As the world has not found a vaccine or treatment for Covid-19, each country is implementing different SOPs and social restrictions to cope with the pandemic; and we may need to adjust and adapt our lifestyles into a new way of living and interactions with other people. Even though everything should be moved on, it is undeniable that the pandemic has brought a huge impact on the business world.
However, it is not the end! In this technologically advanced era, more and more people are finding sources of income online. More people have started a new online business since the lockdown. Thus, it is undoubted that online business became more competitive and digital marketing became more important to us to survive in the digital world.
Instagram is a good platform to start a new business – low cost, fast and easy. While creating a website may need initial investment in hiring a technical team to solve problems, Instagram can be done just in one click. It is simple and easy for people who are not familiar with an online business.
Gather your thoughts and strategize
1. Brainstorm and research
Firstly, identify, acknowledge and understand customer needs; and what products have the potential to attract and satisfy their needs. Market and competitor research is crucial in this stage. You will also need to think about your business objectives and target market.
Analyze which specific group you want to target based on their demographics, lifestyle, geographical location, and so on; the clearer, you define your target market, the easier you can attract and reach your best prospects, thus results in higher conversion rates and better ROI.
2. Create a brand identity
Brand positioning is crucial as it maximizes customer relevancy and increases competitive distinctiveness. It refers to how your brand is perceived from the customers’ perspective. To shape the personality of your brand, the brand name, and brand logo play an important role. You should firstly develop and define your brand’s unique selling proposition (USP), and shape your brand’s personality based on the USPs. Give it a name that suits the brand’s personality.
Besides, marketers usually convey their brand value through brand logos. You will have to identify which combination of colors, font, and graphics are the best to represent your brand. For example, is your brand a feminine brand? If yes, you might go for some feminine colors such as coral, nude, and blush pink. Also, if it is a sports brand, you can consider picking some energetic color themes such as retro and summer.
To understand more about how to make a great logo for your brand, you can read from the article: What Makes A Great Logo?
The good news is, you will not need to hire a designer to help with your brand logo, as you can design your own in just 2 minutes! Logomaker is a smart A.I.-powered logo and brand building tool made by Designs.ai. This tool generates thousands of logo variations using A.I. and it allows users to choose from millions of color and font combinations.
You can create your own logo in just 4 simple steps:
- Input your company information and logo preferences.
- Designs.ai will generate hundreds of variations.
- Customize using the simplified editor.
- Get high-resolution logos in multiple formats.
Set up your business account on Instagram
3. Download and create an Instagram account
Let’s get started! You can download the Instagram app from the App Store or Play Store. Then, sign up for an account using your Facebook account. As you need to switch your Instagram account into a business account, linking your account with Facebook is required. On the other hand, you are required to set up a business page on Facebook as well.
4. Complete your profile information and switch to a business account
Start setting up your business profile by clicking edit profile. Create your unique username, profile picture (which is your brand logo), and bio. You can make good use of the bio, such as insert hashtags that are relevant to your business. It is a good business strategy as instead of searching keywords on Instagram, users will search for the hashtags which make your account easier to be found.
To convert your Instagram account to a business account, you need to:
- Click the profile icon
- Tap the 3-line icon on the top right of your screen, then Settings
- Choose Account and scroll to the bottom
- Tap Switch to Professional Account and you will have to choose between Creator / Business
- Select a category which your business belongs to
You’re ready to go!
5. Start posting content, stories, and videos
You can start showcasing your products in your posts. Try to include emojis in your post captions to make the message more attractive. Also, take advantage of the Instagram filters as a well-edited photo will be more appealing to your audience.
Insta Stories
Instagram story is a great feature that helps your business as it drives engagement. You can make announcements, for example, new product launches through this feature. Your audience might reply to your stories if they found them interesting, and the stories will disappear after 24 hours. Fortunately, Instagram Stories Highlights allows your stories to live permanently on your profile. You may group your stories accordingly into different highlights, which is convenient to showcase the content that you want your audience to see first. After grouping the stories, you may customize your own covers for the Stories Highlights! You can create a cover from Logomaker as well!
IGTV
IGTV is a video feature that allows users to upload videos that are longer than videos in Instagram feeds. You can search this feature by tapping the search icon (next to the home icon) and tap IGTV. Then, tap the “+” button to upload your videos. To create a stunning video from text script instantly, Videomaker powered by Designs.ai is a good choice that allows you to insert beautiful animations and transitions in just a click. It is a smart A.I. text-to-video tool that transforms inputted scripts into seamlessly-edited videos. All you have to do is log on to their website using a laptop or tablet, create an account, and start creating your video with a wide range of videos, images, and music files available! The best part of Videomaker is the voice-overs feature which can support scripts from more than 20 different languages. To learn more about their features, you can watch the tutorial video from here.
6. Grow your audience
Start following users so that they will notice you! You may follow those who you think might be interested in your products. It is the fastest and easiest way to increase brand awareness – and it is costless. Take advantage of the hashtag as searching for the right hashtags will lead you to the right audience. You may also invest in Instagram Ads to reach more people.
7. Track results using Instagram Insights
Since you have already switched to a business account, let’s make good use of Instagram Insights – one of the most valuable tools for the Instagram business profile. It is a free analytics tool that allows you to track the results of individual posts, stories, ads, and most importantly your business account as a whole.
You will also be able to check on impressions, reach, engagement and followers gained from each post. Once you get to know the time when most of your followers are online, you can start scheduling your posts in advance.
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