Starting an Instagram account is easy.
But, building a brand around it? That can be quite a challenge.
Especially if you already have an existing brand and are just jumping on the Instagram bandwagon to take your online presence further than it already is.
As the saying goes, “A picture speaks a thousand words”.
Jumping on the Instagram bandwagon means that you are using another 1000 words to tell your story every time you make a posting. That is equivalent to reading a two-page report which you may not want to take for granted.
Questions to Ask Ourselves
What comes mind when we talk about setting up a branded Instagram account?
Was it a particular apparel brand, an Instagram influencer’s account, or even a trendy hashtag by an organisation which comprises a brand on Instagram?
Therein comes the big question: Will you make that exclusive cut?
This is followed by the bigger question: How are you going to make that exclusive cut?
Having a branded Instagram account does not happen by chance. It requires meticulous planning and strategy just like every other social media platforms. It also requires creativity and time because it still boils down to one main thing at the end of the day – content.
So what are the steps needed?
#1 Understand Your Target Audience
Just as no two individuals are the same, no two social platforms are the same either. Every platform has their own strength and weaknesses as well as the way users are using them.
Before you set up your Instagram account, make sure you have done sufficient research on your target audience based on the existing analytics from your current social media platforms.
The data from your analytics will allow you to make a deeper analysis to gain better understanding on the engagement behaviours of your target audience as well as help you plan the frequency and hour of your postings. This is exceptionally important if you are going to automate your posts.
#2 Plan Your Content
Sure, the great thing about Instagram is that you can directly post images from your mobile. In fact, your audience may enjoy some behind-the-scene pictures to feel more connected to your brand.
Planning the type of images you want to post should also be part of your game plan. Remember we mentioned data analytics? Understand how your audiences will react to different forms of images based on your historical knowledge of them or third party sources of research.
Doing so will help you gain a better understanding of your target audience’s behaviours. It will also allow you to understand the kind of images that will appeal to them so that you can plan your content before you give into the temptation to snap-and-post.
It may even be worth it to go to extra mile and have your Instagram content taken with a professional camera instead. After all, a good picture always draws more attention than a blurry one with broken pixels! You may also wish to get a designer into the action to include your brand identity elements like logos, mastheads and captions in a strategic (and not overbearing) manner.
#3 Let the Conversation Flow
Imagine if you had gone to a party and the conversation between you and your host was one-sided all the time. During that evening, you were the only one dropping comments or doing the talking most of the time.
How would you feel? Probably a little disappointed and even a little insane by the end of the night!
In a similar fashion, remember that Instagram is a social platform – one where users are constantly interacting with each other. Hence, the social aspect of it is important.
Thus, you should always monitor your comment section and engage with as many of them as you can to encourage a conversation flow even if it means having extra time spent and more work to be done.
We live in a world where things and information are flowing at lightning speed. Unless you are able to churn out engaging content at that rate, your next best bet is to keep your target audience engaged through a conversation.
It takes a lot of effort to set up a branded account on any social platform; especially if your content involve visuals. However, it is always worth the effort once you get the ball rolling!
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