Instagram in 5 Easy Steps

By Jill Kurtz, Owner, Kurtz Digital StrategyInstagram is an excellent social media network for visual branding. If 2016 is the year of creating impact with videos and images, then Instagram is a great tool for the effort. Here are some tips for success with Instagram for your business.Complete your bioAs with any social channel, be sure to create a complete bio for your account. Fill out all the fields. Use consistent branding language and keywords.Instagram gives you one link space, so use it to your advantage. Be sure to add a link to something you want to promote and create posts with a call to action to click on the link in your bio.Post consistentlySocial media marketing is a commitment. Post consistently to stay in front of your audience’s eyes and keep growth going. Three posts a week is generally a good guideline.Be sure to keep your posts closely related to interests of your followers. Every post should have a purpose.Think two-wayPosting your thoughts is create, but don’t forget that great communication is a two-way street. Ask a few questions. Invite posts. Let your audience weigh in on questions and issues related to your business.Like and comment on content others are producing. Join in on conversations, follow hashtags and interact.Have a planHaving a strategy is not time-consuming! In fact, a good strategic plan will save you time and increase your impact. Think of your Instagram account as a key component of your brand outreach. Just as you would carefully plan any other initiative, plan your Instagram posts and images.Track your impactAnother benefit of taking time to have a plan is that setting your goals will help you to determine if you are being effective. And, since none of us has limited time, taking time to assess if Instagram works for you is important.Exactly what you measure depends on the goals you set for using Instagram. As for tools to gather analytics, Instagram will soon offer built-in analytics, but until then you can use Google Analytics, Squarelovin, or Websta.me.[author]About the Author: Jill Kurtz founded Kurtz Digital Strategy to help clients see the communication potential of the newest trends and technologies. She is an expert at website strategy and redesign, social media planning, and developing exceptional content. [/author]