Instagram is the canvas where our stories come to life, where pixels paint a thousand words.

From connecting 1.318 billion souls to fuelling the social media revolution, Instagram reigns supreme as the ultimate canvas for global storytelling and marketing mastery.

This is especially true for e-commerce companies, who have access to a platform that focuses on visual content and has enthusiastic users and strong interaction.

Instagram has developed and flourished in recent years at a rate comparable to Facebook’s, embracing new features like Instagram Stories and Instagram Reels with lightning speed and increasing its value to both users and businesses.

Source: Instagram Statistics

Thus, when it comes to forging connections and building bonds, no other platform comes close to Instagram.

So, how do you unlock the boundless potential of Instagram marketing in 2023?

We got you covered.

Instagram marketing strategy 101

Whether you’re new to Instagram or seeking to enhance your marketing strategy, these four steps can guide you in creating intentional and successful campaigns.

1. Define your goals

Before you embark on any marketing journey, it’s important to question yourself – Why?

Why are you on Instagram?

If your reason is merely ‘because everyone else is doing it,’ your marketing endeavors on Instagram might face a daunting uphill battle.

To thrive on Instagram over time, you need to establish clear goals that validate your investment of time, energy, and money.

However, there’s no definite answer in this realm as it depends on your business goals.

For a clearer vision, explore our curated examples of leveraging Instagram for marketing below.

Perhaps you’re eager to showcase and sell your products directly to customers through your Instagram feed, like Uranic.

Maybe you’re using Instagram to share your portfolio, allowing your followers to witness your product or service in action, like NY Esthetics.

Perhaps your goal is to boost brand awareness by sharing captivating and interactive posts, much like the World Wildlife Fund.

Or maybe, you want to invite your followers into the spotlight as they share their experiences using your product or service on Instagram, bringing authenticity and real-life stories to your brand, like LA Fitness.

Prioritize defining your Instagram goals from the get-go. Surprisingly, your Instagram can encompass multiple objectives, seamlessly combining product images and user-generated content (UGC).

It’s not just about what you share, but rather the purpose behind your sharing.

2. Research your keywords

For a successful digital campaign, keyword research is essential, and the same applies to Instagram. While Instagram is renowned for its captivating visuals, the discovery largely relies on hashtags. As hashtags play a pivotal role in helping users find relevant content, keywords serve as the foundation for discovery on the platform.

Instagram users who click on a hashtag will get a list of all the public posts that have used that hashtag. Users may now follow Instagram hashtags that interest them, which is possibly even more crucial.

Even if they don’t follow a single Instagram profile, this gives them access to a stream of content. Users may easily discover high-quality material with hashtags, and businesses can use them to increase the visibility of their content.

Note: Instagram has tons of keywords for a particular topic. However, it is important to use the ones that have a high volume.

3. Define your target audience

Before diving into Instagram marketing, establish your target audience with precision. Align your efforts with existing marketing strategies to maintain consistency.

Remember to consider crucial factors like:

• Age
• Location
• Gender
• Income
• Interests
• Motivations
• Pain points

4. Conduct competitor research

Once you’ve identified your Instagram audience, perform a competitive analysis by examining the content shared by other marketers in your industry. If you’re aware of your main competitors, review their Instagram profiles. If not, search for terms relevant to your business to discover similar accounts.

Conduct a swift audit of these accounts to assess their high-engagement posts, popular hashtags, captions, posting frequency, and growth rate. This valuable information sets a benchmark as you embark on growing your own Instagram account.

5. Create an editorial calendar

Optimize your time and effectively manage your Instagram presence by crafting an editorial calendar. Map out your calendar with various Instagram post types and pre-plan your captions, hashtags, and posting schedules.

Utilize your editorial calendar as a centralized hub to note important events worth highlighting on your Instagram account, such as product launches or exclusive offers. With an editorial calendar in place, you’ll be equipped to seize real-time opportunities rather than scrambling for last-minute posts.

How to start with Instagram Marketing?

Unleash the Instagram revolution for your business!
It’s time to harness the power of this dynamic platform to boost your revenue, ignite client loyalty, and deliver unparalleled customer service. Embrace Instagram’s full potential by diversifying your content, engaging with your followers, and reaping the rewards.

Ready to dive in? Let us guide you through the essential steps to conquer Instagram marketing like a pro.

1. Back to Basics: Setting your account

Firstly, you need to have an Instagram Business or Instagram Creator account to start using the platform for social media marketing. You only need to change the profile settings to an Instagram business page if you already have a personal account on the Instagram app. This is how you do it:

1. Open your profile page and click on the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
2. Select Settings. In some cases, the ‘Switch to Professional Account’ option will be available right away. If not, carry on with the subsequent steps.
3. Select Account.
4. Click Continue after selecting ‘Switch to Professional Account’.
5. After choosing a classification for your company, press done.
6. Select Business, then proceed as directed.

2. Optimize your Instagram Account

You must first take care of the fundamentals of setting up your Instagram account before you can begin marketing your company on social media.
Remember to include essentials like your contact information, have a keyword-optimized bio (business description), and upload an instantly recognizable profile photo, preferably your company logo.
With the ‘link in bio’ feature, you can also redirect the audience to your company’s website or the ‘view shop’ button as a call-to-action feature that leads your viewers directly to your online shop.

The ‘Story Highlights’ feature allows you to display expired stories atop your Instagram feed on your account. This makes your profile appear more complete and enables you to display certain important Instagram material, such as user-generated content or posts, that emphasizes your brand’s narrative.

3. Start posting content

Once you’ve developed a measurable strategy and constructed your profile, it’s time to share your content.

However, exercise thoughtful deliberation regarding the content, timing, and visual appeal before hitting the Publish button.

On any social platform, your business needs to convey a distinct brand voice. This voice encompasses not only the written text but also the color palette, post types, themes, and hashtags you employ.

Also, you need to determine the best time to post. Our table below shows you the best times to post on Instagram according to Later.

Now that you know the best time to post, let’s take a look at the various types of Instagram posts you can use.

• Images

The predominant post format on Instagram is images. When sharing images, aim for a diverse selection that showcases the versatility of your brand and captivates your followers in various ways. Embrace variety to demonstrate your brand’s richness and engage your audience from different angles.
Some points to keep in mind regarding Instagram images are:
• Images with more light appear to do better.
• White space or more backdrop is desirable.
• Pictures with a single dominant color outperform those with several hues, while images with blue-dominant colors outperform those with red-dominant colors.
• Images with different textures typically receive more likes.
• Your post’s exposure could rise if you include creative and alluring Instagram captions. You may use Instagram captions to enter a contest or direct your followers to a blog article or website.

• Videos

Instagram offers the option to upload videos, with a maximum duration of one minute.
You can upload professionally edited videos from your computer or use videos edited within a mobile app. Keep in mind that Instagram videos automatically play without sound.
To ensure optimal comprehension, ensure that the initial few seconds of your videos can be understood without sound. You can utilize captions or prompt viewers to enable sound for a complete experience.

• Reels

Enter Reels, Instagram’s newest feature and a direct rival to the viral sensation TikTok.

Reels empower users to create captivating 15 or 30-second loops of content for various purposes, including tutorials, dance challenges, and informative videos.

It has its own dedicated explore page, exclusively showcasing Reels content. This provides businesses with a unique chance to engage their audience through this captivating content format, separate from regular videos, images, stories, and IG TV posts.

• Instagram stories

Instagram Stories provide users with the opportunity to post more frequently without overwhelming their main feed.

Unlike the polished images and videos on the feed, Stories often showcase a more organic and less refined style. Similar to Snapchat Stories, Instagram Stories vanish after 24 hours.

Stories revolve around authenticity. While your Instagram feed demands polished photos, Stories offer a chance for a more experimental approach. Utilize this feature to provide a glimpse behind the scenes of your brand or to showcase your company culture.

• Instagram live

As mentioned earlier, Instagram provides a live video feature that enables you to share content in real-time. To initiate a live video stream, open the Instagram camera, swipe to the Live setting, and tap the button to Start Live Video.

Once the live video begins, your current followers on the app will receive a notification notifying them of your live status.

Viewers can actively engage by commenting on the live video using the built-in chat feature. It’s advisable to use live video sparingly, highlighting captivating real-time content or engaging moments such as Q&A sessions or exciting reveals.

• IGTV (Instagram Television)

IGTV, Instagram’s latest video offering, presents users with long-form, vertical video content.

Accessible through the Instagram app or the standalone IGTV app, viewers can enjoy extended videos from Instagram creators. Expect to find a variety of content such as cooking videos, celebrity interviews, product reviews, and tutorials on IGTV.

To start sharing on IGTV, simply download the IGTV app, create a channel, and upload a video ranging from 15 seconds to 10 minutes in duration. Verified accounts have the privilege of uploading videos up to one hour in length.

4. Interact with your followers

In the realm of Instagram, everyone desires to be heard, and your followers are no exception. Show them that their voices matter and that you value their presence by actively liking their posts and responding to their comments.

By embracing this practice, you foster a sense of goodwill towards your business, leaving a lasting impression on your followers. Moreover, it encourages them to engage with you further, creating a cycle of interaction and connection.

Below, is an example of how the brand Glossier interacts with its customers.

5. Track Instagram analytics

In the realm of Instagram marketing, it is crucial to monitor and evaluate your marketing strategy and its outcomes.

Thankfully, the platform provides its own set of Instagram analytics tools, offering a wealth of information about your performance. This enables you to discern what strategies are effective and identify areas that require improvement.

To access your analytics, navigate to your profile page and locate the graph symbol in the top right-hand corner.

Within your Instagram Insights, you’ll gain access to essential performance metrics, including:

These metrics collectively offer a comprehensive understanding of your Instagram performance, allowing you to gauge the effectiveness of your content and engagement strategies.

Here is an example of what Instagram analytics looks like.

Now that you have a fair idea of the basics of Instagram marketing, it’s time to take a brief look at how captions are written.

Writing Instagram captions 101

Master the art of Instagram marketing and captivate your audience with captivating captions. Because let’s face it, 90% of your Instagram posts rely on these irresistible snippets.
Get ready to mesmerize, engage, and make a lasting impression with every carefully crafted caption.

1. Don’t rush, make it engaging

Craft multiple drafts and seek feedback from friends and colleagues. Timeliness is important, but captivating content is crucial. Instagram’s algorithm now prioritizes engaging posts, based on likes and comments. So, invest the time to create delightful content that captivates and connects with your audience.

2. Caption length matters

You have up to 2,200 characters for captions, but users only see the first 3 to 4 lines initially. Place important content upfront for maximum visibility. However, don’t shy away from longer captions; Instagram can be a powerful storytelling medium. Look at Humans of New York for inspiration.

3. Engage and call-to-action

Always include a call to action in your captions. Encourage likes, comments, and shares. Direct followers to your bio link for new products or blog posts. Use tracking links to measure traffic from Instagram. Also, geotag your posts to increase engagement.

4. Find your Instagram voice

Every platform has its voice. On Instagram, an authentic, light-hearted tone works best. Experiment with emojis and other creative tools to give your brand a unique feel. Remember, it takes time to develop your brand’s voice. When in doubt, keep it short and let your visuals speak for themselves.

Here’s an example of a cleverly-written Instagram caption-

Now, brace yourself for some mind-blowing Instagram hacks that will unlock the true potential of the platform.

Expert Instagram hacks recommended by Nico Digital

Join the ranks of successful brands with Nico Digital’s Instagram expertise. Our marketing wizards have curated top-notch hacks just for you.

Discover the secrets to mastering Instagram marketing!

1. Make use of Instagram marketing tools

Instagram Business Profiles and Meta Business Profiles are alike. Gain access to Insights, offering valuable statistics like impressions and engagement data.
Uncover demographic details such as age, gender, location, and active hours of your followers. Analyze specific post insights like impressions and top-performing posts.

2. Link Instagram to your Facebook

Expand your reach by effortlessly sharing Instagram content across social networks. Customize your posts for each platform—avoid automatic linking. Linking Instagram to Facebook boosts exposure, especially for business profiles.

Set it up in Instagram settings: go to Linked Accounts, log into Facebook, choose the desired Business Page, and enable sharing.

3. Create sponsored ads

Master Instagram advertising with customizable ads. Use carousels to showcase single or multiple sponsored ads that captivate your audience. Reach beyond your followers through advanced audience targeting.

Maximize impact by turning top-performing posts into sponsored ads. Engage your target demographic with compelling content. Run multiple ads concurrently to different audiences for heightened engagement.

4. Partner with influencers

Accelerate your reach on Instagram by collaborating with influential personalities who have amassed a significant following.

Tap into the power of influencer marketing, as people increasingly make purchasing decisions based on the content they see from trusted influencers. Instagram reigns as the prime platform for successful influencer campaigns.

Partnering with the right industry influencer exposes your brand to its engaged audience, opening doors to new opportunities.

5. Make your Instagram interactive

Transform your Instagram into an interactive hub with these tips:

These strategies can help your Instagram become more conversational and interactive.

And that’s a wrap!

In the world of Instagram marketing, the possibilities are endless. With a strategic approach and a touch of creativity, you can unlock remarkable growth and engagement.

So go forth, embrace the power of visuals, captivate your audience with compelling content, and watch your brand soar to new heights.

Take the leap, ignite your imagination, and make every post count.

Did you know?