followers’ minds, either.
- Get engaged – follow your active customers, comment and make sure you reply back. This helps you stand out and makes you seem approachable.
- Give sneak peaks and let followers feel privileged.
- Reward followers.
- Show your followers how creatively different you can be with your products.
- Show off your back office – your employees, your delivery personnel, whoever helps you run your business. This adds a personal touch and give you a positive image in customers’ minds.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with starting your business on Instagram. But, do consider looking beyond this medium and take your business to the next level. Don’t get too comfortable, because that only shows that you are lazily racking in the money and not reinvesting and reinventing your business. Customers will eventually figure you out and move on.
