{"id":2269,"date":"2018-09-19T16:08:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T16:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=2269"},"modified":"2023-10-18T17:35:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T17:35:42","slug":"small-business-instagram-more-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/ca\/blog\/small-business-instagram-more-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"Put Your Small Business on Instagram to Make More Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It only takes a few minutes after downloading Instagram on your mobile phone to see some beautiful things, from mountaintop pictures taken by travel influencers to the stylish wardrobe choices of leading fashion bloggers. There\u2019s also lots of average-looking content, like photos of someone\u2019s salad. In fact, the sheer volume of imagery on Instagram can be almost overwhelming — especially if you\u2019re trying to figure out how to use it to promote a small business.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, ignoring or avoiding Instagram is not really an option anymore. With users that now number more than one billion, it represents a key channel where most audiences are likely to be active today. Like all social services, it\u2019s also a two-way medium, which means even if a small business hasn\u2019t set up its own Instagram account, photos of its physical location, its employees or products might have been taken by customers or visitors and already posted there.<\/p>\n

Unlike other social services, however, the direct relationship between Instagram and driving sales hasn\u2019t always been clear. Though a \u201cbuy\u201d button was recently introduced, there are still limitations to where links to other content can be included on the service. Whereas Facebook might largely be used to share photos and video, and Twitter is focused on text, Instagram incorporates several kinds of media at once in its Stories feature<\/a>. You could do as much with Instagram or as little as you\u2019d like, in other words. The tricky part is figuring out how to do things that will matter to the bottom line.<\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019re a seasoned Instagram user in your personal life, running a business account might seem like a bit of a mystery. Start here to begin developing your Instagram strategy<\/a>, keeping closed deals and other sales results top of mind.<\/p>\n

Storyboard The Scope Of Your Instagram Content<\/h2>\n

The cameras included in our smartphones mean we can take pictures of anything, at any time — but that doesn\u2019t make it any easier to figure out what kind of images you should take and post on Instagram. Before you even set up an account, a good Instagram strategy<\/a> starts with thinking through your goals, the journey your customers tend to take and then build the strategy from there.<\/p>\n

Besides photos of your products, for example, think about how Instagram can be used as a top-of-funnel channel that drives awareness and interest about your brand. Some of the content forms that would make sense in here include:<\/p>\n