Basic business use of Instagram

What is Instagram?

Instagram is a free social media platform where you can share photos and videos. You can search and follow accounts you find interesting. Users can download pictures and videos and share them with their followers and selected groups. As an Instagram user, you can follow, watch, comment and like others content.

Here you´ll find some tips how to start your basic business use of Instagram.

How to start using Instagram

First, if you don’t have one yet, you need to create yourself an account. You can use the previous link or download the app to your phone. We have written down the main steps what you need to do to turn your personal Instagram profile into a business account:

• Create an account
  • or
• Log in to your personal account
• Go to your settings and choose your account settings
• Scroll down and switch to professional account
• Select “Business”
• Select a category that best describes what you do
• Write your public business information
  • phone number, address, e-mail, web page

You can read the steps from Instagram: getting started.

Now you are ready!

 

If you need some video intro check this one below! It will help you to get started using Instagram!

How to use Instagram – Beginner’s Guide

 

 

How can I post something?

Watch this short video! It will guide you how to put a picture, a video or a story to your Instagram.

How to post Instagram – Beginner’s Guide

 

 

How to use Instagram in a tourism business

Instagram is an excellent tool for example advertising and sharing information about your company & products/services and especially in tourism business. Here are some tips how to use your instagram page in tourism business:

• Add professional-looking photos
• Use photos that makes customer to feel something  ‘
• Use Instagram stories (product demonstrations, behind-the-scenes insights, what happens for example at excursions)
• Stream live videos (like from Husky safaris)
• Remember to use good hashtags
• Sell products/services
• Use influencer (promoting)
• Add: Contact information and a call-to-action button on your profile

 

Target group

Instagram is for everyone, but it is more popular among young people. Main users are 25-35 years old but the 18-24 age group doesn’t come far behind. Read more about statistic information and target groups (such as genders, locations).

What type of content

What type of content should you post?

First step is plan your goals and what you want to accomplish. Social media marketing plan is recommended. Scheduling your posts helps you know what to post and when. It can also help you reach more audience. Best time to post is when your followers are online and active.

Interesting content with hashtags can help you gain more followers. Post content that feels genuine, enhances trust and knowledge about your services.

Instagram is a visual app. That’s why it is essential to develop a visual style that fits in your brand. Clarify look of your posts up front, so your team can create content that fits your brand perfectly.

To get engagement with your followers, you can ask questions and inspire. Invite your followers to interact to get more comments and likes.

Communication with the followers

Optimize your profile.

Name: 30 characters, included in search.
Username:  Up to 30 characters, included in search.
Website: A clickable URL.
Category: A business feature that tells people what you’re all about without using up bio characters.
Contact info: Tell people where to find you.
Call-to-action buttons: Give Instagrammers a way to interact with you directly from your profile page.

What kind of metrics does the tool offer?

Instagram shows many accounts insights to its business users:

• followers
• likes
• reached accounts
• committed accounts
• target group reached
• content coverage
• most popular posts

Special tips

Create your own #hashtags

Use them actively! Also ask your customers to use them when they post something about your company.

Tourism accounts in Instagram

Here are three different sort of Instagram accounts. Go check them out and see how they are using Instagram to marketing.

Thehoxtonhotel 
The Hoxton hotel have amazing Instagram account. They have hotels across London, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, New York, Portland, Chicago and LA.

Rukasafaris
Rukasafaris is located in Kuusamo Finland. They have activities and accommodation all year round. Their Instagram account gives a great view of their company.

Feelfinnair 
Finnair does a lot of marketing on social media. It has over 220k followers on Instagram.

Own impressions

Instagram is easy and cheap way to do your marketing. It’s also super-fast way to do marketing whenever you need to do it. For example, it takes only few minutes to catch people’s eyes to your daily offer.

Using Instagram for marketing is no harder than using your personal account. You can easily switch between your own and company’s account.

 

 

Maybe this post caught your interest and hopefully you got answers to your questions.

Best regards,

Neea Alaniemi, Noora Hast, Sarianna Hietapakka, Enni Piippo, Mirka Santanen and Sonja Välimäki