No doubt you’ve heard of Instagram, you may even have a personal account on the incredibly popular social media site. But do you have a business account?
If you’re a business that markets and sells to other types of businesses, you may think Instagram isn’t for you, but you’d be wrong. Instagram’s growing popularity is the perfect platform for individuals and businesses alike.
In a 2016 Pew Research survey, they found 32% of online adults use Instagram compared to 29% that are active on LinkedIn. And even more telling, 51% of Instagram users utilize the platform daily, as opposed to just 18% on LinkedIn. So the bottom line, there are more opportunities to get content in front of your audience on Instagram.
So what B2B company or industrial business is rocking it on Instagram?
Business Examples
Here are a few companies you should be following to see how it’s done right:
MailChimp
They engage their followers with whimsical content that grabs your attention as you scroll through your newsfeed. People like Instagram for the visual inspiration and MailChimp delivers. For instance, they celebrated National Hot Dog day with a photo of a hot dog in a bun, lots of toppings, and the word “MailChimp” scrolled across the dog in mustard. Truly attention grabbing!
Staples
The folks at Staples do a lot of things right when it comes to Instagram content, but there are two that particularly grab our attention — engaging with followers by asking questions and including calls-to-action in captions, and staying true to the brand’s playful-yet-practical personality.
When it comes to engaging Staples’ followers, it’s all about asking questions in the photo captions.
Staples does a great job staying true to the brand by posting fun photos to engage their following.
Exxon Mobile
They have great pictures that tell a story and some of the video they share is amazing.
HubSpot
This company shares their insightful and educational blog posts through Instagram. One thing you’ll notice that’s missing from their photos . . . obvious marketing for their company. They are simply engaging followers with valuable content.
Hootsuite
Followers like to know what your company is about and Hootsuite frequently uses their Instagram account to show off their company culture. This allows followers to actually “see” who they’re working with and learn a little more about the company’s philosophies. This creates a warm interaction for followers instead of a cold marketing platform.
Be sure to follow these brands for inspiration. While you’re at, search out a few other brands that you use either for your business or at home and take notice of their posts. What story are they telling? How are they engaging followers?
Hashtag Examples
Do a search on key hashtags that are key for your industry. You will find what others are posting. Some hashtag examples:
#metalfabrication
#oildrilling
#petroliumengineering
#welding
#drillingrig
These are just a few. Just do searches and see what they are posting. Get ideas as to how you could use Instagram for your industrial or manufacturing business.
Instagram allows you to engage your followers by:
- Creating brand awareness. You can use your content to entice prospects to follow you and learn more about your company.
- Connecting with your brand. You can use popular hashtags to gain new followers and you can repost images using the Repost app, allowing you to share content that is relevant. The power of the hashtag is mighty. IBM, for instance, created the “#viewfrommydesk” hashtag to encourage their employees to share more about the company by showing where they work. This hashtag took off and became extremely popular, with millions of posts.
- Giving followers an inside glimpse. People like to know about the businesses they’re working with. Using your Instagram feed to give an inside view of your company will allow your prospects to learn more about you and trust your business.
The bottom line is, if your business is not on Instagram, you’re missing a valuable opportunity to engage with your prospects and build your brand. Yes, Instagram is for industrial businesses.
