Instagram has become integral in making your business grow and flourish. But how can you possibly keep up with this fast-paced platform? Well, below is a list of twenty Instagram content ideas for businesses which will both help keep your Instagram relevant in a time of overwhelming competition and more features than ever, as well as help you out when you’re just lacking inspiration.
20 Content ideas for Instagram to try:
- Show a 'sneak peak' of future products or announcements
- Show off your products
- Organise giveaways
- Give your following a look behind the curtain
- Work with influencers
- Collaborate with other businesses in joint posts
- Give styling or decorating tips
- Keep up with the trends and make some fun content
- Show community outreach
- Show you're environmentally friendly
- Post whenever you have a big update or announcement
- Share your milestones and anniversaries
- Highlight any employees
- Consider injecting some humour into your account
- Share some customer reviews
- Make a tutorial
- Ask for input
- Post an ‘a day in the life’ reel
- Reintroduce yourself
- Answer common questions
1. Show a “sneak peak” of future products or announcements
This glimpse into the future creates a buzz about where your business is headed and keeps your followers engaged. When you get close to a product release or big announcement, consider doing a countdown in your stories to keep your audience on the edge of their seat!
2. Show off your products
Assume that every post needs to attract new customers as well as retain the interest of old ones, so make sure your product is clear and looks desirable. Instagram’s shopping tags feature means your audience can buy directly from your post! For tips on how to successfully show off your product, check out our tips for getting the most out of a photoshoot.
3. Organise giveaways
Keep your followers engaged with giveaways of your product. You can have followers submit entries through tagging a certain number of friends and/or reposting on their instagram story. This will spread the reach of your business by having your current followers connect you to potential new customers. Accounts that hold contests increase their following an average of 70% faster than accounts that don't, so utilise this marketing tip!
4. Give your following a look behind the curtain
Displaying your business at its roots by showing “behind the scenes” footage and “before and afters” will give your business a raw, natural feel. This will also show the reality of a small business, and increase transparency with your customers.
5. Work with influencers
Influencers have become a major asset to marketing with 80% of consumers having bought something because an influencer recommended it. Find influencers with your target customer/viewer base and contact them about promoting your products. In return, you can offer them free/discounted products or some form of a sponsorship deal.
6. Collaborate with other businesses in joint posts
Working with other businesses can be a really lovely and mutually beneficial way to grow your account. Reach out to small businesses with a similar audience but a different product, and explore ways you could work together. For example you could run joint giveaways or campaigns, even make a commitment together to support a local cause.
7. Give styling or decorating tips
Inspire people to buy your product by showing them how it can be used to accessorise their life. You can use multiple items from your company to style a look or decorative aesthetic and increase the likelihood of them being bought together.
8. Keep up with the trends and make some fun content
Don't miss out on marketing opportunities by not staying current. Embrace the trends and stay relevant. Don’t stop at simply posting pictures and make videos, reels, as well as using Instagram stories. The trends are constantly changing so look on TikTok and reels for inspiration!
9. Show community outreach
Giving back to your community will make customers feel better about your business and can gain you respect. Supporting businesses that support the community will make customers feel as though they are contributing to the community as well.
10. Show you're environmentally friendly
Being green will appeal to customers who are socially aware, and who seek out businesses that are as well. So, showing what efforts you are making to be sustainable can help your business grow.
11. Post whenever you have a big announcement or update
Always let your followers know of any event or sale starting at your store — even something like a new product or shipment can make it to your Instagram feed.
12. Share your milestones and anniversaries
Posting important moments will help your followers see your business as a journey that has progressed through hard work, making it more personable.
13. Highlight any employees
Give your following a glimpse into the lives of the people who keep your business running. This will create a personal element to your business by helping your followers associate real people and stories with your brand, and remind them of the fact that they’re supporting a small business.
14. Consider injecting some humour into your account
If you ever come across a funny saying or a meme that relates to your business, posting it will make your followers smile and look forward to future posts. And who doesn’t love seeing a good meme to cheer them up?
15. Share some customer reviews
Give your followers more reasons to trust your product or services! If you have a review that you find especially touching, consider sharing it with your followers and it may inspire them to buy as well.
16. Make a tutorial
People love seeing how things come to be. So if you sell something that you make, create decorations, or even have a signature way to wrap your items, post a tutorial video or a quick reel.
17. Ask for input
Have a decision or choice to make and are between a couple of options? Putting a question out to your followers will help them feel more involved and invested in your business. Posting a question or a poll also encourages lots of interaction, which will in turn make your account more likely to be shown to people who don’t follow you.
18. Post an ‘a day in the life’ reel
Growing and maintaining a small business is hard work. From opening to closing (and maybe even beyond), your dedication keeps things running and customers love to see that. This sneak peak of what you do every day will cause viewers to gain more respect for your small business and inspire them to support you.
19. Reintroduce yourself
While your followers likely already know the basics of your business, make sure that they know you! Include some fun facts about yourself and give your audience a chance to ‘meet the maker’ behind your small business.
20. Answer common questions
Take the time to create a reel, post, or stories in which you answer your most common questions from your customers. If you have heard them from someone, others are likely to want that information too. In doing this, make it fun and personable!
FAQ
What content gets the most views on Instagram?
According to a recent online survey from 2022, half of weekly Instagram users said that they wanted to see funny content in their feed. An additional 46% percent of respondents said they wanted to see creative content, whilst 41% said they wanted to see informative or educational content on Instagram. More than a third of users shared that they want the content they consume to be engaging. So, keep this in mind when you're next writing up captions and brainstorming content ideas.
What is the best time to post on Instagram?
In a recent analysis of over 5 million Instagram posts conducted by social media scheduling app Buffer, the best times to post on Instagram are generally between 7am and 8am on weekdays. Posts shared during these times were seen to get the most engagement. It is thought this is perhaps due to an influx of users opening and refreshing the app first thing in the morning before work.
What time are my Instagram followers most active?
This answer will vary depending on where you are in the world, what you post about, and how often you post. After that, the algorithm handles the rest. However, to find out exactly when your followers are most active, simply open your Instagram app, head to Insights, then Audience. Here you'll be given a rough breakdown of roughly which times on each day of the week your followers are most active. While certainly not definitive, this information can help guide your posting schedule to boost engagement on your posts.
📚 Bookmark for later: 15 Small Business Instagram Tips for Growth
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