What can an Instagram Manager do for you?

by Sam McFarlane, Sam Says

You’re a business owner so you already know that you’ve got to be using social media if you’re going to hang with all the kool kids online. In fact, there’s over 3.8 billion active social media users worldwide right now.

Telling someone you don’t use social media is like telling someone you still use a fax – you’re showing your age and that you’re not up with the times!

But I know social media isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

And that’s where having a social media manager on your team is your best option. A social media manager can help you create, engage with, and stay in contact with your audience. And with so many people using social media, you know your ideal audience will be there.

So, what’s hot right now for business? Instagram.

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Really? How does Instagram work for business?

There are now over 25 million businesses on Instagram, and over 1 billion Instagram users, making it one of the most popular social media tools today. Instagram can work for any business as you’re able to market your products to a targeted and engaged audience.

Instagram loves to keep things fresh, so have now come up with a few ways you can connect with your audience:

Instagram Stories: 15 second clips that you can share to your story section, that disappear after 24 hours.
Instagram Live: Found in the stories section, you can broadcast live to your audience, interacting with them and answering questions. You can save a live to your phone and use it on other platforms or on your Instagram TV. These are perfect for longer-form content sharing and for interactive Q&A sessions.
Instagram TV (IGTV): These are videos of your repurposed content. You can share a snippet on your main profile grid and direct people to your special IGTV section. This is perfect for longer-form content and repurposing your content.
Instagram Reels: 15 second multi-part videos set to music which are similar to TikTok videos. They can be recorded in a series of clips, one at a time, all at once, or by using videos you upload from your phone. Reels are perfect for fast-paced, light-hearted, short-form content and to show off your brand personality.

Here are the top 7 things your Instagram account needs

A well-written bio that explains what you do and how you help. Use words that relate to your audience and don’t try and sound overly professional with fancy labels. You may be surprised to hear this, but emojis work really well here!
Include a clickable link. It’s best that it’s a link to your website or an offer. If you have multiple things to link to, you can create a free Linktree account.
Consistent on-brand content. The trick to Instagram is to be consistent. This doesn’t have to be multiple times a day and for most people, twice or three times a week is fine. Just make sure you keep doing it! Good quality content that is engaging is better than posting for the sake of it.
Use hashtags. You can use up to 30 hashtags and don’t be afraid to use this many! These are how you’re found on Instagram. You need a good mix of hashtags with between 1,000 to 300,000 followers. You can use different sets and mix them up for your posts.
Always use high-quality, good images. Instagram is the most visual social media platform of any, so it’s vital that you’re using good quality, well presented images. Your feed doesn’t need to look perfectly curated, but posting appealing images is what will attract and keep your audience interested.
Create a range of content. As with all your social media, you should create a range of content that educates, promotes, connects with and inspires your audience. Keeping your content fresh and appealing, is what will keep your audience coming back for more.
Include calls to action. Include a CTA in your bio and in your post captions. Don’t assume your audience know what to do. Say things like DM me to find out more, share this with a friend who needs to hear this, read more in my blog (link in bio) and sign up to get the latest tips (link in bio).

Here’s a real-life example of how an Instagram Manager helps business

Mon is the owner of A Virtual Copywriting Monstar who provides SEO copywriting services. She came to us wanting to have her brand represented on Instagram as she felt that social media wasn’t her thing. She knew she had to be on social media but didn’t have the desire to manage it herself.

In August 2017, we took on Mon’s Instagram posting and over that time, we’ve provided on-brand, consistent social media content. Her Instagram following has grown steadily over the years and she couldn’t be happier that it’s just done for her (using her words of course!).

‘Sam is my go-to girl when it comes to all things social media. I love the way that Sam can create content that is on brand and represents me’ – Mon, A Virtual Copywriting Monstar.

If you’ve never tried Instagram, you need to give it a go

As a social media manager, I love how it changes and evolves with time. And Instagram is the platform leading the way with this right now. For all things social media, please feel free to contact me to see how I can help you become more visible online.

Author bio:

Sam McFarlane is a Social Media Manager, Content Marketer, Social Media Trainer, Keynote Speaker and Guest blogger who works with you to drive your business growth with online marketing. When she’s not creating fabulous content for her clients, you’ll find Sam scrolling her socials with a coffee, trying to wink or hitting the trails with her gorgeous black Labrador Harvey.

https://www.samsays.com.au