Instagram For Business - The Definitive Guide by Sked Social PDF

Instagram
for Business:
The Definitive
Guide
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Contents
04 Introduction
Why is Instagram Valuable for Business?
08 Chapter 1:
Instagram for Business
Chapter 2:
26 Instagram Content
74 Chapter 3:
Marketing on Instagram
110 Chapter 4:
The Future of Instagram
3 / CONTENTS
Introduction
If you want to generate new leads, boost brand
awareness, and reach a new audience on Instagram,
this guide is for you.
In this e-book, we’ll discuss why Instagram is valuable for

businesses, how to set up a successful Instagram profile, what and
how to post engaging content on Instagram, and the many ways
to use Instagram for marketing.
4 / INTRODUCTION
Why is Instagram Valuable for Business?
Instagram is the third largest social information sent to the brain is

network in the world, behind visual, and 93% of all human
Facebook and YouTube. With 800 communication is visual.
million users, Instagram is larger
than every country in the world Also, 57% of consumers are more
except two - China and India. likely to buy from a brand they
follow on social media. That
Simply put, Instagram is an easel on means Instagram could be an
which businesses paint a picture untapped sales funnel for your
of their brand, products, services, business.
company culture, growth, consumer
base, and personality. Instagram is Instagram serves as a unique
powerful because it capitalizes on way for businesses to visually
the strength of visual content in connect with and market to their
marketing. audience. Brands that aren’t yet
leveraging Instagram should do
The brain processes images 60,000 so immediately, and we wrote this
times faster than it does text. It’s guide to help and equip you to
more accustomed to processing do so.
images, given that 90% of all
7 / INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1
Instagram for
Business
Optimizing your Instagram Account
Let’s take a look at your current Instagram account

and focus on rewriting a killer bio. Your bio
essentially provides you with 150 characters to
communicate who you are, what you do, and why
people should follow and trust you.
Think of your bio as the elevator Despite its short length, your
pitch for your entire account. It Instagram bio still carries some
consolidates everything about your serious weight when it comes
business into a few sentences. to seeing success on Instagram.
Crafting one for your own brand can
Consider this: Would you want to be deceptively tough. Fortunately,
engage in a continued relationship there are a few ways to remove
with someone who shook your some stress from the process and
hand, said their name, and then come up with a bio that you can
walked away? Probably not. The be proud of. When writing your bio,
same holds true for your Instagram remember these tips:
bio—it’s your chance to introduce
your brand and make a positive
impression that encourages people
to hit that “follow” button and stick
around.
10 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

Keep it While it’s tempting to branch out and get creative
simple with your account name, it’s best to list the actual
name of your brand. For example, you should list
“Pinecone Outdoor Outfitters” instead of something
catchy like “All About the Outdoors”. Outside of
your name, you should aim to keep the entirety of
your bio relatively simple and straightforward. As we
mentioned, it’s your digital elevator pitch—meaning
you want to get to the gist of who you are and what
you do. This doesn’t need to be a long-winded
manifesto.
Feature Many brands come up with a brand-specific hashtag.

your With that hashtag in place, users can tag their own
branded photos so that the brand can see them—and potentially
hashtag even repost them on their own Instagram account. This
strategy is not only helpful for engaging your users, but
it also helps you to fill up your own Instagram feed with
photos you don’t need to create yourself. It’s a win-win.
If you do have a branded hashtag, include it in your
Instagram bio. It’ll serve as a constant reminder to your
followers about what hashtag you’d like them to use,
while featuring it in an easy-to-reference place where
they won’t have to go hunting for it.

Leverage To the frustration of marketers everywhere, your bio is
your link the only place you can include a clickable link. So, you
want to make the most of it. Your website homepage
is an obvious choice—and, in many cases, it’s also the
best one. However, don’t be afraid to switch things up
and evaluate if there’s a different link that would make
more sense in that space—such as a link to a specific
campaign, product page, or landing page.
While you won’t find a lot of flexibility in terms of linking

on Instagram, switching to a Business Profile lets you
to include more buttons for users—meaning you’ll have
more direct calls to action and clickable functions within
your profile.
Don’t shy Emojis can be a great addition to your Instagram

away from profile. Not only do they help to add personality to an
emojis otherwise stiff paragraph, they also help to break up
your text and make the entire bio easier to read. Don’t
hesitate to incorporate a few fun graphics in your own
bio. It’s a fun touch that helps you stand out.

Focus on While keywords aren’t searchable within your
keywords Instagram bio, including some keywords relevant to
your audience and your niche can be helpful. Grab a
notepad and jot down some words that people would
be looking for that relate to your brand, products, or
services. By identifying and including some of the
words expected by your audience, you clarify who you
are and what you do. Then your target audience will
recognize when they’re in the right place.
Be human Companies have a way of seeming somewhat far-away

and relatable and untouchable. But, when marketing on social media,
you don’t want that to be the case. You want to seem
personable and relatable.
For that reason, skip the stiff, corporate speak or

slogans and write a bio that is a little more warm,
friendly, and captures your brand’s voice. People will be
much more willing to interact with your account if you
don’t seem like a rigid salesperson all the time!
Put these tips into play, and you’ll piece together

an Instagram bio that’ll attract and keep your target
audience.

Optimizing your Instagram Account
After crafting a killer bio, it’s time to consider switching to

an Instagram Business Profile. In the social media marketing
world, there’s some debate over the effectiveness of a
Business Profile. Below, we’ll outline a few reasons to make
the switch, but the decision ultimately be up to you based
on what’s best for your business.
In short, an Instagram Business “email”), that particular brand is Business Tools,” meaning that you’ll “Account” and then select the
Profile makes it easy for followers to using a Business Profile. be better equipped to use Instagram option for “Switch to Business
recognize your Instagram feed as as a marketing and promotional Profile.”
that of a business—rather than an Why do businesses decide to resource.
individual. Similarly to how you’d switch to a Business Profile on You’ll be walked through a few
look for a blue checkmark to identify Instagram? Well, with a Business If you decide that you want to prompts—such as choosing your
a verified account, the fastest way Profile, you can better leverage switch to a Business Profile, making business Facebook page and
to tell whether a specific Instagram your bio information and buttons, the change is easy and free. Head entering your contact information—
account is setup as a business run ads and boost awareness, and to your existing Instagram profile before the switch is complete.
profile is to look at the bio. gain insights into your followers and and click the gear icon that appears
activity. next to “Edit Profile.” Scroll down
If you see any buttons that give you until you see the section labeled
the option to contact the company Instagram formally calls their
directly there (such as “call” or Business Profiles “Instagram
18 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS 19 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

What’s the purpose of your Instagram account?
Is it a place for you to promote your products? Do you use it to
improve brand awareness? Do you aim to increase your follower
count and engagement levels?
Who is your target audience?

What’s their age, location, and interests? What makes them tick? You
need to have a clear idea of who you’re targeting. This way, you can
create posts that can make viewers stop and stare. One way you can
understand your audience is by checking out the profiles of your
competitor’s followers. You can also visit the profiles of online users
who use the hashtags you’re targeting.
How will you promote your brand?

Do you want to show off the nice things clients have to say about
your brand? Do you use your account to promote discounts and
giveaways? Think about the type of posts you’ll publish. This will
Building an Instagram Strategy come in handy when you and your team create a social media plan.
To truly optimize your account and activity, you should create an Instagram Next, create a brand brief.
strategy. This strategy will drive your team and help you come up with new A brand brief is a guide that marketers use to remind themselves of
posts when inspiration runs dry. their brand’s personality, colors, values, and aesthetic. Is the tone
of their posts conversational or formal? Is their brand bold or gritty?
Start with these questions. This brand bible is the answer to all these questions.

Here are some tips to help you
transcribe your brand’s personality.
Determine your aesthetic Use consistent typography

What filters do you use? What are Consider your brand’s personality
the most prominent colors in your and choose the fonts that will reflect
photos? What’s the look and feel it. The typefaces that you use will
of your Instagram feeds? You need impact how audiences perceive
to define your aesthetic to stay your brand.
consistent.
Know your copy

Random copy will get you Our in-browser editor and
nowhere. Your audience might planner helps you to create
not even remember your brand if a consistent aesthetic by
they don’t know what it stands for. offering a plethora of options
To avoid this potential disaster, let such as cropping, filters and
your copywriters know the tone a fully-customisable grid
and feel of your brand. How do so you can move around
you want to communicate with your posts to create your
your audience? How do you want perfect visual narrative. Spoil
them to respond? If you want to yourself to a free 7-day trial
start a conversation, then you of Sked Social today
have to convey the right message.

Lastly, create an Instagram posting calendar
Using an editorial calendar to keep track of your posts allows your

social media team to easily determine when they’ll take the shots and
when they’ll publish the content.
Posting time depends on your audience. What works best for one
brand won’t work for another. The best way to find out is test and see.
Start by implementing these tips.
Post more Weekdays Wednesdays Avoid posting

during off- drive more and Thursdays from 3pm to
work hours, engagement are the best days 4pm
specifically from than weekends to post, while
7pm to 9pm Sundays are the
worst
Remember, Instagram users are online when they’re not busy with work,
friends, or family. Put yourself in their shoes when strategizing your post
times.
After you’ve created an Instagram posting calendar, you can

schedule your posts on Sked Social. The app automatically
schedules your posts how you want, when you want. Using a
scheduling app means your team won’t have to go online every With this newfound time, you can start using Instagram
time they need to publish a post–because Sked Social posts for your original purpose - to build brand awareness
them for you. and generate targeted leads and sales.
Pat yourself on the back! You and your team have just saved hundreds And that’s what you’re going to learn next.
of hours.

Chapter 2
Instagram
Content
What to Post on Your Brand’s Instagram Feed
So, you’ve done all of the groundwork. You’ve

identified and researched your target audience.
You’ve optimized your Instagram account with a killer
bio and sketched out an updated strategy.
But, that doesn’t change the fact Knowing exactly what to post on
that you’re totally stumped now. You your brand’s Instagram account
feel like you’ve already used your can be challenging for everybody—
best ideas, you’re tapped out of yes, even those accounts that
inspiration, and now you’re worried you admire. Fortunately, there’s
your creative block will keep you a process you can go through to
from sticking with that Instagram reignite your inspiration and come
publishing schedule you had up with all sorts of new post ideas.
mapped out as part of your overall Here’s what you need to know.
strategy.
28 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT
Understand If you’ve already done the research into your target
your niche audience, this step should be easy. What sort of content
makes sense with your audience and your brand? While
it’s fine (and sometimes even fun!) to surprise your
audience with something unexpected, you want to make
sure that every Instagram post you create fits with your
brand voice and reputation. As you’re going through this
process, take a look at your Instagram analytics. If you’ve
already been actively posting, this can help you to figure
out what sort of content has been resonating particularly
well with your followers. This is helpful information to
know as you figure out what type of content you should
post more of, as well as any potential tweaks you should
make moving forward to increase the effectiveness of
your other posts.
Identify key Now that you’ve thought through the things that
themes absolutely wouldn’t make sense with your brand, it’s
time to turn your attention to the things that actually
do fit. Start by identifying the key themes that fit within
your brand. When thinking about these key themes, an
easy way to make this simpler is to think about them as
categories for your blog. What major groupings would
you want your various blog posts to fall under? Your
own brand might have many key themes, or you might
have only a few. The important things is to get those
jotted down before moving onto the next step.
Break key An effective strategy for this part is to create a web—
themes where you can create branches off of that larger theme.
into smaller No topic is too minuscule here. When you need to
topics maintain a consistent Instagram posting schedule, you’ll
want to have plenty of content ideas—which means the
more you can generate here, the better off you’ll be. This
step will begin to uncover some relevant subject matter
that you could post about on your own account.
Generate Now, you need graphics or photos to illustrate your

image ideas concepts. Since you have your key themes broken into
smaller topics, you can take each of those topics and
come up with potential image ideas for each of them.
When you have those various image options identified,
you can schedule a day when you can create or
capture a bunch of different photos all at one time—
think of it as a stock photoshoot of sorts.
Use existing There’s no denying that this it be a lot of work to create
content all of this content yourself. This is why using existing
content can be a great asset to you. Perhaps you want to
start a branded hashtag campaign so that you can use
user-generated content. Additionally, there’s no shortage
of quotes, funny memes, GIFs, and other materials that
you can post to your own account—plenty of popular
brands do that same thing. You’ll just want to make
sure to provide proper credit and attribution within the
caption of your image.
Following this process will help you collect potential
content you could post on your Instagram page. But,
even so, this barely scratches the surface.
If you’re ever stuck on what to post, you can pull

inspiration from numerous other outlets and events,
including:
Viral campaigns like Different holidays (including

#ThrowbackThursday or lesser-known holidays like
#MotivationalMonday National Best Friend Day or
National Coffee Day, for instance)
Behind-the-scenes peaks Inspirational quotes or

at what’s happening with impressive statistics
your brand
You might feel like you’re fresh out of creativity. But, after you work your
way through the above steps, you’ll realized that there are plenty of
different things you could post to Instagram. With so many options, your
challenge will no longer be figuring out what to post—it’ll be deciding
exactly what you want to post next.
Don’t let Instagram take control of your feed’s aesthetic. Use our
Instagram Planner to paint a picture-perfect story of your brand
- so you’re always at the forefront of your audience’s mind. Start
your free 7-day trial today.
Different Types of Instagram Posts
Photos Landscapes Selfies Fashion photography

Photos are the foundation of Landscape photos include inspiring Selfies are the best way to showcase Is your brand a fashion or lifestyle
Instagram content. But, what scenery such as nature, wineries, how your products are used. Best label? Then, editorial fashion
types of photos can your brand cities, and distant landmarks. These suited for beauty and cosmetics, photography is what you should
share? We’ve collected the most images empower your audience this type of content shows the result post. Edgy and bold content can
commonly shared types of photos with a ‘taking on the world’ vibe and of your product to your audience. make your audience change their
and strategies behind them. But, the also show off where you’ve been. Selfies are also a great way to current state (or in your case,
best way to know what works best introduce yourself to your followers, wardrobe), essentially converting
for your brand is to test and see. As if you’re aiming to build a personal your followers to customers. It’s
you try new images, keep an eye on brand. up to you to create that immediate
your analytics to see which are your desire, sending alarm bells into
audience’s favorites. people’s minds that they HAVE to
have, say, those shoes.
38 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT 39 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT

Flat lay images POV images Quotes Cute photos
This format is perfect for things When we take photos of our If you’re not quite a “visual” brand, How can you scroll through
you would find on a table, desk or coffees, shoes, sky, or lunch, we’re you can post quotes and saying. Instagram and not ‘double-tap’
the floor. Flat lay images stage a showcasing our point of view. These These are powerful because quotes on a cuddly puppy? If your brand
variety or of products in one picture. photos help customers position resonate with people’s emotions. is associated with cosiness and
This is an affordable and easy way themselves as if they’re doing Share empowering quotes and warmth, cute photos can be part of
to create style of photography what’s in the image. Think of it as encourage your audience to your Instagram strategy!
and is very popular with brands the old-school version of virtual comment and tag friends who can
– especially those with multiple reality. These images also showcase relate with your content.
products. the diverse ways your product can
be used.

If you’re short on inspiration, here are six
ways you can make the most of this feature.
Tell a story or joke. As you Run a contest. A common

can upload to ten images or way that brands are using the
videos, the Carousel feature is slideshow feature is to ask
a great way to tell a story on their followers to vote in the
Carousel Photos Instagram. Media publishers comments.
often use the feature to
accompany articles, or as a
story all on its own.
Instagram’s Carousel feature allows you to share up Showcase products.
to 10 photos and videos in a single post. Instagram
introduced the carousel feature to advertisers in
Share customer reviews. Share tutorials.
March 2015, but it only became available to all users
in February of this year.
Illustrate transformations. The slideshow posts are a useful way to

Use Sked Social to schedule your carousel photos in seconds, show before and afters, or to show a gradual transformation. This
not hours. Upload your content, pick a time and schedule. works well for travel, but lifestyle brands are also using it to illustrate
Done. Start reclaiming your lunch breaks and weekends style transformations.
today with a 7-day free trial.

Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are just like Snapchat and

Facebook’s stories feature. You can upload and/or
take a picture or a short video clip to make available
to all your followers for a limited time of 24 hours.
There are many benefits of using platform, providing that you have
Instagram stories, such as reaching the right marketing strategy in place.
a larger audience, driving traffic
to a website, engaging with your With Instagram Stories now allowing
followers, and even building up users with 10,000+ followers to add
hype for new products and services. links in their stories, there’s now an
even higher chance of earning sales
Research shows that 31% of online and driving traffic to your website.
shoppers use social media channels That’s one big reason why you need
when browsing for new items to to start using Instagram stories.
buy. Instagram constitutes 8% of
them. That means there’s a great
chance of gaining sales on this
Here are six different ideas for your first
(or next) Instagram Story.
Exclusive People love to know what happens behind-the-

behind-the- scenes. Use your Story to show them. This “privileged”
scenes information will help them remember and trust you more
as they will better understand what you do. No matter
what your company does, there will be something you
can show to your audience. Whether backstage at an
event or concert, goofiness in the office, or step-by-
step product production, show your audience what they
won’t see anywhere else.
Influencer Instagram influencer takeovers produce great

takeovers engagement and ROI. A takeover is when an influencer
or brand takes over your story for set period (usually
24 hours) during which they’ll provide tips, news, or
exclusive content. They’ll advertise on their social
media that they will be taking over your Story, meaning
that their followers will likely engage and follow your
account. Influencer takeovers are known to help
brands increase their following fairly quickly with a
targeted audience. Just make sure you identify the right
influencers to work with.
Whenever you post an
Instagram Story, remember
to tag your location, use
hashtags, and include a link if
applicable. These features will
Blog posts If you write blog posts, you could use to your Story help increase your story reach,
and content to share the key takeaways or the top tips from your potentially resulting in more
content. For example, from this guide I could create a followers.
separate image for each chapter, covering each different
idea throughout my Instagram Story. Use Instagram’s link
feature to direct your audience to your blog post.
Daily tips Regularly sharing interesting tips on your instagram

stories grow an engaged audience and establish
yourself as a resource in your industry. Cover specific
topics or ask your audience what kind of information
they want. You could also share trending news as it
relates to your industry. Your followers will eventually
come to you to find out what’s new.
Events If you regularly attend or sponsor events, you should

be adding that content to your Instagram Story. Your
followers could meet your in person and learn more
about each event. This also promotes your brand as
one that engages others and doesn’t simply live behind
a screen.
Video and Instagram Live
Instagram first released this feature in 2013 and has

been improving it ever since. Today, you can post
videos between 3 and 60 seconds long.
To post a video, record a video through the Instagram app or upload it

from your phone’s library. The process works the same way as posting a
photo–select your filter, add a caption with relevant hashtags, geotag it,
and you’re good to go.
Videos don’t have to just show you or your brand. They can be designed
to help your followers with something that really matters to them. This
feeds into the larger purpose of building a social media connection.
Effective Instagram video also meets two characteristics.
Live video is also taking over. You can definitely use this unique
However, Instagram Live works feature to your benefit. Use Live to
much differently the other platforms, raise hype around a new product
making it an interesting tool for launch, and give live viewers a
Matches your Provides value smart marketers. specific code for a new product.
brand aesthetic for your followers Exclusivity and scarcity are effective
Instagram Live video disappears marketing and sales tactics that
For it to really work, your Your video needs to serve
after you’ve finished broadcasting, are often used, and disappearing
video needs to visually and your followers and show them
unless you share it to your video helps you create a truly
contextually fit in with your something more about you,
Instagram Story. This makes Live unrepeatable experience.
profile activity and aesthetic. your brand, or your product.
a handy temporary tool for secret
promotions or exclusive specials.

Regramming
While Instagram doesn’t offer a traditional sharing

feature like Pinterest’s Repin or Twitter’s Retweet,
there is a way you can repost (“regram”) images to
your account.
There are a few benefits to reposting

images on Instagram.
For one, regramming is a great way Set your Instagram marketing

to capture user-generated content strategy into overdrive with
(UGC). Users traditionally trust UGC ScheduRegram! It’s a Google
50% more than any other type of Chrome extension we built, which
content. So, reposted messages allows you to repost Instagram posts
of consumers using and raving from other users to your account.
about your products will resonate.
Regramming will also help you gain
more followers, and therefore more
sales.
Advertising
Sizing Text on images

Use an image that is 1080x1080 Only 20% of an image can be
Instagram ads are relatively easy to setup. Providing pixels. Square format ads perform text. Failing to comply will result
you target the right audience and have an eye- much better than rectangular in very low reach and potential
catching piece of content with compelling copy, formats. disapproval.
you’ll see results.
When running Instagram ads, it’s important you ensure they’re

optimised for the best possible results. Below are some best practices
to keep in mind for your Instagram ads. Ad testing Captions
It’s worth running a few different If your caption isn’t very catchy,
ad formats and different goals for your ad might not perform well.
the same campaign. This way, Your caption should encourage
you can identify what works best your audience to act, whether by
for your audience to maximize clicking a link, installing an app,
your ROI. or engaging with your content.
Editing Videos
Be careful when editing ads. Videos can be no longer than
Some changes could reset your 30 seconds and no larger than
likes and comments from a 30MB.
previous ad.

You can run Instagram ads to boost engagement,
publicity, and sales. Here are a few ideas that will
help with your brand success.
Run a competition
Running competitions via Instagram

ads can help grow your list and
social engagement. Whether
you require your audience to
give you their contact details or
simply request them to follow you,
competitions can be a success if
planned correctly.
Build your community

Increase brand awareness
If you don’t have a large or active following, Instagram ads can help
Instagram ads are brilliant for build your community. Promote a well-performing post and request your
increasing brand awareness. Identify audience to tag their friends or drop a comment. It’s good practice to
the right audience, set the target respond to all comments and build a strong relationship.
locations, and share high-quality
content that is engaging and Keep track and monitor the progress of all Instagram ads. If you do this
unique, and then you’ll be on the consistently, you’ll identify what works and what doesn’t. This data will
road to a very successful Instagram help you in the future, when you consider optimising and increasing your
campaign. budget for the ads that deliver the best quality traffic or leads.

Creating a Recognizable Brand Aesthetic
Landing on the perfect Instagram aesthetic for your

brand’s feed can be challenging. A strategy for how
you’ll create those crisp photos and that cohesive
look is crucial if you want to grow your following,
engage your audience, and maintain a recognizable
brand aesthetic.
The style of the posts you curate within your feed, Story,
and advertising say a lot about the overall personality of
your business.
Remember these tips when identifying and sticking to your

own Instagram aesthetic.
Understand You want your account to represent the overall vibe, Understand A big part of understanding your brand also means
your brand voice, and personality of your business, right? If your understanding your audience. What types of content
so, it’s important to lay the groundwork and grasp audience are they most interested in seeing? In some cases,
the message that you want your brand to convey. that’s really easy to discern. But, other times it
You also don’t want your Instagram account to be presents a unique challenge. Here are some tactics
drastically different than all of the branded materials you can employ to get some greater insights into
you already have out in the world, such as your your followers:
website, your logo, and your marketing collateral.
Your Instagram strategy is a piece of your branding
If you already have an existing Instagram account,
puzzle and should match the overall appearance of check your analytics to discover your most
your brand—whatever that may be. popular and engaging posts.
Look at the other more visual social media outlets

that your brand uses (from Facebook to Pinterest)
to see what type of content is resonating there.
Look at the Instagram accounts of your

competitors or other brands in the same niche.
What content are they posting? Would something
similar work for your brand? Or, do you want to do
something different?
Understand So far, you’ve developed a greater understanding of
aesthetics what your brand is all about and how you want to be
perceived. Now let’s talk about developing a specific That will help you get a handle on what sort of
appearance. Grab a notepad and jot down all of the content you’ll be posting—whether it’s outdoor
different adjectives you’d like to be associated with images or quoted images. This is important for
your brand. Do you want to be inspiring and uplifting? choosing an aesthetic that not only works for your
Moody and mysterious? Adventurous and awe- brand, but also the actual photos you’ll be sharing.
inspiring? List those all out! This will narrow down
what sorts of filters, colors, and fonts you’ll use within
your own feed. Those different terms will naturally
lead to some different visual elements that you can
begin to implement with your photos.

Create a To create an Instagram aesthetic, you need to be
style guide consistent and cohesive. It’s helpful to create a simple
style guide that you (or anyone else on your team)
can reference when creating graphics and photos.
This guide will also give you a good idea of what your
profile grid will look like as a whole.
This Instagram style guide could be a standalone

reference document, or it could be a section of
your larger, overarching brand brief. There are a few
components that you should include.
Types of content that you post

(i.e. outdoor shots, behind-the-scenes videos, etc.)
Types of content that you never post
Preferred editing tools and apps
Preferred filters
Brand color codes

Take note They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And,
Fonts that should be used in quote images, etc.
of accounts while you’d never want to flat-out copy someone
you admire (seriously, taking photos without attribution is a Hashtags associated with photos
serious no-no), there’s nothing wrong with extracting
Example Instagram photos that demonstrate your aesthetic
some inspiration from other Instagram feeds you
admire. Don’t be afraid to do some digging, see
what you like, and then jot those elements down. By
By having all of this information documented in one
opening your eyes to various aesthetics and styles,
streamlined place, it’ll be far easier for your brand to
you’ll increase your chances of creating a great one
stick to a seamless look on your Instagram feed.
for your own brand.

Understanding the Instagram Algorithm
Direct Direct sharing, the posts people choose to share, is

sharing made easier with the new algorithm. This works in
Nobody can tell you exactly what’s “in” or “out” of two separate parts. First, the algorithm takes direct
the Instagram algorithm. It’s a secret that Instagram sharing into account in regards to ranking posts on
won’t be sharing anytime soon. the feed of a person. Second, the algorithm considers
the people with whom you’ve shared a post. This
tells Instagram that you have an interest in those you
This information we’ve collected here is from anything stated publicly
share with and they in you.
by Instagram, commentary about the algorithm (both on Instagram and
Facebook), and our experiences. So, take this section as another data point
you can use in improving how you understand the Instagram algorithm!
Tip: To encourage the direct
Instagram was shaken up when the new algorithm was introduced in 2016. sharing of posts, tell a story in
One year later, many people are still puzzled and upset by it. When the your post. Make sure the story
new algorithm was introduced, the chronological post ordering was lost starts interestingly, continues
and replaced by a feed driven by said algorithm. to peak curiosity, and then
finishes with a climax. An
There are seven important factors associated with the Instagram algorithm. interesting post is more likely
to be shared.

Engagement Algorithms consider engagement, as this measures
how popular a post is. As a post becomes more
popular, that more people see it. There are
several ways in which the algorithm will consider
engagement.
Shares through direct message.
Live video views
Comments
Saves
Likes
Story views
The algorithm also considers relevant posts that may

be less popular. These posts would be at the top of
the Instagram feed regardless of engagement. Ensure
that your posts are relevant and interesting. Focus
on recently-trending to boost interest, which in turn
increases likes, comments, and shares.
Profile The algorithm takes profile searches into account to
searches determine where to rank the posts in the user’s feed.
If a person searches regularly for specific profiles, this
shows an interest in certain posts, and those posts
will be shown higher up in the feed. The purpose of
this update was to show highly-searched profiles in
people’s feeds so fewer searches are necessary. Make
your profile engaging and interesting so that people
will want to return to it. Once they search it, your
posts will show higher up on their feed.
Relationships The new algorithm ensures that people don’t miss

important posts. Therefore, content from those with
whom you have will most likely be given a higher
ranking. The algorithm also studies past interactions
between people. These interactions include sending
people to an external website, blog, or a product
page. Create links that are campaign-specific with
clear call-to-actions. These links will send people to
your website or products, thus creating a relationship
between you and the user.
Relevancy By looking at previous engagement and relevancy,
the new algorithm ranks posts that are more relevant
to users. The algorithm will choose content that is
the most relevant and display these at the top of the
feed. Make your posts relevant to the people you
are hoping to see it. Colorful content is a great way
of attracting attention, along with making a personal
connection.
Time of post While the algorithm was developed so that relevant

posts show up first in the feed, it also takes into
account how recently a post was created. People are
more likely to be interested in a newer post than one
posted a couple of weeks ago. Generally, only newer
posts from between the last time a person visited
Instagram and the present will be re-ordered. The
best time to post is when your target audience is most
active. This will ensure your post is seen right away.
Use our instaQueue feature to schedule posts

throughout the entire day so you can identify the
times your audience are most active and engaged.
Time spent If a lot of time is spent watching or interacting with
reading content, the algorithm will take this as a sign that
posts the particular content is relevant to that person and
similar content will appear at the top of their feed.
Make all posts interesting so that they capture the
reader’s interest and ensures they stick around to
read it. An engaging video is a great way to keep
people viewing. By doing so your posts are more
likely to be picked up by the algorithm and appear at
the top of feeds.
To get the most out of your Instagram posts, it’s

important to create content that is timely, relevant,
and engaging. By doing so, you can make the
Instagram algorithm work in your favor.
Chapter 3
Marketing on
Instagram
Leverage We all deal with a serious case of #FOMO (fear of
the power of missing out) and feel a pressing urge to do the things
influencers that others are doing. This ties back to the concept
of conformity, which basically states that we change
the way we behave to match the way that others
are behaving. This, along with the concept of social
proof (where, similarly, people assume the actions
of others), demonstrates why utilizing influencers
in your Instagram marketing can be so powerful.
When your followers see people of authority or
people they respect in your own posts, it adds even
more legitimacy to your brand—and, for better or
for worse, exacerbates that “I’ve gotta have that
too!” feeling that seems to run rampant on social
media. As a result, posts that are backed by an
Marketing on Instagram Instagram influencer result in a much higher level of
engagement.
Plenty of studies have cited the fact that we as

humans respond much better to visual content, as
opposed to written words.
Needless to say, images are powerful. And, since Instagram is all

about sharing visual content, there’s no denying that it can have
some huge benefits for your marketing efforts. Before jumping into
specific marketing tactics for Instagram, let’s discuss how you can
leverage psychology on Instagram.
76 / MARKETING ON INSTAGRAM 77 / MARKETING ON INSTAGRAM

Engage with Social media isn’t about broadcasting your own Develop a If Instagram is indeed about connectedness, it’s
your followers message into the abyss—instead, it’s about interacting personality important to remember this one fact: People don’t
with your followers and fostering a sense of connect as well with brands as they do with other
community around your brand. Turns out, users aren’t humans. Research even goes so far as to say that—the
just scrolling through their social media feeds out more human-like a brand becomes—the more people
of pure habit. It’s important to not just fill your own identify with that particular brand. This is why it can
Instagram feed, but also interact with the people be helpful to go beyond facts, figures, and promotions
who have joined your community. Set aside some and develop a more human-like personality for your
time each day or week when you can go through own brand. It doesn’t hurt to think of some ways that
and respond to comments, like photos from other you can insert more of a human element into your
users and brands, and generally step up your level of Instagram page. Try these tactics.
interaction on the platform.
Working with influencers, as mentioned above
Using more photos of people instead of just

objects or landscapes
Telling real stories of your own customers
Appeal to Some of the most memorable marketing campaigns

Showcasing photos of your team and the people
emotions out there appeal to people’s emotions. Campaigns behind your brand
with purely emotional content reportedly perform
twice as well as those with mere facts. And, images
play a huge role in this effect. Generate a list of the
emotions you’d like your brand to inspire (whether
it’s hope, joy, humor, sadness, or anything else!) and
then brainstorm some different tactics you could use
on Instagram in order to do just that.

Reward your In social psychology, the concept of reciprocity
audience basically means this: You reward one positive action
with another positive action. So, how does this
apply to Instagram? Well, there are plenty of ways
that you could see this play out. You could reward
your followers with frequent special discounts or
promo codes. Or, maybe you’ll choose a follower
to showcase during one day each week. The
important thing to remember is that your social media
relationships can’t be all take and no give. Your
followers will expect you to return the favor in some
way every now and then.
Post By now, you’ve probably heard the advice that you

consistently can’t just show up on your social media accounts
once in a blue moon—you need to be posting on a
somewhat consistent and predictable schedule. But,
why is that? It can be credited to something called
the Propinquity Effect. Put simply, the more frequently
your followers see your posts and updates appearing
in their Instagram feed, the more likely they are to not
only remember you—but value you.
Fortunately, you can use various psychological

principles to help you out. Use these six different
methods to your advantage, and you’re sure to land
on a winning Instagram strategy that turns your
followers into loyal brand advocates.
80 / MARKETING ON INSTAGRAM
Building an Engaged Instagram Following
Instagram can be an incredibly powerful tool to

elevate your brand and engage your audience. That
is, provided you actually have an audience to speak
to and aren’t just sending posts into the abyss.
It’s that very hurdle that stops many ever-evolving algorithm makes it
brands in their tracks. They know that much tougher.
all of the best practices and things
they should be doing for their actual But, rest assured, there are things
posts. However, when it comes to you can do in order to get more
growing their audience, they find Instagram followers for your brand—
themselves stuck. How can they without buying them. Here are three
organically grow a following that’s tips to put into practice to continue
genuinely interested in their posts? growing your Instagram audience.
There’s no sugarcoating it—this can

be challenging. And, Instagram’s
Post great This first tip seems painfully obvious. But, it’s crucial if Rely on We’ve spoken about user-generated content (UGC)
content. you’re eager to get more followers on Instagram. After users before, and you know it can be an incredibly powerful
all, people typically aren’t ready and willing to follow tactic for growing and engaging your following
an account that only shares mediocre content. While on Instagram. Not only does it fill your feed with
settling on an aesthetic and creating and curating beautiful photos (without you needing to do anything
a beautiful feed is important, it’s even more critical yourself!), but it also provides you the opportunity
to zone in on the types of content that your ideal to give that follower a shoutout on your own feed.
followers are actually interested in seeing. Obviously, Other users who see that could feel motivated to be
you can’t read your customers’ minds. But, there are featured on your page too—meaning they’ll engage
a few different ways that you can identify the type of with your account and perhaps even tag you in
content they really want to see. Try these tips to get their own posts (which gets your brand in front
into the minds of your followers. of that person’s audience!). It’s like a ripple effect.
Additionally, UGC resonates well with your audience.
Looking at what your competitors are posting Generate a hashtag that is unique to your brand to
make it that much easier to find UGC to post to your
Observing what influencers in your niche are posting
own account.
Reflecting on your most popular posts so far
Although you want to narrow your focus to the types Take this further by using Sked Social to
of content that will resonate best with your audience, add just one unique hashtag to the first
that doesn’t mean you need to pigeonhole yourself. comment of your posts so it’s easy for your
Think of your Instagram content as an umbrella—there audience to find and use.
are likely numerous different topics and types of
content that would fit underneath it.

Include a call- Getting your Instagram account in front of potential Now that you’ve attracted new So, how does a brand engage
to-action new followers isn’t something that’s just going to followers, how can you engage authentically? In short, it takes time
happen. More often than not, you need to ask with them? Today, social media and effort. Those “hacking” articles
for it. One of the most effective ways to do so? By has become yet another marketing continue to be so popular because
including a call to action. Arguably the best call to process that’s been strategized, people are looking for ways to
action to use is to ask your existing followers to tag streamlined, and “hacked” for cut down on time and effort….
a friend (or even multiple friends!) in the comment success. While these efforts are Unfortunately, to create an authentic
of a post. Perhaps tagging a friend enters that user great and typically necessary for big community on social media, you
into a giveaway to potentially win some sort of prize companies, they often remove the can’t really do that, especially with
or award. Or maybe, like the above example, tagging human element from engagement. Instagram. Authentic engagement
a friend just gives that follower the chance to share involves a healthy mix of strategy
a funny or relevant post with someone they’re close Articles left and right are explaining and spontaneity. Hopefully, these
with. Regardless of the end result, this strategy is a quick tips to growing your follower tips can help you make sense and
surefire way to get your content in front of people base, but unfortunately, they leave plan ahead for ways to connect with
who aren’t already following you—and, thus, wouldn’t out one crucial point: Humans are your followers on Instagram.
have seen your post on their own. If they like what intelligent creatures (gasp!), and
they’ve been tagged in? They might just become a we can recognize when a brand is
follower of your account themselves. engaging with us purely for a follow
or to boost their numbers.

Build your The first step to engaging authentically is to pinpoint
Instagram users and accounts that would truly benefit from
audience your activity and commentary as well as give you
with new ideas for content and regrams. Instagram’s
intentionality search and “Suggested” features make it easy to
initially find and follow people that are within your
niche. Start by searching for popular hashtags in your
industry. Another option is to simply Google search
for influencers and thought leaders in your niche.
Bloggers and small businesses will typically include
their social media accounts at the top or bottom of
their web pages, so you can discover their Instagram
there. Once you start following folks within your
niche, Instagram’s handy little “Suggested” feature
will help you continue your research. This is super
helpful when discovering your competitors, partners,
influencers, and target audience and will continue
to help you build intentional community. Once
Instagram learns more about your intended audience
and who you like to follow, your Discover page will
start reflecting others in that niche. This page is a
great place to find up and coming influencers and
brands as Instagram works hard to connect you with
people that may be relevant. Keep an eye on this
page as you look to expand your network. Curating
your Instagram community takes time and research,
but it will pay off. Doing so will populate your Home
page with content that’ll be straightforward and easy
with which to engage. Following the right people (at
least to start) will take the work out of finding posts to
comment on and like.
If you With the Who out of the way, let’s focus on the What.
don’t have When engaging in the form of comments and likes,
something you should avoid automation. It’s tacky, obvious, and
(real) to say, the chance of you (er, your robot) saying the wrong
don’t say thing is pretty high. Try to keep your commentary as
anything at real and real-time as possible. Also, automation is
all against Instagram’s terms of use, and the platform has
recently been cracking down on accounts that use
bots. If you’re using bots, there’s a good chance that
Instagram knows. Be careful — You run a high risk of
being banned! The personal touch of real, human
comments that clearly fit with an image or existing
conversation go a long way in building trust and social
relationships with consumers. If you’re not sure what
to say, it’s good practice to complement the post, ask
a relevant question, or even tag others. If you’ve build
your community correctly, you should already have
something in common with the user and/or his or
her picture. Go off of that if you need to. Only if your
product or service is truly relevant should you mention
it in your comment. When commenting on a post,
consider if your words are mutually beneficial. Sure,
you’re engaging on Instagram and putting your brand
name out there, but how is the other user benefitting?
Social media is yet another extension of customer
service. Don’t be solely self-serving in your Instagram
engagement. Sometimes, the key to authenticity is
thinking about others.
Watch your Nothing screams “We’re a bunch of robots!” like a
account like brand’s Instagram account that never engages with
a hawk their own posts. Even if you’re actively authentically
engaging with others, being silent on your profile
can make you seem distant and disconnected. If you
garner a few comments or questions on your posts, you
should be replying ASAP (after popping the bubbly, of
course!) As easy as it is to lose yourself in the numbers
and data of Instagram engagement, sometimes you
have to take a step back and remember the purpose of
social media: To connect with your consumers in a real,
personable way and provide another avenue of access
to your company. Make an effort to respond to every
comment on your posts, especially questions, concerns,
and complaints. Doing so can help your followers
and consumer base feel better connected to you and
your team. Social media engagement is also crucial
for e-commerce brands that never have the chance to
connect with consumers in person. These days, brand
loyalty goes a lot farther than price and popularity, and
the personal touch of an Instagram reply can make or
break a repeat customer.
Post content Brands that authentically engage on Instagram don’t
that begs for limit their activity to comments and likes. They get
comments real, valuable content in front of their audience, too!
Keep your Instagram content consistent, and schedule
your posts for when your audience is most active.
This will increase the chances of engagement from
your audience. The comments you post can also help
foster engagement on your account. Consider asking a
question or tagging a partner, customer, or influencer to
drum up some commentary. Don’t forget the hashtags!
A 2017 study found that posts with at least 11 hashtags
get the most interaction.
With Sked Social, you can insert hashtags

within the first comment, rather than just
the caption. This helps drive engagement
and start a conversation.
Another posting strategy to boost engagement is

running a contest on your Instagram account. Partner
with another business and require that entrants tag
friends in the comments. This is a great way to boost
brand awareness and gain more followers. There are
many ways to post authentic content that connects
with your audience and begs for commentary. Don’t
forget to keep an eye on your account so that you can
actively respond to comments!
Writing Great Instagram Captions
Determine your brand voice

So, we’ve talked Instagram content and marketing
There’s nothing more off-putting (or less believable) than a brand
strategy. Now, let’s get into the nitty gritty of your
with no personality. When crafting your captions, use your brand
posting activity. brief to keep your content consistent. The simple act of finding two
to four adjectives that can describe your brand such as “bold” “chill”
You’ve come up with a bunch Like we discussed, Instagram’s new and “fun” can help you create captions that embody these words.
of really good photos to post on algorithm prefers posts with higher This is a simple way you can come up with Instagram copy that has
your brand’s account. All that’s initial engagement. So, if you have a consistent tone.
left is writing great captions that a good image without comments,
add context, integrate personality, expect that image to get few
and encourage followers to like, comments and likes.
comment, and share.
Here’s how to create captions
How do you describe each image? that stand out and encourage
How do you get people to act? engagement. Don’t forget calls-to-action
What emojis should you use? Be sure to include a clear call-to-action get your viewers to act.
For instance, say you want followers to download your ebook. You
could tell viewers to click the link on your bio to download the free
guide. Or maybe, you could host a contest and encourage followers
to tag their friends in the comments section to get new followers
and increase online engagement. Not sure what your call-to-action
should be? Just include a simple action or question.

Don’t forget mentions
Does your post feature an Instagram influencer? Or, is it mostly user-
generated content? Whatever the case, show some appreciation
and add the appropriate handles in the caption. This simple gesture
might encourage other users to create user-generated content
featuring your brand, too. This could encourage these users’
followers to check out your profile.
Use emojis
A good caption isn’t complete without an emoji. You can
communicate the emotions that you felt in the photo by including a
matching emoji. For that reason, you might want to add a few emojis
in every post that you make. You can also highlight your call-to
action by adding an emoji beside it.
Before you start writing captions, make sure to use an Instagram

Scheduler—like Sked Social. This way, you can plan your captions
ahead of time. Better yet, you don’t have to drop everything at a
moment’s notice just to publish a post.

Using Instagram Hashtags Using Instagram Hashtags
A hashtag is a word, phrase, or number preceded

by the symbol #. Despite this simple description, Check out what hashtags your competitors are using. People in
a similar business to yours have a better understanding of your
the hashtag carries a lot of weight when gaining the
target audience, so why not learn from them? You might decide
relevant exposure to your business.
to search for alternative hashtags or find clues to add to your
repertoire of hashtags.
Instagram hashtags easily enable a By making your brand more
person to discover posts that have discoverable on Instagram, you Consider related hashtags. Just by spending a few moments
been tagged with it. have a better chance of attracting browsing through phrases that have proved successful can help
new followers and expose yourself you learn what to include in future posts.
Small businesses typically have to large and targeted audiences.
to work twice as hard to get the Posts that have been tagged Use Instagram’s search function. The Instagram search bar can
recognition established brands with a hashtag encourage more be a useful tool. Just type in a keyword and you will immediately
enjoy. However, with the right engagement, thus it gets easier to see a list of hashtags containing that keyword and various posts
strategy, an Instagram hashtag can get better acquainted with your tagged with it. A large number may mean either two things; more
make your business be quickly seen followers. people are following that hashtag or your post could get buried
by others. in a ton of content. The latter option is not such a good idea so
experiment first with niche hashtags.
Match hashtags with the right photo. The caption you are using
should be relevant to the hashtag you are posting to. The image
has a strong pull on the users. A video would have an even more
active feel.

Here is a list to give you ideas. Remember to search
for a hashtag first as it may be already in use in a way
not consistent with your business.
Branded hashtags
These are hashtags that contain your brand name and are specific
to your business. 70% of hashtags on Instagram are branded. The
main advantage of branded hashtags is that they can be tied directly
back to your company. This makes it easier for you to gauge how Fitness:
successful or popular your brand is on Instagram using the various #health, #healthy lifestyle, #fitnessmom, #workoutwednesday,
social media monitoring tools. Access to UGC is another benefit. In #motivation, #fitnessmotivation, #getfit
essence, your customers promote your business for you.
Spa and beauty:
#skincare, #spatreatment, #massagebody, #treatyourselfda y
Tutoring:
#homeschooling, #ACTtest, #practisesession, #lovetoteach,
Industry hashtags
#homeschooling, #learningpartner
The advantage of small business is that the hashtags can work
across every industry. You don’t have to be in a trendy business. Wedding planning:
Implement tags that are specific to what you do and watch the #instagrambrides, #tietheknot, #weddingplanner, #justmarried,
relevant customers flock to your business. #engaged, #bouquetsofinstagram.
It’s also important to be as specific as possible as far as

the location of your business is concerned. A hashtag
such as #bridalgowns might have more uses than
#denverbridalgowns. The more a hashtag is used by others,
the harder it is for your small business to be identified
using it. At the same time, you want to be balanced and
avoid choosing hashtags with little traffic. Include at least a
phrase which people are likely searching.

Tracking Instagram Activity
Engagement with hashtags

Look for people who are following business similar to yours. Interact
with those people; comment on their videos or send them direct Instagram should be treated like every other strategic
messages. Be genuine and ensure your comments are tailored to fit marketing effort–tested, tracked, and measured.
the content. Stick to 3 to 5 hashtags per post.
It’s tough to brainstorm and create great content to
Instagram is a powerful tool in yielding high engagement and profile share, but what’s even harder is not knowing whether
visibility. With the right hashtag strategy, you can reach the right your efforts are paying off.
audience while building your brand. You don’t have to be a big
corporation to reap the benefits of Instagram; even small business We know how important it is to growth rate. But, is there something
are still rocking their game on this platform. show your boss–and yourself–the more you could be doing? Are there
real effect Instagram has on sales to other ways to track your progress
justify everything you’ve been doing on Instagram and prove that your
and hopefully boost your marketing efforts are creating a real ROI? Yes,
budget. and we’re going to show you how.
Sure, you know how to track your

reach and calculate your follower’s

Start by Simply looking at data doesn’t help unless you have an Access Instagram’s personal account doesn’t provide the best
setting the endgame in mind. The first thing you’ve got to do is set Insights analytics as it’s designed for sharing stuff with friends,
right goals painfully specific goals. By specific, we mean: “I want to through a not growing an empire. Business Profiles do a little
grow my following by 15.8% by midnight on March 28th” Business better by giving us access to Instagram Insights.
or “I want to increase traffic to the link in my bio by 10% Profile
by 2pm on May 4th.” To access it, go to your account on your phone and
click on the bar-graph style icon in the top right hand
Vague goals like “grow engagement” or “get more corner. At the moment, Insights isn’t available on the
followers” won’t get you anywhere. Unless you attach a desktop version.
number to your goal, you won’t know whether you’ve
met it. So, pull up your goals for the year. What’s the In Instagram Insights, you can access:
purpose of your Instagram account? What are you Data on the number of impressions, reach, profile
trying to do? What’s worked well for you so far? What views and website clicks
hasn’t?
Demographic information on your followers including
when they are usually on Instagram
You’d be surprised by how many brilliant businesses
Data on any Instagram promotions you are running
don’t set clear expectations for their Instagram efforts.
Use these numbers to get a clear picture of how your

efforts are faring and compare them to your goals.
The demographic info can help you make informed
adjustments to your strategy and get to know your ideal
customer better.
Instagram doesn’t make it very easy to track

the results of your marketing efforts, but by
switching over to a Business Profile, you can
follow results pretty well. And, if you use Sked
Social to schedule your Instagram posts, we
have a section inside our analytics that lets
you track URL click-through rates.

Post Comments
The number of comments tell us how interested in the post
Understand The metrics you track and the way you interpret them your audience really is. Anyone can hit a like button, but
Instagram depends on your goals. Let’s take a look at a few simple formulating a comment means it was impactful enough to
metrics metrics and some of the ways you can use them. You drive an action. Also, what people are saying matters. If this is
can measure all of these stats directly and gain some a post that features a product, are people asking about it? Are
super interesting insights by grouping certain ones they expressing a desire to order it? Are they clicking the link
together. in your bio?
Reach
Reach is pretty handy as it shows you how many different
Post likes
people have seen your stuff. If you have a high reach but
One of the easiest stats to check. On the surface, it tells us aren’t really seeing an uptick in your follower numbers, this
how popular a specific post is. In theory, the more likes, the might be a sign that you need to take a look at your account
better the post. However, this stat really starts to give us some and figure out why people aren’t hitting that follow button.
info when used together with the number of comments.
A post with a lot of likes and no comments failed to really
engage your followers. A post with a lot of likes and a lot of
comments is a clear winner.
Profile visits
This is the number of people that check out your profile. A
high number of profile visit but a low number of follow or
Link click throughs click throughs means it’s time to re-write your bio and level
up your call to action.
This tells you how many people clicked the link on your profile.

Chapter 4
The Future
of Instagram
A unique If you don’t have an original brand tone in your social
brand tone media now, it should be your sole focus for 2018. The
bar has been set high, so seek inspiration from brands
that are nailing it and use that to fuel your own content.
It’s quality (not quantity) that will give you a competitive
advantage.
Research your target market’s interest. Build a glossary

of words and visuals relevant to your brand. Now craft
your Instagram content around that, in your own brand
voice. If you’ve already done this, do it again. Your
target audience is always evolving and discovering new
interests.
Expected Trends for 2019
Understanding how to market on Instagram is great,

but it won’t keep you afloat in the new year. In 2019,
your brand will need to fight to stay relevant and
interesting.
Here are a few trends we expect to see next year. Add these to
your Instagram posting strategy and brand bible if you haven’t
already done so.
112 / THE FUTURE OF INSTAGRAM 113 / THE FUTURE OF INSTAGRAM

Instagram Instagram stories are just over a year old but are already Influencer Nothing sells products or services faster than a trusted
stories used by over 200 million users–50 million more than on marketing source. If users trust Instagram influencers with their
Snapchat. Like we stated before, Instagram stories help beauty, fitness, health, and more, they will trust them
you create a personal connection with your users and when they review and promote your product or service.
can help you make sales and build a loyal following.
We discussed influencer marketing a few times in this
guide, but we’re repeating it here, too. The key to
Let us be your Instagram sidekick, who
successful influencer marketing is selecting the correct
saves you time and posts your Instagram
target market-appropriate influencers. Run a Google
stories when you want, how you want. Get
search for your main keywords and take note of any
started with a free 7-day trial today.
bloggers, personalities, celebrities, and brands that
come up. These are your influencers. Figure out which
A new way to engage your audience through Instagram
ones have the best reach into your target audience,
Stories is with the polling feature. Use this feature to
and pitch them on collaborating. You’ll tap into a
conduct informal market research, ask for feedback,
new audience and better promote your products and
and show off your brand’s personality. Instagram makes
services.
it easy to monitor poll results, too.

Over to You
User- We touched on this throughout the guide, but we

generated want to reiterate its importance here. Users trust Instagram’s engagement is 10x higher than Facebook and
content content from their peers far more than content 50x higher than Pinterest. Social media marketing may seem
produced by brands. Make it a priority to run a
overwhelming, but it’s worth getting your brand out there.
branded hashtag campaign to collect content
Thankfully, tools like Sked Social make planning, posting, and
generated by your consumers. Use the ScheduRegram
marketing a lot easier. And with the time and energy saved, you
extension to easily share it to your account.
can start using Instagram for your original purpose–to build brand
awareness and generate targeted leads and sales.

One tool to Sked Social Features
rule them all Workflows for one or many

From entrepreneurs to agency teams of all sizes, Sked Social works for everyone. If
it takes a village, that’s a-ok. Whether you’re an upstart e-commerce brand or a big
Plan and automatically post your content on media company, you only pay per social media account and work your collective
magic in one place.
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and more. Save
The juggle is real
time, keep cool and collaborate with ease on our Successfully managing a bunch of social accounts is hard work. Our tools are made
powerful visual marketing platform! to help you handle it. Sked all your stuff in one go and stop singing the “I just gotta
post one more thing for work” blues.
Picture perfect posting

Try For Free Looks matter on social so we put in the work. Our in-app photo editor is chock
full of tools to filter, crop, add text, stickers, frames, doodles and overlays. Whip up
your single or multi-image posts and videos and then share them across Facebook,
Instagram and Pinterest. Plus, what you see is what you post. No surprises!
On-the-go mobile app

We want your phone to be your own again but sometimes you just have to check!
Use our handy mobile app to manage your various social accounts, see upcoming
and published posts and make changes or edits on the fly.
Sked Social helps you save over 100 hours a

year by scheduling your content for you
Get Started Today
118 / Sked Social 119 / Sked Social

About the Authors
Editor
Allie Decker is a freelance writer and content marketer specializing Sophie Bowman is the CEO of Brand Branding PR LLC and a highly sought-
in articles that speak to founders, small business owners, and digital after business blogger. With a strong background in PR, social media, and
marketers. A small business owner herself, Allie writes from an honest, branding, Sophie has worked with exciting startups and influential brands
human perspective about all things entrepreneurship. She’s collaborated worldwide. Recently nominated for a social media award, Sophie guides
with the folks at Entrepreneur, Foundr Magazine, Neil Patel, WhenIWork, businesses on how to grow their social media presence, brand reputation
and LivePlan. Learn more about Allie here. and sales with intelligent content and digital campaigns.
Monique Danao is a freelance writer, content creator and copywriter with

expertise in tech, food and digital marketing. When she’s not creating her
Contributors next big article, you’ll find her enjoying funky food, listening to music, and
Kat is a freelance writer focused on career, self-development, and marketing startups. Find her on her website.
digital marketing topics. Her advice has been published by numerous
outlets, including Fast Company, Forbes, Business Insider, Inc., TIME, and Bianka Velevska is a marketing consultant, researcher and writer with an
Mashable. When she’s not feverishly typing, you can find her obnoxiously interest in brand design, entrepreneurship and business. She’s the editor of
baby-talking one of her rescue mutts. Say hi on Twitter. branding blog double espresso and is the marketing and public relations
coordinator at Mi Goals.
Sophie Murray-Morris is a London-based freelance social media editor
and journalist. She was previously the Deputy Social Media Editor at Metro. Patrick Swift works for Juno Records as a Social Media and Content
co.uk and the UK Social Media Editor at MSN. You can find out more by Assistant, which includes handling all of their social media networks.
following her on Twitter. Juno Records, based in London, is the world’s largest dance music and
equipment store.
Gareth O’Sullivan is a digital marketer & entrepreneur currently traveling
around the world while doing what he loves. You can find him on Twitter Emma Edwards is a copywriter and social media strategist living in
where he shares great marketing content or Instagram where he shares Melbourne. A lover of crime thrillers, running and The Bachelor, Emma is
pictures and stories from his travel adventures. always on the lookout for content inspiration to inform her creative work.
120 / ABOUT THE AUTHORS 121 / ABOUT THE AUTHORS

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Instagram

In this e-book, we’ll discuss why Instagram is valuable for

Instagram is the third largest social information sent to the brain is

Let’s take a look at your current Instagram account

10 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

Feature Many brands come up with a brand-specific hashtag.

12 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

While you won’t find a lot of flexibility in terms of linking

Don’t shy Emojis can be a great addition to your Instagram

15 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

Be human Companies have a way of seeming somewhat far-away

For that reason, skip the stiff, corporate speak or

Put these tips into play, and you’ll piece together

16 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

After crafting a killer bio, it’s time to consider switching to

18 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS 19 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

Who is your target audience?

How will you promote your brand?

20 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS 21 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

Determine your aesthetic Use consistent typography

Know your copy

22 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

Using an editorial calendar to keep track of your posts allows your

Post more Weekdays Wednesdays Avoid posting

After you’ve created an Instagram posting calendar, you can

24 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS 25 / INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

So, you’ve done all of the groundwork. You’ve

Generate Now, you need graphics or photos to illustrate your

If you’re ever stuck on what to post, you can pull

Viral campaigns like Different holidays (including

Behind-the-scenes peaks Inspirational quotes or

Photos Landscapes Selfies Fashion photography

38 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT 39 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT

40 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT 41 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT

Tell a story or joke. As you Run a contest. A common

Illustrate transformations. The slideshow posts are a useful way to

42 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT 43 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT

Instagram Stories are just like Snapchat and

Exclusive People love to know what happens behind-the-

Influencer Instagram influencer takeovers produce great

Daily tips Regularly sharing interesting tips on your instagram

Events If you regularly attend or sponsor events, you should

Instagram first released this feature in 2013 and has

To post a video, record a video through the Instagram app or upload it

50 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT 51 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT

While Instagram doesn’t offer a traditional sharing

There are a few benefits to reposting

For one, regramming is a great way Set your Instagram marketing

Sizing Text on images

When running Instagram ads, it’s important you ensure they’re

54 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT 55 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT

Running competitions via Instagram

Build your community

56 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT 57 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT

Landing on the perfect Instagram aesthetic for your

Remember these tips when identifying and sticking to your

Look at the other more visual social media outlets

Look at the Instagram accounts of your

60 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT 61 / INSTAGRAM CONTENT

This Instagram style guide could be a standalone

Types of content that you post

Types of content that you never post

Preferred editing tools and apps