Running a business account on Instagram can sometimes be intimidating and confusing, but there are a few simple things you can do to help improve your account without having to do a bunch of work or research. Here are seven simple yet important improvements you can implement today.
1 Avoid Posting the Same Pictures Close Together:
It is totally ok to use the same picture more than once as a small business owner, especially if it is used as a post and then as a REEL thumbnail. With this said though it is important to avoid having the same pictures posted close to one another. When people see this it makes them think you don’t have enough content and that looking at your account will be boring and repetitive. It also does not look visually appealing; this will make others think you don’t care about your Instagram so they shouldn't either. It's okay to repeat pictures but try your best to put a significant amount of time between using them so they are far apart in your feed. If using two pictures around the same time is inevitable then try to at least keep them far enough apart that they are never touching one another.
Two great strategies for having enough pictures to use on your account are doing photoshoots and using Canva to create REEL or information cover pictures. Doing photoshoots of your product or service gives you a large amount of pictures to select from when posting. Over time the pictures you take during different photoshoots start to pile up and you can have a great variety of content to choose from. This can be as simple as pulling out one of your products and taking pictures of it with your phone in different locations or with different backgrounds. The other strategy is using Canva Templates (canva.com) to create content or REEL covers. Canva is a graphic design website that is user friendly and has many free templates. You can use this site to create covers for your reels with a title of what the video is going to be about. If you are a business that likes to share educational content Canva is also a great way to create aesthetically appealing posts with writing on them.
2. Include Location in Every Post as a Local Businesses Owner:
If your business serves a local audience, leverage Instagram's location tagging. Make it a habit to include your location in every post to enhance your chances of appearing in local searches and attracting nearby customers. Whether you're promoting a local event, highlighting a customer testimonial, or showcasing your products, adding a location tag can help you connect with potential customers in your area.
3. Incorporate Your Business Location in Your Bio:
Your Instagram bio is prime real estate for conveying essential information about your business. If your business's location is not already included in your name, consider adding it to your bio. This simple addition can make it easier for potential customers to identify your location and find relevant content related to their area. Instagram also wants to show your content to the right people but if you do not add your location in your bio and posts the app will not know where your ideal audience is.
4. Choose and Edit Your Thumbnails for Reels:
When you create a REEL on Instagram (as well as other apps) they give you the option to choose your cover picture. This is called the "thumbnail" and will be what shows up on your profile feed before viewers click on the video. If you do not choose a picture from your camera roll Instagram will choose a random moment in the video to display as your thumbnail. Sometimes REELs choose a good thumbnail for you and you do not need to do anything, but often choosing your picture is a better option. Choosing the thumbnail is a good way to keep your feed looking consistent and a way to show off your best content. If you are using a picture you took related to the video I recommend editing the picture. You can do this simply by using Instagram or another app such as VSCO. If you go to post a picture you will see that Instagram has many editing features right at your finger tips such as brightening or darkening the picture and increasing the pictures vibrancy. As I mentioned in section 1. Using Canva to create title pages for your thumbnails is also a great option. Canva allows you to change the colors used in their templates so that you can use your own business colors for all your posts.
5. Pick Brand Colors and Try to Use Them Consistently:
On that note… choosing a grouping of colors for your Instagram is a great way to create a visually appealing account. Don’t forget your Instagram account is your business’ online store front. Choose one or two main colors and one to three secondary colors that reflect your brand's aesthetic and personality. Usually your secondary colors are more natural or tame than your main colors (depending on your brand). Incorporate these into your posts, thumbnails, and highlights to create a cohesive and visually appealing feed. Doing this will automatically make your account look more professional. The link Create a Palette - Coolors will bring you to a color palette generator. On this site you can insert an image and select the colors you like from that image. If there isn't an image or logo that stands out you can manually select the colors. Once you finish making your pallet use your snip tool to screenshot and save the image for future use.
6. Use Relevant Hashtags:
When you include relevant hashtags in your posts, you are making them discoverable to a wider audience beyond your immediate followers. Users who are interested in topics related to your hashtags will look up keywords and phrases in the search engine trying to find content that is meaningful for them. They will then see your posts… but only if you actually use them! If you have a local business with a physical location where you need to find your customers, using hashtags are just as or even more important! One way to get people in your area to see your posts, as opposed to anyone and everyone in the world, is by using location specific hashtags! For the tea shop owner in Kelowna here are some examples of what they could use:
#kelowna #kelownabc #smallbusinesskelowna #teashopkelowna #okanagan #theokanagan #okanaganlifestyle #okanagantea #teainkelowna #kelownatea #localtea #localteakelowna #localteainkelowna #greenteakelowna #blackteakelowna #fruityteakelowna #homegrowntea #supportlocalkelowna #shopintheokanagan
7. Choose Intentional Cover Photos for your Instagram Highlights:
Instagram Highlights are the little circles at the tip of Instagram accounts before the posts start. Highlights are a great way to organize and showcase your best content for users to explore. Taking the time to select intentional cover photos for your Highlights can help your account be more visually appealing, and allow you another place to be on brand. There are a couple easy and visually appealing options for your highlights. The first is you can use your chosen brand colors to fill in the highlight completely, each circle being a different solid color. Second, you can find highlight covers from Pinterest that work well for your brand. If you click this link it will bring you to some options. Narrow down your search on Pinterest by adding words to the search such as “green” or “earthy”. The third option is putting words or icons in each circle that relate the topic being highlighted. Highlight covers with icon options can also be found on Pinterest. I trust that you will find the best option for your business!
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