How to turn
your Instagram page
into something great

The basics

This way, we optimize our Instagram page for people who are looking for a local business. Think of your Instagram as handing out business cards for your business. Therefore, your Instagram should cover a bunch of questions:

- What

- Where

- When

Often people tend to overcomplicate things on Instagram, whereas the Instagram profile of your business should be clear and simple so people can find what they are looking for. In this article we’ll walk over the following features + bells and whistles that Instagram offers to make the most out of your page:

• Logo This part speaks for itself. Only if you haven’t a logo. Then, think about you as the owner of your business as a profile page, or an image of your location.
• Bio A snappy and thoughtful description of your business. Use the 140 characters to describe what you are doing, what your “claim to fame” is, and how people could do business with you. Don’t waste characters on listing your city, since you can also include your address that’ll be shown right underneath your bio. 
• First 9 pictures This is what most people will see in their app before they have to scroll. So always ensure these nine posts are strong and represent your brand well. Lots of businesses also pin a couple of earlier posts. This is especially useful if you have posted some eye-catching posts in the past that basically everyone should see. 
• Highlights You can highlight (recent) story posts and add an image/label to bundle these in a story highlight. We see many businesses use this to highlight specific elements of their business. For example, if you run a beauty salon: a highlight with “salon rules”, “reviews”, “price list”, etc. This way, similar to interacting with a website - people can quickly find the information they seek.

We basically just mentioned it in the last paragraph already. When you think about it, in many ways, your Instagram page resembles everything that a website can do too.

To sum it up:

Similar to how you don’t update your website every day, you don’t have to update your Instagram page every day. You are good to go as long as you have the above-mentioned “basics” covered. Remember that you do have to post new stuff every now and then, but it makes a heck of a difference when you have your logo, bio, first 9 posts, and highlights neatly in a row.

Do more with Instagram

To maximize your visibility, leverage Instagram's features effectively. These features include:

Instagram Stories: Instagram Stories are a powerful tool for businesses. They not only offer you a chance to interact more directly with your followers but also allow you to share live updates, promotions, or behind-the-scenes looks. Remember, a well-utilized story can improve engagement rates and draw more attention to your profile. Also, since they are gone after 24 hours you have a bit more freedom to not have it all look picture-perfect. (And if they do, pin them to your highlights!)

IGTV/Reels: Video content is more engaging than text, and Instagram offers IGTV and Reels for you to share longer-form and short-form videos, respectively. Sharing quality video content helps you demonstrate your product or service in action, giving your potential customers a better understanding of what you offer. With Reels, you can also add categories, opening up your content to an audience that might not follow you (yet), but could be interested in getting to know you!

Engage with your audience

It's not enough to just post content. Engaging with your audience is vital for growth and establishing trust. Here are a few tips:

Respond to comments: This shows your followers that you value their input and take the time to read their thoughts. It also encourages more interaction on your posts.

Use Instagram Live: Instagram Live is a great way to engage with your followers in real-time. You can use it for Q&A sessions, product demonstrations, or to discuss industry news.

Run Contests or Giveaways: These are excellent ways to increase engagement and expand your reach. Ensure the conditions of the contest include actions that benefit your page, such as tagging friends or sharing your post.

Analytics

Finally, to ensure your Instagram page truly becomes something great, you need to understand what works for your audience and what doesn’t. Use Instagram's analytics tools to track engagement and learn which posts your audience responds to most positively. This way, you can adjust your content strategy accordingly. Remember, success on Instagram isn't achieved overnight. It's a process that requires regular adjustments and improvements.

Instagram will also suggest times when your audience is most active. This way, you up the chances of the visibility of your content. Since we have nothing to hide, we learned that for the Vev account, it’s apparently on workdays at 4:00p. The more you know!