Gram it up! 5 Tips to Expand Your Brand on Instagram

March 5th, 2014 by Amanda Ball

If you‘re like me, Instagram is the place to be. I find myself spending a lot less time on Facebook and Twitter and a whole lot more on Instagram, or as I like to call it “Insta.”

I tend to follow many businesses I enjoy and liking almost everything they post. I started thinking more about how businesses use Instagram to promote their brand and products. I did some digging and came across a video that Instagram for Business blog put together recently.

What It’s All About

The video was a short sample of pictures and short video clips. I mean duh, I should have known since that’s what Instagram is about. The video featured some of the best brands on Instagram, according to them. Nike (@nikerunning), Ben and Jerry’s (@benandjerrys), and General Electric (@generalelectric). It was a one minute and thirteen second reminder that pictures and videos can captivate anyone if displayed correctly. It also displays how the community can play a role in promoting your business by hash-tagging and tagging things related to your brand.

Instagram has recently announced their book, The Instagram Handbook for Brands. But don’t get too excited just yet, the book is not currently out to the public. You can however expect to see some of its content on their blog soon. The book showcases eleven of the top brands on Instagram and their posts that captivate audiences, along with popular/successful hashtags.

Even though the book isn’t available for the “human eye” just yet, they listed a few tips for brands modeled after the eleven top brands of Instagram.

1. Be accurate to your brand

Ensure that your imagery expresses a clearly defined personality and voice.

2. Allocate your experience

Offer a view into the world or lifestyle that your brand makes possible through the eyes of the people who use your products and services.

3. Discover beauty in every nook and cranny

Show how your company sees the world and make it meaningful to people.

4. Encourage action

Start a movement around your brand.

5.  Be aware of your viewers

Learn what people love about your brand, and explore how you can capture the imagination of new customers.

Search Influence (@searchinfluence) has recently joined the awesome world of Instagram! Follow us for a peek at what it’s like to work at this fast-paced and fun place!

Is your business on Insta? Let us know what works for you in the comments section below.