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?
Here are a few companies you should be following to see how it’s done right:
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!
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.
They have great pictures that tell a story and some of the video they share is amazing.
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.
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?
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:
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.
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