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In business marketing, Instagram is one of the best tools in the modern era. This app has evolved beyond the photo-sharing app it used to be, with video content and reels taking it to the next level.
Instagram has begun to have a substantial informational social influence, and the platform has allowed the emergence of influencers who have the power to affect the buying habits or quantifiable actions of others because of the influencer’s authority, specialized knowledge, or insight into a specific subject. As a result, Instagram has become not only a powerful marketing tool but also a reputation management tool. Likes, followers, and comments are both social signals – the main triggers of the platform’s algorithms that promote the content so that more people see it and are evidence of trust. Therefore, many companies have appeared where you can buy Instagram followers with Apple Pay in a few seconds, just by pressing two buttons. But the main secret of success remains in engagement with the audience and customers. This rule works both in real life and for social networks.
Therefore, if you’ve considered using Instagram for your business, you might have several questions about it. What’s the best company for Instagram? How do you approach marketing there? Not only that, but how do you use Instagram for customer service? What are the best ways to satisfy your customers within the app’s limitations? This post will answer all of your questions and more.
Why Does Your Company Need an Instagram Account?
Let’s discuss some reasons why your company should have an Instagram account.
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You’re Marketing Towards Millennials and Gen-Z
If your business targets younger customers, you must be on Instagram. About 27% of Instagram’s users are between 25-34 years, with people who are slightly more youthful and older also being a part of it. Instagram is the hub for youth, and with over 1 billion users, you’re missing out if your business isn’t on it.
It Fits Any Business
With Instagram, you might imagine a specific type of business thriving, such as fashion. However, no matter how big or small your company is, and no matter what it offers, Instagram offers a potential audience for you.
The only requirement is to know who your audience is and what content they will enjoy. Then, by creating engaging content relevant to your audience, you can attract a crowd.
Instagram Humanizes Your Business
Another reason why Instagram is great for any company is that it offers your audience the human element. You can not only use Instagram to engage with your customers, but you can also use it to provide behind-the-scenes looks at your company. From your employees making your product, it can engage your audience like never before. Using Stories, you may humanize your business even further.
There Are a Sea of Influencers
Another reason it’s ideal to use Instagram for business is how many influencers there are. There are many accounts with tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of followers. Partnering with influencers can allow you to advertise your product through an understanding that people trust. Think of it as the modern-day celebrity endorsement, but for a price tag, you can afford it.
In addition, you can use Instagram to collaborate with other businesses. For example, you can sell your product at other stores or have a mutually beneficial advertising team-up.
Mobile is the Future, and Instagram is the King of Mobile
One reason Instagram is so popular is that more people use their phones for social media. The designers built Instagram from the ground up to work on mobile devices, with few people ever using its desktop version.
Because of this, Instagram is well-known for its clean interface and ability to make all posts noticeable. Therefore, having your account on a social media website meant for mobile is ideal.
There Are Many Tools To Promote Your Business
Another reason why many people love Instagram is that it comes with many different tools you can use to make your business marketing plan even better.
The first and most obvious is that you may create a business account. This option allows you to access various features that make managing your social media account easier. For example, it has a clean dashboard, a section for coupons, a collab tab, and more.
In addition, you’ll use Insights to see who likes your content and where they are from. Insights can be valuable if you want to know who to target next, as it can sometimes be tricky.
Another way that Instagram can help you is through its ads. You can create ads to post on Instagram, with it targeting the audience you want. In addition, you can advertise according to your budget, meaning you don’t have to worry about spending too much. Finally, you can track your ads to see their performance and then tweak them if needed.
You Can Keep an Eye on the Competition
With Instagram, all business accounts are open books. So if you have a business rival, you can visit their account to see what they’re posting and when they’re doing it. This insight can give you an idea of how your content direction should go.
You should not copy a competitor’s content, but seeing what they post will inspire you to take steps to create content that can attract your unique audience.
You and Your Audience Can Build Each Other Up
Say you sell clothing. If someone uploads a photo of themselves wearing your product, sharing the person’s post can help their profile while engaging your audience to post about your product. Your audience can spread the word of your business while you show them to your audience.
Social media advertising has become a bit of a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” situation, where both parties are helping build each other up. So take advantage of this, as it can help your account reach new heights.
It’s Creative
Businesses like Instagram because it allows you to advertise your product creatively. There are many ways to show your product or use unique imagery to get people interested in your brand through video and photos.
For some, it can be challenging to create creative posts, but if you work with the right people, you can get your brand out there while your customers.
It’s Always Improving
Instagram is constantly changing and adding new features to make marketing your business easier. With Instagram, you must look for the latest trends, hashtags, and algorithm changes. However, being on an app that keeps you on your toes can be good. If you can adapt, you can be one step above the competition.
It Can Be a Great Customer Service Tool
Finally, we should discuss Instagram as a customer service tool to transition to our next section. Instagram has many ways to make it suitable for the customer or to answer any of their burning questions. If you don’t know how Instagram customer service works, our next section will have you covered.
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How to Use Instagram for Customer Service
Now, let’s look at Instagram for customer service. On Instagram, there are many ways you can serve the customer, either through private messages or through public comments. Instagram can help your customers build trust with you and help to answer their questions and concerns much easier. However, many people do not know how to use it, which is where this section comes in.
Highlights Work Well for FAQs
You always want to have a frequently asked questions (FAQs) section with customer service. This section works well if you do not want to answer the same questions repeatedly, creating a containment zone for questions that are asked the most. Instagram Highlights allow your customers to read the FAQs in an easy-to-answer manner.
Add Contact Information to the Bio
Not everyone wants to use their Instagram account as their customer service profile. Some businesses use their website as a way to handle customer service. If you’re like that, adding contact information to your bio can be a valuable solution. You can direct your customers wherever they want them to reach you.
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Create a Customer Service Account
Some businesses separate their accounts, with their primary focus on content marketing, while others focus on customer service. Customer service accounts can help you contain your messages. In addition, you can hire a customer service representative to manage your messages on that account, allowing your customers to get their questions answered faster.
Take Advantage of the Quick Replies Feature
Instagram has a Quick Reply option, which means that if someone sends you a message, they receive a canned response.
Quick Replies can be good for several reasons. First, you can add quick replies to the FAQ section to ensure their question hasn’t already been answered. Quick Replies can tell a person that a representative will be with them shortly or tell them that customer support is closed and that they will get a message back during the next business day.
Quick Replies isn’t an advanced AI chatbot or anything, but it is a way to satisfy your customers until a person can reply.
Respond Fast
With social media customer service, customers expect more of a response time when compared to email or phone. So when you have a social media account dedicated to customer service, having push notifications can alert you or your account manager with every message or comment.
With customer service messages, there are boundaries. For example, unless you’re a big business, you will probably not have 24/7 customer service. However, during business hours, do not leave any comment or message unchecked past 30 minutes. If your account can respond to customer service messages quickly, it can help build trust with your business.
Reply to Comments
Sometimes, your customer service does not just involve answering messages. Occasionally you might receive an angry comment, and it’s up to you to reply ASAP. Replying to comments shows others that you’re willing to make it right and directs them to your customer service page.
When you respond to a comment, be sure to keep it personal. Canned “We’re sorry for your experience” replies can seem disingenuous to some. Could you keep it in your voice?
Reply to Tags
Another thing you must reply to is tags. For example, someone who wants customer support might not message or comment on your profile but tag you. For example, let’s say someone uploads a picture of a defective product they’ve received and tags you. You must respond to that and make it right ASAP.
Ask for Feedback
Customer service does not just come from solving customers’ problems. In other cases, you should ask people what changes they want to see for your company. For example, is there a way your team could improve a product of yours? Is there a way to manage the account better?
Asking for feedback not only shows that you are open to criticism, but it can be a way for you to improve your business via user feedback.
Your Voice
Let’s discuss the importance of keeping customer service responses in your voice. Your brand’s voice is a part of your company’s image, and having a laid-back but professional voice can be great for customer service. You want to show people you care while not sounding cold and corporate.
Consider Using All-in-One Social Media Tools
Chances are, you have more than one social media account. For example, since Instagram is owned by Meta (formerly Facebook), you can use their Messenger tool to manage both Instagram and Facebook messages. However, what about other social media profiles?
Luckily, there are social media tools available that can manage all your social media accounts. For example, you can work all your customer service messages in one program and even continue a conversation across multiple social media platforms.
Conclusion
As you can see, Instagram can be a valuable tool for almost any business. You can post unique content that can get the attention of new customers, and it contains various tools you can use to get the most out of your business profile. In addition, Instagram is great when you want to reach out to your customers and help them with any issue. Instagram works well as a feedback tool too.
So if you have a business, try using Instagram. While it can take a bit to build up a profile, it can be a worthwhile experience once you’ve done so.
