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4 Questions to Ask Yourself if You Want a Compelling Instagram Marketing Strategy

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More businesses are turning to Instagram for marketing opportunities. Instagram is not only filled with 500 million users but it also teems with activity. Average daily activity on this photo sharing site is 300 million. That means people on it are active. Marketing prospects are always favorable on platforms with greater activity because campaigns have better chances at being seen and shared around.

But just like any other form of marketing, you have to ask yourself the crucial questions. Just because you’re on one of the hottest social networks doesn’t mean you can rock it whatever you do. If there’s anything we’ve learned about marketing is that if you’re not careful with your approaches, you’re going to lose money. For many of us, loss of funds to bad advertising equals business failure.

Who do you want to follow you?

Even regular Instagram users need followers. For business owners or entrepreneurs followers on social media pages are their meat. You need people to follow you, but not everyone needs to follow you. Smart marketers figure out their audience at the outset. They know they can only target a small fraction of users. They don’t stop at identifying their audience, though. They go further by monitoring their behavior and determining their interests to better structure their marketing plan.

How is your business going to help your audience?

Appeal to an existing need. Everyone needs something. You put up your business because you think it can fill something that’s still not there. Maybe you’re offering something that’s similar, but it has something its predecessors don’t have. Are you appealing to couples who need inexpensive wedding photography packages? Are you baking low-calorie cakes for seniors? Are you offering life coaching for people suffering from quarter-life crisis?

No matter where you do marketing, the whole point is to make people think they need whatever it is you’re offering.

What do you want your followers to do?

First of all, you have to treat your business page like a business page, not a personal account. That means each post should contribute to your overall business objective. Each post should be part of your overall marketing plan. Do you want to make people ask their friends to follow you? Do you want your followers to go to your website?

Refrain from making random posts that serve no value to your vision. The essential message of this question is you’re talking to your audience because you want them to do something. It’s not like you’re posting a cute photo of your chocolates wrapped in a beautiful fabric tied with a red ribbon because you just like to. You want people to think how romantic it is to give chocolates to their dates on Valentines.

What can you give active followers in return?

Let’s think of active followers as those who aren’t only liking and sharing your posts but also buying your products. They can become your brand advocates. It’s just right to give back. You don’t need to do more than giving them a shoutout or featuring their selfie wearing your silver bracelets or using your homemade potpourri or wearing shirts with customized prints. We love being featured by business people. We love gestures of gratitude. It makes us want to tune in more.