Social media, especially Instagram, has a lot of noise and by noise, we mean so many videos, photos, ads and direct messages, post recommendations popping up at once! So if you want to direct your strategy and invest time in promoting your local business on Instagram, you really need to understand the different features of the platform, how it operates and what opportunities lay in it for you.
Now, we won’t waste your precious time in making you understand how important social media is for your business. From lead generation to gaining feedback and from customer engagement to customer service, a social media platform can really function as a full-fledged website for your business. Though, it is equally important for you to have your own website as well and cannot disregard it.
In this blog, we will share with you some tips that you can incorporate into your social media strategy for promoting your local business on Instagram. So take a pen and paper to take notes because they’ll come in handy!
Let’s dive in.
Create An Account That’s Local For Your Target Audience
Most individuals are unaware of the fact that your Instagram bio aids in customers finding your company. Local keywords will make it easier for users to connect your account with the neighbourhood. Include local terms, your area, and even local hashtags.
If you are a social media marketing agency in Bangalore, for instance, you may mention the name of your company along with the name of your city in your bio.
In your regular Instagram posts, share some local pride and talk about the events hosted in the city or the neighbourhood, sales and discounts for local consumers, or even partner with local PR firms to get your Instagram featured in listings. You may even repost content made by your local customers to increase account engagement.
If your business works across the country, it is a wise idea to have a parent account of the company and sprout local accounts for all the places your company operates. The idea is to democratise access to your business for the local community.
Leverage Or Create Local Hashtags
To connect with other Instagram users in your area, utilise regional hashtags. Users of the platform can use hashtags to search for certain content based on their interests or location. Both captions and images can make use of them. Additionally, geotagged images can help you be found by consumers looking for nearby companies.
For example, if you are running a social media campaign for a local cafeteria in Bangalore, you may want to include the words “Bangalore”, your “street name”, the exact “area” and the name of your cafeteria in the hashtags. Therefore, consistently employing local hashtags will assist your brand or business attract more local attention.
Use Geotags
Even though it might seem clear, many local businesses overlook the use of this tactic of geotagging their Instagram posts. This feature can promote social selling if you use Instagram shopping tools in the right way.
You must let Instagram users know where to find your local business if you want them to learn about it and go there. If you go to Instagram’s search and search for, say a cafe, and then click on “places” you will find all the places this cafe is present.
Users are taken to a map page within the app when they click the location link, which pinpoints the exact location of your company. It displays further content that was published from this place. This means people can find your posts if they are geotagged.
Ride The Trend
Instagram is sometimes the source of trends and sometimes it is a carrier which is why so many businesses vouch for Instagram marketing. Either way, it is a great platform to set or follow trends. It’s crucial to stay informed by checking into your local feed if you want to spot local trends. Instagram’s algorithm is more user-specific than other social media networks like LinkedIn or YouTube, which list the top trending material in a given area. As a result, it’s important to listen carefully if you want to find out what’s popular in your community.
To keep up with the latest trends, you may take easy actions like engaging with local hashtags, enabling notifications for live influencers in your region, and making sure to follow trendsetters in your neighbourhood. It is also a good idea to keep a track of Instagram’s story features in 2022 and see how your business can leverage them.
However, if something is a trend it does not mean it is necessarily good or relevant for your business. If you are promoting your local business on Instagram, and are new to this whole game, it is best to talk about non-controversial topics that will not hamper the perception people have of your business.
Promoting The Local Lifestyle
Just like your SEO services can optimise your business for search engines, creating posts that highlight a local lifestyle can optimise your account for your local target audience.
While the voice and persona behind your postings must remain constant across all platforms, you need to pay attention to the local lifestyle and make it a part of your social strategy.
In order to avoid blanket posting—using the exact same message and material across all social media platforms—you must carefully walk the line between keeping consistent and posting original content. A great way to do this is by creating posts that demonstrate a local lifestyle to engage audiences around the same area. Include nearby landmarks, and festivals, appreciate the local government and ask your followers their opinion on new developments in the local areas.
Be Consistent
If you want to promote your local business on Instagram or any business for that matter, being consistent on social media is key to high engagement. You can deploy scheduling and reporting tools for social media to make your life easier. Using such tools can help you plan ahead and gives you enough buffer to inject content spontaneously if you have to.
Moreover, consumer attitudes and behaviours shift, which means your Instagram followers’ tastes will also shift. Always keep an eye out for the content that generates the greatest interaction and look into any sudden surges in shares, likes, and comments.
The ball is rolling and seems to be in the court of those who take social media marketing seriously. Promoting a local business on Instagram can be challenging but with the right tools and planning schedule, you can be sure to attract and retain the attention of your target audiences for the long term.
All the best!
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