Instagram is a superb platform for businesses to interact with the local community and boost foot traffic. As it stands, many people rely on social media to find local businesses, and a thriving presence on Instagram gets you in front of your target consumers. Discover seven tips to make Instagram work for your business below.
1. Optimize Your Bio
As the first thing people see when they land on your Instagram page, your bio should have all the essential information about your local company. Add your full address to help visitors find your physical location on Google or Apple Maps.
The bio should also list your opening hours, a brief description of your business, other social media accounts, and a website link. A target keyword in the display name is another great addition to improve your visibility. Instagram has numerous business categories to choose from, including hotel & lodging, beauty, real estate, and shopping and retail.
2. Leverage Localized Hashtags
Hashtags are great tools to promote your business for free, and you can use them in both posts and stories. Use location-based hashtags for your city, town, or neighborhood to boost engagement with the local community. For instance, if you run a spa in New York, use hashtags like #NewYorkSpa and #NewYorkBeauty. You have to do some research to identify the most popular hashtags in your area.
3. Participate in the Local Online Community
As a local business, it is essential to participate in local events and engage with other local companies. Take this community spirit online by sharing other businesses’ posts and tagging local companies when people ask for recommendations.
These strategies get you noticed by new audiences and strengthen your reputation in the community. Other businesses return the favor in no time, boosting your local online presence.
4. Work With Local Influencers
Influencer marketing is big business on Instagram, where influencers spend a lot of energy and time building considerable followings and creating authentic brands. In turn, followers consider the recommendations of influencers when making purchasing decisions.
Identify local influencers in your niche and approach them for collaborations. The influencers can give away your products in a sponsored contest, tag your business during a visit, or co-host an event with you. Influencer marketing is especially valuable when you launch a new product, service, or location.
5. Showcase Your Local Lifestyle
Your local followers should recognize parts of their city’s unique culture and lifestyle from your posts and stories. So, include popular landmarks as you promote your products and services to help people envision your offerings in their lifestyles. Also, take photos of your products at local events or behind-the-scenes reels that show you buying materials from other local companies.
6. Organize a Collection-Only Giveaway
One surefire way to get people to visit your store is to offer giveaways to be collected in person. The reward can be free festival tickets, gift cards, discounts, coupons, and loyalty points. You can promote the giveaway through Instagram ads or ask a local influencer with a sizeable following to run a feature. Giveaways increase engagement and brand awareness among local audiences.
7. Showcase User Generated Content (UGC)
People love talking about brands they love, and you should feature the reviews of local customers on your stories and feeds. A great way to generate UGC is to encourage customers visiting your store to share their experiences under specific hashtags.
Then, select some reviews and ask the creators if you can share them on your page. You can also ask followers to share videos and photos using your products and repost them on your feed.
If you want to take your Instagram marketing to the next level, our network of top-rated digital agencies can help. At Grow Team, our mission is to match your local business with the best digital marketing agency to reach more customers and increase your revenue. Contact us today to learn more.