Instagram promotions allow brands to reach high-value users and drive conversions. However, creating effective Instagram ads requires more than just great content.
It also involves knowing your audience demographics. This is where social media monitoring tools like Sprout can help. These can identify conversations your audience is participating in, influencers they follow and even specific audiences you can target.
Targeting Your Audience
A strong understanding of your audience on Instagram is crucial for a successful advertising campaign. This is especially true because Instagram’s visual nature means that your ads must be attractive and engaging to stand out.
Instagram Insights is a great tool for gaining insights into your current audience. It helps you learn more about who your followers are and what content they find engaging. Additionally, you can utilize influencer monitoring tools to understand your competitors’ followers and interests. If you have a website, creating custom audiences that target Instagram users based on their behavior on your site can be a useful way to retarget ads to those who have already expressed interest in your product. Similarly, you can target Instagram users who have visited your mobile app using app events. This is particularly effective for promoting app downloads.
Using Hashtags
Using hashtags is an effective method to promote your Instagram and reach out to your desired audience. However, it is crucial to be strategic in selecting the appropriate hashtags. Popular hashtags are often overcrowded and can get your post lost in a sea of posts. Instead, try using long(er)-tail or niche hashtags that are less competitive and provide a more targeted and contextually relevant reach.
Use a tool to find relevant hashtags and analyze their performance. Alternatively, you can also look at the hashtags used by your competitors to see which ones drive the most engagement for their content.
Hashtags can be added to a post in the caption or comment section. Remember that if your account is private, your hashtags will only be visible to people who follow you. Also, avoid repetitive hashtags, as Instagram may flag your account as spam. Aim to use a mix of both popular and niche/longtail hashtags on every post.
Using User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is a goldmine for marketers. It reflects a consumer’s interests and thoughts and creates social proof that helps buyers decide. It also reduces marketing costs and boosts engagement. For example, using UGC, Busabout reduced its content creation cost and saw increased followers and brand engagements.
UGC can be repurposed on social media, blog posts, and landing pages. It can be in the form of testimonials, photos, videos, or comments. Wayfair, a furniture and home goods company, uses UGC to feature customer photos of their products in their homes. This provides their audience with design ideas and social proof that they can use for their own homes.
You can encourage people to share content by mentioning your social media hashtag in your bio or asking them to DM you with their submissions. Some brands also add a reshare button on their site to make it easy for users to share their content.
Using Instagram Stories
Once you have identified your target audience on Instagram, it is important to devise a plan to engage with them effectively. You can use the tools Instagram provides to find and engage with your followers, as well as the platform’s standalone video platform, IGTV.
You can also use Instagram Stories to promote your products and services, particularly if you have videos of them in action. If you want to market your products effectively on Instagram, consider using videos to showcase them. Statistics show that Instagram users are likelier to buy products they see in videos. Other marketing techniques to reach your target audience on Instagram include using branded hashtags, posting product teasers, and creating sponsored ads. Sponsored ads, in particular, have become popular on Instagram as they are a cost-effective way to reach your target audience.
