A 2019 Guide for Instagram Business Accounts

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Instagram was initially introduced to the digital world in 2010 and quickly gained popularity. A few years later, Facebook took over its ownership with an estimated user count of 1 billion monthly active users. With the number of users rapidly increasing, Instagram was identified as an excellent tool for marketers to promote products, services and ideas. In May 2016, Instagram made a move that shifted culture, launching the Instagram business account – a powerful way for businesses to advertise and market. The feature is available for both IOS and Android globally.

What’s so unique about the Instagram business account?

When you consider the number of users interacting with and viewing pages on Instagram, it’s easy to understand why it makes such an excellent platform for business marketing. The Instagram business account is easy to set up, and it functions very similarly to a Facebook business page.

In this day and age, most people access social media platforms from mobile devices. As an elegant platform with high reach, Instagram is optimal for efficient and effective marketing to mobile users.

Currently, Instagram consists of 25 million business profiles and 2 million active advertisers. Nearly 200 million users visit business profiles daily. Unsurprisingly, Instagram users claim to discover plenty of new products on the platform.

To make things easier, Instagram business accounts don’t have to be created separately. You can easily convert your personal account into a business account at any time.

 

Setting up the Instagram business account

Setting up a business account on Instagram is simple and free – all you need to sign up is a phone number, email address, and active Facebook account. After your account is successfully set up, it’s time to start posting and advertising! Check out this list of ads you can execute with an Instagram business account and some tips for attaining maximum reach.

For more information on your Insta posts, we recommend this infographic by TechWyse listing the dimensions and requirements of each ad.

Instagram Business Account Infographics

[ Source TechWyse Internet Marketing ]

  1. Image Ads

One of the most effective ways to advertise your business is with an eye-catching image. When displayed on the feed, your image is cropped to a square (aspect ratio 1:1), but it can be added as a landscape or portrait image. The format used must always be JPG.

  1. Video Ads

Video ads have the potential to reach a wider audience as video content is given more importance on Instagram feeds. Videos ads also play in a 1:1 aspect ratio with a limit of 120 seconds.

  1. Stories Ads

Stories are wildly popular on Instagram right now, so there’s a lot of potential for businesses when it comes to connecting with users through fresh, daily content. Stories work best in portrait (9:16 aspect ratio) with images that appear for 5 seconds or videos up to 15 seconds.

  1. Collection Ads

Collection Ads transform your page into an online shopping portal – an excellent way to showcase multiple products for your business. A Collection Ad consists of a cover image or video along with a few product images. The aspect ratio of the cover image should be 1:1 or 16:9 with a limit of 90 characters for the description.

  1. Carousel Ads

A carousel ad allows you to add more than one image or video in a single post. The ad is directly linked to your Facebook page or website. You can use these ads to showcase a series of services. Always make sure you have multiple compelling images before executing a carousel ad.

 

Using Paid Promotions

Paid promotions are very cost-effective on Instagram. Click the “promote” option on a post, and follow these steps:

Decide where to post– Your post can be promoted on your profile, website or storefront. You can also send your post as a direct message to all your contacts. 

Select a Target Audience– The target audience is based on the nature of the post. Instagram selects the audience automatically according to your followers, or you can choose manually. It is always a good idea to select your audience manually according to the content and purpose of each post.

Set your budget– You have the option to set your campaign according to the set budget per day. Instagram will provide a rough estimate on your post reach with the selected budget. Your budget will determine the reach; however, you can run a cost-efficient campaign even with a limited budget.

 

Bonus tips for your Instagram Ads

The objective is key: To succeed in anything, having a clear objective is essential. For a successful Instagram campaign, aim for these goals: reach, act, convert. Start with obtaining maximum reach by creating eye-catching, engaging ads. Then, get your audience engaged and learning about your brand with useful information and valuable content. Lastly, incorporate a strong call to action so you can convert!

Use the description field wisely: Instagram doesn’t allow external links to other sites, so stay away from URLs on your ad description as they’re non-clickable.

Design your ads for mobile: Instagram is made for mobile use, so it’s best to make your ads optimized for mobile. Take advantage of the full-screen experience on Instagram and create ads that use all the vertical real estate of your screen.

Hashtags are essential: Increase your reach with hashtags – a powerful way to get your content in front of new audiences. Always incorporate relevant hashtags into your posts. Keep an eye out for trending topics!

Be consistent with your engagement: Instagram’s algorithm is automated to catch fresh and relevant posts, so posting regularly is imperative to get your posts onto users’ feeds.

Check the post insights regularly: Post insights help you understand which posts perform better and reveal insight to help you better plan upcoming posts and campaigns.

 

Instagram is an excellent social media platform for business, with high marketing potential. With the proper posts, right campaigns and an active account, it won’t be long before you see measurable results for your business!