Instagram is the world’s fastest growing social media platform. While Facebook and Twitter have more users, Instagram gains more users each year than either, and is on track to becoming a leading social media platform for all demographics. The platform provides users with the ability to create stunning photos to share with their friends. It is also a prime advertising and marketing platform for businesses.
Instagram marketing has taken off in recent years, especially for clothing, beauty, and other lifestyle brands. Not only does the app showcase product photos beautifully, but it is most popular among the millennial market. However, this doesn’t mean that B2B companies can’t benefit from Instagram marketing.
B2B marketing on Instagram isn’t meant for lead generation, but rather to develop a community around your brand and share positive brand messages with your fans. Instagram cultivates brand awareness and customer loyalty. It also allows you to venture out of the formal corporate culture and embrace the creative, personable side of your brand.
When you use Instagram for a B2B brand, you need to strike a happy medium between modern and professional. You want to stay true to your brand, but coherent with the platform. Not sure where to start? Here are five different ways you can use Instagram for your B2B marketing:
User generated content.
One of the best ways B2B companies can build trust and brand awareness on Instagram is with user-generated content. Instead of featuring your company products and services, feature your customers using them in action. Include customer testimonials and reviews to add authenticity. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. When users see your clients interacting with your company or using your products, they can visualize the benefit that you could be providing to them.
WordPress does a tremendous job of incorporating user generated content in their Instagram strategy. They feature photos of entrepreneurs and artists using their sites to further their own creative pursuits. They also use customer testimonials in the form of block quotes to emphasize the overwhelming positivity associates with WordPress sites.
Company culture.
Another great way for B2B companies to shine on social is to promote their company culture and team. This is not only a smart recruiting tool, but can help build trust with your customers. Companies with happy employees are generally seen as trustworthy and better places of business. Plus, connecting your name to a face helps customers remember your brand.
Have employees featured on your Instagram in their day-to-day work environment. Show them having fun, working hard, and helping customers. You can also have employees take photos themselves, either at the office or in their daily, off-the-clock lives. Showing your employees personalities and sharing their accomplishments is a great way to express your company culture online.
Care about the things your customers care about.
Your Instagram photos don’t have to be all about your company. Use photos that represent your company values. You can share quotes, customer or employee success stories and other heartfelt messages on Instagram that your customers will enjoy seeing. Instagram doesn’t have to be all about promotion. The most successful pages are authentic and creative, while staying true to brand values.
Share the good things you’re doing in the community.
Everyone loves a brand backed by a social cause. If you’re involved in a charity partnership or have your own company projects, share about them on Instagram. You can use photos and videos from campaign participants or from involved employees. Show that you’re more than just a business – you’re an involved part of the community and society.
Humanizing your brand.
Brand personality is just as important in B2B marketing as it is B2C. Your clients need to trust you, and the way to build trust is to develop relationships. Your brand personality can truly shine on Instagram. When writing captions or choosing photos, find ways to incorporate your company story. Use your Instagram account as if it were a personal account.
Instagram stories.
The app recently released a new “Stories” feature, which allows you to add a photo or video to your profile for 24 hours only. The idea behind a story is to share daily snippets without having to keep the picture or video on your page permanently. Instagram stories can help you build an audience and showcase your company culture as your team is hard at work.
Instagram scheduling tools.
Most marketers use scheduling tools for social media marketing. However, scheduling tools for Instagram are not easy to find. The most common are Later, Hootsuite, and Onlypult. These platforms help you plan your Instagram feed, and allow you to upload photos from your desktop.
Instagram is an untapped marketing resource for many B2B companies. The sooner you start, the sooner you can create a killer Instagram brand.
For more tips on attracting, nurturing, and selling, purchase a copy of Scale Up Your Profits! here.
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