4 Brand-Building Tips on Using Instagram for Your Business

How to Create a Powerful Instagram Social Media Marketing Strategy

One of the most powerful marketing tools marketers have today is social media. From Facebook posts to tweets on Twitter, sharing your products or services on social media platforms is a great way to increase brand awareness, engagement, sales and leads.

However, many people are left scratching their heads when it comes to marketing with Instagram.

Many of us use Instagram as a personal account to post photos of our family, friends, vacations and food - but how can it tie into business? And should it?

With the speed of which Instagram is growing, don't underestimate its value to boost your brand and marketing efforts.

It has grown into an incredibly valuable marketing platform and even though the 18-29 year old's are still prevalent users, the higher age groups are catching on and catching up fast.

Some 2018 Instagram stats from Sprout Social are telling:

• 7 out of 10 hashtags on Instagram are branded

• 80% of users follow a business on Instagram

• 65% of top-performing Instagram posts feature products

If you feel the tug to explore Instagram as part of your social media marketing strategy, check out these initial pointers to help you get started:

1. Use Hashtags Wisely

You don't need to cram every hashtag you can think of in one post, but you do need at least a few.

A hashtag is the # sign followed by descriptive words about your image as in this example, I used #marketing and #ctaconf, which was the conference I was attending at the time.

When a user clicks/taps on a hashtag or types a hashtag into the search box, it brings up all images that use that hashtag. The user can even subscribe to continue to follow that hashtag.

The hope is the user will see your photo, head to your profile and best-case scenario, follow you and get engaged with more of your posts!

However, when hashtags are extremely popular, the competition to show up in the results is fierce. Similar to SEO keywords, the more popular a term is, the harder it is to stay at the top of the search results. Thus, my example of using #marketing really was futile if I wanted to get any traction from that post.

You want to make your hashtags relevant to your business and location, but also engaging enough that a user would type them into Instagram's search box.

For instance:

• Say you have a pizza joint in Vancouver. You post a pic of your Pepperoni pizza with the hashtags #VancouversBestPizza #NicolosRestaurant #DeliciousDeepDish

• Or you're a Toronto wedding planner. You post an image of a bride and groom's first dance with the hashtags #TorontoWeddingPlanner #LoveWins #WinterWedding

Holidays and special events are an excellent time to promote your business and gain Instagram followers. Whether it's a sale on Black Friday, a Thanksgiving-related use for your product or a product shout-out on National Dog Day, they are all ideal opportunities to showcase your business brand in a non-salesy way.

2. Thank Your Audience for Showing Up

You don't just post a bunch of photos and hashtags and wait for the likes to roll in.

To gain Instagram followers, engage with your audience and grow sales or leads, you need to put in the time.

See an example here from video expert Michele Moreno where she responds back to each of the comments left on her video post.

So if someone leaves a comment or question on one of your posts, take the time to reply and thank them/answer their question.

Take a look at their profile, and if you like what you see, follow them.

Businesses often follow commenters first, in the hopes that they might return the favour.

You can also look for people who might be interested in your product, then comment on their photos and/or follow them, but don't spam them with an ask to follow you right away.

3. Interact with the Right Influencers

Influencers are Instagram users who can influence your target audience because of their popularity and/or social media following.

Danielle Bernstein is a good example of an influencer who worked with a brand. You may not recognize her name, but the 1.8 million followers of her Instagram account WeWoreWhat do.

Bernstein and FIJI Water worked together to create BodyWoreWhat, a marketing campaign offering 8-minute workout videos with her and her personal trainer.

That may be an extreme example, and unless you have deep pockets you probably won't be able to attract an influencer with almost two million followers.

But don't despair. From mommy bloggers to local foodies, you can always find someone who your target audience follows, likes or admires. Maybe they'd be willing to review your product or take a photo using it - use your imagination!

4. Don't Just Shill Your Products

Instagram is not the place to simply share product shots all the time. Think of the experience people have using what you're offering, or the benefits it gives people.

Even better, show real-examples. Asking for user-generated content from your audience is one way to do this. That means that users share their photos using a hashtag you provide.

The online furniture store Wayfair.com does user-generated content very well. They have a user-generated campaign that lets customers share photos of their stylish Wayfair-filled homes using the hashtag #WayfairAtHome.

Be sure to let people know that their images might be featured on your page and you can increase your Instagram content big time - for free!

No matter how you use Instagram for your business, be authentic and true to your brand. It's what the platform is all about, and it's going to help you grow your business, gain Instagram followers and attract sales or leads.

Susan Friesen, founder of the award-winning web development and digital marketing firm eVision Media, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant. r. She works with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence.

4-Brand-Building-Tips-on-Using-Instagram-for-Your-Business

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Instagram Hashtags: How To Find And Use Them | Secret Strategies From An...

Content Marketing Strategy 2019

The Power of Content Marketing

WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?

Content marketing is described as a strategic approach to marketin that focuses on the creation
and distribution of valuable, consistent and relevant content to attract a certain refined audience
for profits in the consumer market.

Most leading brands hire people with courses in content marketing to improve the branding of the
product or service being marketed in the public domain and also benefits enterprises by increasing
 sales, cost saving and getting more and better consumers with higher loyalty.

THE NECESSITY OF CONTENT MARKETING

Marketing has revolutionized today due to the digitization of almost everything around us. Mass
 media is targeted to reach the specific audience for which the product or service has been catered
 for. Quality content is extremely essential for successful marketing along with a well-defined plan
or strategy.

Different forms of content marketing like social media marketing, search engines publishing quality
and consistent content, successful PR strategies, inbound marketing etc. are dependent on a proper
 content strategy that helps deliver the perfect content for a curated or mass audience.

Today, everything is digital. Marketing for almost anything, be it political, retail products or services,
food or academic books etc., Everything is effectively and almost freely marketed via social media
platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. Most of these social media websites and search
engines pop up relevant ads according to the searches we make across the Internet.

STATEGY FOR CONTENT MARKETING

Content marketing must be smart so as to capture the attention of the target audience for the service
or product. Targeting the youth on social media, the elderly via television and radio advertisements
are some of the strategies for smart content marketing.

The content must be designed in such a way so as to target the right audience in their mindset.
Map the content for the product or service and then try to use the right type of content for the
problem by mapping the buying cycle of people who have the specified problem and would be
 willing to venture into the product or invest in the service.

VARITIES OF CONTENT

Different types of content are available suitable for different marketing strategies like vlogs, videos,
advertisements, billboards, surveys, email newsletters, posts on social media pages like Instagram,
Facebook, Twitter etc., Polls, podcasts, quizzes, outreach programs, photographs, predictions, news
etc.

Each option has its own benefits and can be used according to the demand of the situation. The
single main goal of marketing is to increase business revenue and there are numerous ways to
achieve that.

Content marketing requires creative brainstorming from professionals who can analyze the minds
and thinking of the consumer to decide which approach is best to capture their attention. Interactive
and creative content will definitely help make a product or service successful.

Content marketing Sydney can help employees in organizations make the best use of their creative
 skills to create content for marketing purposes with the help of digital agency Sydney to specialize
in digital marketing and help deploy quality content for customers.

The-Power-of-Content-Marketing

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Quality vs. Quantity: Creating a Content Strategy in 2019 |

How to Become a Successful Self Made Forex Trader

To really be successful at Forex trading, you need to have it at the back of your mind that Forex will definitely pay you well if you'll only work hard with patience and consistency. The market may already be saturated with traders, but there is always room at the top if you're willing to pay the price.

Forex is the largest market on earth, with a trade volume of over $4.5 trillion. That is a huge amount of money, but it's more or less expected when you consider that most currencies, if not all, are traded in the Forex market. People from different locations around the globe take part in it, and it has been in existence since the days of trade-by-batter, when it wasn't known as Forex.

However, so much has changed since the inception of Forex. In the past, Forex trading was as simple as using gold and silver as a method of international payment (which were usually affected by global supply and demand). These days, prospective traders with the view of a successful Forex career will have to be more specific and familiar with the modern strategies of the Forex market.

Here are questions you must ask yourself if you want to be a successful Forex trader.

1. HAVE YOU MADE UP YOUR MIND?

Before you even register with a Forex broker to trade Forex, you need to make up your mind to do what it takes to be a successful trader; otherwise you'll just while away your time and eventually quit. You may think that your drive at the moment will see you through Forex ups and downs, but successful and experienced Forex traders beg to differ - human psychology is a major Forex demon.

It is an established fact that human psychology, if not controlled, can ruin a trader.

If you're not able to control you psychology, that means you allow your emotions to come into play all the time, controlling how you approach a trade. If trades are going well, emotions are high; you're happy, and willing to continue trading. If trades are not going well, you feel bad, and unwilling to continue.

On the other hand, if you learn to control your emotions and not allow them to come in the way of trade, then you can leverage your psychology in trading. You know that there are bad times, but you also know that they will pass with time.

If you do not have a strong determination to make it big as a Forex trader, it is only a matter of time before you throw in the towel. Every successful trader out there fought the battle of the Forex market, and so should you.

2. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE Forex MARKET?

Just like education is important in life, it is also important in Forex trading. You most likely do not need a degree to be able to trade Forex, but you have to study the proven tactics of Forex to help you trade better.

For you to get it right as a Forex trader, you must understand the following

1. Terminologies used in Forex trading

2. The different strategies applicable and when they can be applied for maximum benefits.

3. Forex time zone

4. Forex brokers

5. Trading platforms and software

6. Forex news

7. Trading tools

A good knowledge of all these and more will put you in a better position to trade the market profitably, even as a newbie.

It is important to note that studying the Forex market is a continuous process so long as you're a Forex trader. That is the only way you can keep up with the indisputable changes that take place in the market.

3. WHO WILL BE YOUR Forex BROKER?

While you're researching on what there is to know about the Forex market, take some time out to do quality research on how and where to find a reliable Forex broker. Having a good broker goes a long way to determine if your trades will be successful or not.

To find the right broker for you, you have to first of all select a number of reliable brokers with good reputation based on your regional regulatory compliance. Beware of brokers that are not regulated by authority bodies; they tend to operate carelessly, and they cannot be questioned by anyone; unlike the regulated ones monitored by the regulatory bodies.

Go ahead to narrow your selection down to find out what broker can meet your specific needs as a Forex trader. Most brokers will allow their prospective clients to test their services with a demo trading platform before deciding whether to register with them or not. You're allowed to experiment with as many trading platforms as possible to help you choose the best broker to work with.

Also take note of the packages offered by the broker and go for the one that best suits you. Be sure to consider the initial deposit, spreads and commissions, leverage and margin, etc.

Never register with a broker on the account of a positive review or reference. There are different kind of brokers and traders, and it is your responsibility to carry out researches to find one that best suits your style as a Forex trader.

4. IS DEMO TRADING REALLY NECESSARY?

A demo account is a "pretend" Forex trading account. It has almost everything you can find in a real Forex account, except that it is not real. It is a simulated platform where traders, old and new alike, can trade Forex for free.

With a demo account, you can

- Trade with simulated money

- Test a broker's services

- Get familiar with a particular trading platform

- Gain notable experience about the Forex market

- Develop a Forex strategy suitable to your trading methods

- Learn to control your emotions while you trade

So, you see. Demo trading is really necessary.

5. WHAT TRADING STRATEGY SHOULD I CHOOSE?

As a new Forex trader, you'll be amazed to find out there's a huge volume of strategies for Forex trading. There are so many of them that it is confusing and stressful trying to find the right one to trade with. A lot of them are not simple enough for new traders, and should be avoided. It is always better to start with the simplest ones and then add to it as you progress in knowledge and experience of the trade.

Understand that you don't need to develop a trading strategy yourself, especially if you're new. Choose from a number of strategies designed by professional traders to benefit newbie Forex traders.

Note that it is at your own risk to trade with any strategy; and a strategy that worked gloriously well for mister A may be a disaster for you if you trade with it. To avoid this, be sure to test any strategy on a demo account to see if it's a good fit.

CONCLUSION:

There is no need to hurry; the Forex market is always open to traders from all over the world. To this note, it is best to take your time and approach Forex trading with caution at every step of the way. Failure is inevitable, but if you've really made up your mind to trade Forex, no failure will be enough to deter you.

If you fail, dust yourself up and try again. Do not stick to a particular strategy if it's not working well for you. The same applies to brokers and trading platforms; change them if they're not a good fit for you. Learn something new about Forex trading every day, practice what you've learnt, with steadfastness, and success will find you.

How-to-Become-a-Successful-Self-Made-Forex-Trader

Hi there,

I am UC, a professional freelance writer.

If you'd like me to write for you based on Forex trading, business, and finance, get in touch with me through my email - uc@writematics.com.

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