A beginner’s guide to getting your business on Instagram

Instagram is a great tool for painters and decorators to utilise as it centres around sharing aesthetically pleasing images – and paint projects fit perfectly into the sorts of images that are popular. It’s free to use, though you will need to allow time to add new photos and captions and to reply and connect to others.

So, how do you do it?

Step 1: Setting up your business profile

Simply download the official Instagram app from the iOS or Android store and tap to open. You’ll then be asked to fill in your details (work email, name etc). After clicking ‘next’, find the settings, then scroll down until you see the option to switch to ‘business account’. Here, you can fill in your address and phone numbers, etc. You are now ready to start posting! But, what do you need to consider before posting photos?

Step 2: Optimise your profile

Instead of jumping the gun, it’s important to optimise your profile in order to be more discoverable to your target audience. Ensure your Instagram name matches that of other social media platforms and, of course, your business and its website. Within your bio, write a short and engaging description of what you do, your style and where you’re based. You can also include a link to your website in here too.

Now, it’s time to choose a profile image. We highly recommend using your company logo so that people will instantly recognise your brand. Ensure it’s high resolution and centred to fit perfectly within the circle frame.

Lastly, to boost your business profile’s presence, begin following a range of influencers, brands and customers relevant to you. This can be done through the use of hashtags (which we’ll get onto more later). If you see content you like, comment and interact with the profile to build rapport and get yourself noticed. This way, people may start following you too!

Step 3: Explore your Instagram insights

One of the main differences between a regular Instagram profile and the business version is that company Instagram users can view details on how their content is performing. You’ll be able to see details on the reach and impressions from your posts. You can also receive in-depth information regarding the gender, age, location and times that your most frequent users are viewing your content.

Simply look for the graph icon in the top right hand corner of your profile to find your insights.

What to consider when posting

Image quality

Due to Instagram being such a visual platform, you must ensure all images you share are of the highest quality and aesthetically stimulating. Blurry, pixelated images will not show off your work nor will they appeal to potential customers. Taking professional-looking photos doesn’t need to be hard. There are plenty of handy Instagram tutorials available to help.

Image subject

As a painter/decorator, you’ll no doubt want to show off your impressive projects. Before-and-after shots are a great way to showcase your work and give insight into what you are capable of doing as an industry expert. However, you must always ask permission to take and use photos of your client’s rooms.

Content consistency

No one wants to scroll through an Instagram feed that features unorganised and clashing images. Instead, they want to see a cohesive and flowing feed that depicts image after image of well thought-out and styled photographs. Therefore, always stick to one theme when posting, whether this be the filter you use or the style of photography you choose to adopt. By doing this, you will build and establish a look that’s recognisable to your followers.

Image captions

It’s all well and good posting fantastic shots of your work, but what good is it to your audience if they don’t know what’s going on. This is where captions come in. Take this opportunity to write a short and snappy caption detailing what you liked about the project in question, offer handy tips and advice or ask for opinions.

Hashtags

Hashtags are attached to content and allow users to browse posts that have chosen to include that specific hashtag. The right hashtag – or combination of – has the potential to expose your company to a wider range of targeted audiences. Research by Simply Measured found that posts with at least one hashtag averaged 12.6 per cent more engagement than those without.

Start off by using a range of specific hashtags related to your industry. This way, you won’t get lost in a sea of hashtags that generate millions of results, and instead you’ll be able to reach people closer to you and that actually have an interest in what you’re targeting.

Getting onboard Instagram gives you the opportunity to reach new customers and provide a showcase for prospective customers keen to see the type of projects you have worked on.

April 2018