Insta-Business Part 2-How to Use Instagram for Your Business?

The previous edition of Insta-Business gave you a broad idea of what exactly is 'Instagram' and its potential in terms of brand positioning and reach.

Now it is time to jump into the pool of Instagram with your business and make waves!
Before this, you might want to indulge in some warm up and learn about Instagram's policies and guidelines to further your understanding about the network's working so that you can strategise better and make your brand more relevant.

Instagram's Guidelines-Why are they Important?

It does not come as a surprise that this social network biggie has a set of guidelines that strive to create a uniform experience and ensure the brand's authenticity. The following links provide information from the horse's mouth:

• Using Instagram Brand Assets
• Instagram PR Guidelines

Along with this, do not forget to meet the terms of its Terms of Use, lest your page be disabled like that of 'Skinny Me Tea'- a diet tea brand which had reportedly violated Instagram's terms by encouraging harmful weight loss behaviour.

What's in a Username?

The username will be your brand's signature identity and an effective part of the link that you share to drive traffic to your page. Keep the following points in mind when creating a username:

• It should be short, recognisable, searchable and should immediately create a brand connect for your audience.
• Maintain uniformity when creating usernames for social networks.

At the same time, avoid the following:

• Special symbols such as '_'
• Incorporate words such as Instagram, ig, promos which are often used by bee or fraudulent accounts.

How Should You Optimise Your Profile?

Finally, the sole page that holds the potential of driving traffic back to your website is your Instagram profile.

This is what your profile looks like

Courtesy: Instagram

How Does Your Social Media Mix Integrate with Instagram?

Instagram, like other leading social networks, has its own specificities and traditions. This makes it imperative to fine tune your brand's voice and provide an experience that remains unique with your fans across the World Wide Web. The best rule to integrate your brand is that there is no rule, which is one of the many pros of social media. There are, however, a few pointers that have been tried and tested that should lead you in the right direction:

• Indulge in a detailed Instagram strategy that arises from a well thought-cross platform content plan.
• Connect your Instagram brand account with other leading social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, Flickr etc.
• Experiment with the timings of your posts to maximise engagement.

Some of the top brands that are doing it right are:

• Starbucks
• Nike
• GoPro
• General Electric