Instagram for your Business

A love it or hate it social media platform; it’s no secret that Instagram is a prominent feature in our every day lives.¬†

From following your favourite influencer, content creator or brand to catching up with friends and family, Instagram is known primarily as an image-based platform. With 26.54 million UK users as of June 2020, it’s easy to see why it’s so beloved.

But with so many users experiencing content daily Рit can be hard to break through the noise…

Let’s start at the best place, the beginning!

Personal, Creator or Business Account?

Following the massive growth of the platform for brands and influencers, Instagram introduced a Business and Creator account option alongside a Personal account.

Each option has different access to elements such as Stickers, Analytics and even DM capabilities – but which account is best for you and your growing salon?

Since you are a business owner, here at Sienna – we’d highly recommend switching your account settings over to a Business Account if you haven’t already!

Doing so allows you access to insights about your account, posts, your audience (when over 100 followers) – you can even enhance your profile with location, phone number and also booking treatments with the right integration!

What do I share?

The age-old question – what content do I share?

To make it simple, we always recommend creating content that you would like to see, and what resonates with you and your brand, rather than trying to conform to any specific style.

This way, your audience and potential clients are more likely to fall within your target market.

For example, as a spray tanning professional – why not take a look at creating content that shows off your skillset, services and even fab feedback from happy clients. You can include elements of your personal life too, such as behind the scenes of the salon/business on the go to help show off your personality and create a sense of relatability for your audience,

Growing your brand

As we mentioned, since the platform is so loved, it can help significantly to propel and boost the growth of your brand and business.

This consistent growth comes from posting to your account regularly, both on your grid and your stories. There’s no recommended level of consistency provided to us from Instagram themselves; however, from strategies used in-house over the years, our Marketing team suggests posting to your grid at least once per day and to your stories at least five times per day.

This may seem like a daunting task at first, however, with a strong plan for the week or month ahead we promise it’ll get easier! Plus, not every story needs to be sharing direct business content – even a ‚ÄúGood Morning‚Äù post with a cup of coffee/tea does wonders to help your audience feel included in your daily goings-on.

How do I create a stunning feed like my favourite influencer?

It’s easy to look at your favourite influencer and become a little green with envy of their beautifully curated feed, filled with high-quality images and unique and thought worthy caption, however, it’s actually easier than you think to create this for yourself!¬†

What you may not see in their stories are their batch content creation days and even photo flops! Even they aren’t entirely perfect!

If you’re on the search to create the perfectly curated feed that draws in all of the engagement, why not take a leaf out of their book? Once a month or so, get the team together and dedicate as much time as you can to creating a large batch of content that can be used later on down the line.

Bring a few different outfit changes, some lippy options or even treat each other to the best selling treatment so that you have a few different options, angles and even backgrounds. This way, you have a block of content to hand which can be planned in weeks in advance.

To make sharing it even easier, we’d also recommend taking a look at a visual planner and scheduler for Instagram. Our favourites include Plann and Later. Software such as these helps you to see exactly what your grid will look like without posting it onto your account.

One final tip from the team: invest in a sturdy ring light. 

You can find these on Amazon for ease, but they’re amazing for creating well-lit images and videos that look natural and even for the ultimate Instagram worthy feed. You can even use it for a little selfie station in the salon too for those all-important client feedback photos. 

Remember to have fun with your account!

As much as your social media is key to the growth of your brand and your business, a crucial thing to remember is to have fun with your account!

Without this, marketing and promoting your business will seem like more of a chore, rather than something you enjoy!

We’d love to know what other tips and tricks you want to know to help your business grow online! Let us know by filling in our handy form!

For more advice and guidance, be sure to follow us on social media via our Instagram & Facebook pages.