6 Tips for Growing a Corporate Instagram Account
By: Ronn Torossian, Founder & CEO of 5W Public Relations
September 16, 2019
Managing a corporate Instagram account comes with a unique set of obstacles. What should businesses be posting? Where does the content come from? How much information should be shared? Beyond the challenges of collecting content and finding time to manage the account, one of the most common frustrations is low engagement.
Here are a few tips for increasing engagement and growth on a corporate Instagram account:
Be realistic in identifying your audience. Understand that your follower base is not always your customer. We’d love to think that our posts are so interesting that our followers are converting into customers—and that our customers love us so much that they’re following us on Instagram. This is simply not the case. Even if you’re happy with the service your bank provides, you’re not likely to follow them on Instagram. However, you are likely to follow that account if you work in finance. Corporate accounts’ follower bases are largely made up of other industry professionals, relevant businesses, competitors, potential clients and employees. Keeping this in mind will help you improve your tone, increase engagement and retain followers.
Utilize employees. Your current employee base is likely to be your most engaged audience. Encourage them to follow and tag the account, generate content and comment on posts. Include Instagram information in internal newsletters and notify employees about relevant posts. It may take them a while to catch on, but it is an excellent way of showing off corporate culture while increasing comments and likes.
Engage with business associates. When you make a new business connection, it’s not a bad to idea to follow them on Instagram from your corporate account, which is likely to induce a follow-back. It may seem tedious, but building a follower base will not happen overnight. Making a point to engage with your business associates, partners, shareholders and clients will ensure you have a highly targeted audience that is more likely to engage. Draw them in by tagging them in relevant posts and commenting on theirs in return.
Embrace the power of celebrity. There is no better way to add credibility to your business than by aligning yourself with a relevant celebrity or respected business influencer. Invite them to attend an event or ask them to offer inspirational advice or a testimonial. If this person is respected in your industry, they are likely to give your account more clout.
Develop your CEO as a personality. Raising the profile of your CEO is a great way to reach your Instagram audience. Tag the business Instagram account in their personal posts and include the corporate account handle in presentations at at speaking engagements.
Post strategic content. Every post you make is an opportunity to gain or lose followers. Avoid being too formal (boring stock graphics) or too true-to-life (dimly lit office photos). Use professional photos from events, presentations and photo shoots. Be inspirational, informative and intriguing with your content. Give your followers value, offering something they can’t find through a Google search of your business.
The golden rule of every corporate Instagram strategy is quality over quantity. Remember who you’re speaking to, be patient, and your followers will reward you back.
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