Chapter 1: Set Up Your Instagram Account

Author: Issa Asad
Today, businesses like individuals can use image sharing sites such as Instagram to help grow their business. In fact, images can help enhance your communication with consumers and the experience they have with your business, and it can help your business grow when images are properly used.

A site like Instagram is extremely easy to start up on, and allows you to connect with your customers in a manner you have never been able to do in the past.

Signing Up To Instagram

In order to connect to Instagram you simply have to set up an account with the site. You will sign up using the same handle that you use for your Twitter account. This is not only going to make it easier for your customers to find you, but will also be easier for you to remember your user names for the different sites you are registered with.

A profile picture should also be added; this can range from your company logo, to new product offering, or any other image that will inform customers who you are. Additionally a site link should be added. This allows consumers and new prospective visitors to visit your online site, which will help grow your business. You can also connect to Facebook if you are on the social media site to give your current followers one additional place to find you on the web.

Once your account is set up, you can begin adding images. Of course you have to abide by community guidelines, which are all laid out for you when you register. But adding images of new product lines, future product releases or even images your clients send to you will enhance your online presence as a business. It will also allow your customers to connect with you in a visual manner rather than simply reading about what you are up to, and learn what new products are in the works for your business.

How Do You Use Instagram For Business?

Using the online photo sharing site for business versus personal uses will vary. For instance, the images you post, the frequency of posts, the messages attached to the images and possible images you will share from other accounts will vary. For this reason, you have to understand the business uses of Instagram in order to ensure you are utilizing the site to your advantage. This is opposed to accidentally turning your customers off by offensive posts, or posts they would not expect to see from a business which they trust and make purchases from.

 The Instagram Business Blog

The Instagram for business blog is one that has taken off in recent months. Due to the influx of businesses joining the social media photo sharing site, Instagram responded by providing businesses with a tutorial of sorts in order for them to understand the site uses and how best to utilize their accounts.

The blog provides:

– Tips for photo sharing, and when to post photos for customers to view.

– Brand spotlights, and how to incorporate them in to your account and photo sharing page.

– API examples, so businesses understand how to properly post them.

– News from Instagram Headquarters.

This information and other relevant business information will not only help businesses take off on the social media site, but will also provide business owners the in-depth knowledge required to build their brand on the site. The more informed businesses are and the more they understand how to utilize the tools which are in front of them, the easier it is for them to build on their brand, their product line and to eventually bring in new customers to their site and business.

Keep Up With the Instagram Business Blog

It is important for business owners to keep up with the Instagram business blog. In addition to information on setting up an account and how to properly use the photo sharing site, it provides tips and information as it is released.

From new releases and updates to the site, to the new terms and conditions, to relevant information for any particular line of business. The businesses which do keep up with the blog and who continually check up on the blog, are going to get ahead on the photo sharing site.

Business are eventually going to build in it by incorporating video and other images which are relevant to their consumer base.

Create a Profile That Works

Optimizing your Instagram profile is essential to visitors being able to find your site. Not only will a well-developed profile page call their attention, it will also grab the potential site visitors who may be interested in your site, but have never clicked on an image or have never visited your site in the past. So, in addition to keeping your current customers happy it will also help draw attention to the potential customer that has never visited your site in the past.

Just like Twitter and Facebook, your Instagram profile must include a brand name so that your consumer will know how to find you on the social media platform. The brand name will be limited either by the number of characters which you can use to create the headline, image size or other attention to branding which are laid out by the guidelines of Instagram.

“How to Build the Perfect Instagram Profile” by Gerry Moran

In the above diagram, not only do you learn how to incorporate your brand name, but also how to use it in order to call attention to visitors. From the location of the wording, to location and image attachment, there is a perfect art to developing your Instagram profile page so that it really stands out.

Geo-tagging, using the right profile picture, properly hyper-linking your account and more is necessary. Although this information may not seem relevant to you when setting up your account, it can make a world of difference to the visitors who are looking for your account or who want to learn more about your business. So properly setting up the site is essential when you are building your account and are coming up with the information to add to the account profile page.

What to Include In Your Profile Page

When building your profile page, it may be difficult to determine what is relevant, what you should include and what you should exclude from your page. The right information and the things that call attention to your visitors, are those which you should include on your profile page.

Some things to consider including are:

– A brand image. Not only will site visitors be able to determine it is truly your account, they will also be able to find exactly what they are looking for when they see your brand image.

– Profile picture. The profile picture should encompass what the business does, what the business stands for and what customers can expect when they choose to do business with the organization.

– Notifications section. This allows followers to find your site from anywhere and allows them to receive information about when something new is posted, or new images are being uploaded to your Instagram account page.

– Site URL. Your site’s URL must be clearly visible, as should any hyperlinks which you choose to add to the site. If a visitor does not know where to find you outside of Instagram, how are you going to grow your business by simply posting images to the site?

These are some of the most important pieces of information that you want to include when you are building your profile page. It is basically a blueprint of what your business does, what you offer to your customer and what they can expect from you in terms of product offerings, or the services which you sell as a business owner.

Of course adding the right images to your account is extremely important, but if your account profile is not properly set up it can greatly reduce the number of visitors, the number of followers and the number of people who would potentially see the site that you are building.

Knowing the Limits

There are certain things which can’t be added to your profile, or other restrictions which are in place when you are developing the profile page. This can range in things such as the number of characters you can use for your headline, to the size of an image you can use on the main page of your profile.

Understanding the restrictions, knowing what limits are in place and understanding what you can and can’t do on the site, are a few things to keep in mind as well as you are developing your page. It will not only eliminate your Instagram account from being flagged, and eventually deleted, it will also make setting up the page much easier for you as well. So, understanding how to optimize your profile, all while understanding the limitations that are in place, is something that you must understand as a business owner who is setting up your account for the first time.

Doing Business with You

In concluding your profile, you should include all of the relevant information a customer might need in order to get in contact with you. Suggestions include a company phone number (or numbers), information about the CEO and site owner, a physical address and of course all URL and online contact information. Email addresses which customers can reach you at, or even a cell phone number, are pieces of information that you should consider adding to your profile page as well.

The more ways you give your customers to reach you, the more likely it is they are going to contact you, to visit your online site or to visit your physical store if they live in a region where you operate your stores. Like building a website, if a customer does not know how to reach you, how are they going to do business with you?

The same goes for Instagram. Providing the relevant information required to get in touch with you, or to simply ask a question about your business is the only way for customers to find you and for new, prospective clients to know you exist somewhere outside of the online spectrum.

Setting up your account is quite simple. Following the Instagram guidelines, knowing what to add and what to leave off your profile and knowing how to quickly and easily set up a page that stands out are some of the things you need to know as a business owner. With your new site in place you are ready to grow your business, gain new followers and reach a new prospective audience for your business as well.

 

Issa Asad is an entrepreneur and marketing strategist from Miami, Florida. Issa Asad has over 15 years of experience in the marketing, technology and telecommunications industries. Mr. Asad has been the Co-Founder, Founder, Managing Member, President, Vice President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of multiple technology, telecom and online-based companies.