Post your way up! - Instagram for SMEs

More than a billion people use the Instagram social media platform every month and over 60% of them are looking for new products. So it's no wonder that companies all over the world are increasing their budget for marketing on the medium every year. But what does this mean for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) on the German-speaking market? Can only the very big brands and influencers assert themselves in Instagram marketing or do you, as an operator of a bakery, a bistro or a hostel, also benefit from the app's numerous, largely free advertising tools? In the following, we will show you what advantages you even have over large companies as an SME entrepreneur and what tools you can use to increase the profits of your business in the long term.

Instagram marketing just for the big boys?

Instagram has quickly become an unimaginably large meeting place, where over 500 million people from all over the world gather every day. The logical result: Companies from all industries are trying to use the platform for themselves and invest huge sums of money in advertising to maximize their profits. As a rather small company in the catering, retail or service sector, you can certainly ask yourself how you are even supposed to assert yourself on this huge marketplace. You can find the answer when you compare your company directly with large corporations: Where the latter have difficulty interacting approachably and personally with the respective customer base due to their size, you have the opportunity to establish close ties and a real relationship with your customers. As the boss of a pastry shop that you run as a family business, for example, you have the opportunity to let your followers participate authentically and directly in the preparation of the cakes or the collaboration within your team. So take advantage of the opportunity and interact with your followers. If Susanne Möller asks under your post about the new muffins whether she can pick up 20 pieces on Monday morning to take them to the office, you can initiate the next sale with a single answer via the comment function. The following study from 2018 proves that a large number of German SMEs are already working successfully with Instagram: two fifths of all companies surveyed said they had increased their sales with the help of the app.

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But it is not only the sale of products and services that can be demonstrably increased through Instagram marketing, the presence on the platform helps over a third of the respondents to find suitable personnel for their own business. You will not only meet people who are interested in customer contact and are enthusiastic about your restaurant, but potential applicants also have the opportunity to get to know your company better in a clear and uncomplicated way. Almost half of all participating companies even confirm the latter as part of the study carried out. Scheduling job interviews can be much easier in the future: If trained confectionary salesman Michael Zoller responds with a heart emoji to your story post about the current vacancy, you can first view the applicant's profile and, if interested, arrange a meeting directly.

Which Insta tools really help you?

The business account

There are two types of profiles on Instagram: personal and business. After registration, all accounts are private for now. In the settings, you can then convert your profile into a business account in the next step. This is an absolute must for any entrepreneur who wants to do successful Instagram marketing. The business account provides you with numerous insights that provide you with valuable information about your followers. This data is automatically presented in statistics, which tell you important information about your followers at a glance. The insights you will draw from this can be optimally used for your target group analysis and the creation of buyer personas. By switching from a private account to a business account, you can also use Instagram as an extension of your online shop. Whenever you post photos or videos of products from your online shop, you can add a sticker to them, which will direct the end customer directly to the purchase. It has never been possible to sell your products in such a subtle way, so don't hesitate and skilfully showcase the eyeglass frames of your online optician shop, for example. Offer your followers exciting content, such as a creative video that you filmed directly on the Isar and which presents the latest sunglasses model. Clicking on the sticker and thus completing the purchase is no longer far away. If there are also matching glasses on offer free of charge, it is recommended to advertise them. Use lead generation through insights and only send the ad to people from your target group. Since running ads is the only paid tool, you save money by reducing the amount of stray and increasing the likelihood of a purchase.

Stories, live videos or would you prefer Reels?

Marketing a product or service is usually about conveying emotions. This is done even better by publishing videos than using photos, which is why the Instagram algorithm suggests moving images for a significantly wider range of users. As an operator of a fitness studio, you can, for example, make the weekly workout course available via live stream and thus encourage your followers to participate. If, on the other hand, you run a catering business, show your target group how you and your team mix the in-house cocktail together and how the orange juice you need is freshly squeezed. Be creative when designing your stories, because your followers will love a glimpse behind the scenes at least as much as they love their next visit to your premises. Instagram offers three different ways to use moving images to introduce the company to your fans:

stories

An Instagram story lasts a maximum of 15 seconds and is online for 24 hours. However, in order to have particularly important stories, such as the QR code for corona registration in your local location, displayed in your profile in the long term, you can save them in your highlights. However, you usually use the short clips to share current content, such as a short video about the dishes on your daily menu.tip: Use the story feature's many design options to your advantage. Turn passive viewers into active participants by asking questions and using the quiz sticker or barometer feature. Interaction is the key to successful Instagram marketing!

Live videos

Live videos are a special feature that allows you to interact directly with your potential customers. They are ideal for offering your followers the opportunity to participate in unique events, such as the reopening of your car dealership, from home. However, if you still sell stylish sunglasses, you can present them live and answer questions about your product in real time. Live streams are appealing because they show an authentic and real picture of your business. Since your viewers can interact with you live at any time, a close relationship with your target group is created completely undistorted.tip: Prepare yourself for the live stream and come up with a plan for its process and design. At the same time, however, make sure that the stream does not look rehearsed.

Reels

Instagram's latest video feature picks up on the current trend in which short clips can be shot and published permanently. Unlike stories, Reels can be shared in the feed and published over the long term. The tool has only been available for a few months and is extremely promoted by the algorithm. Creativity is rewarded with a large number of viewers, which are usually far beyond the actual reach of your profile.tip: The function allows you to film videos completely hands-free, creating many exciting design options. In addition, the integration of music, similar to the videos on the social network Tiktok, is very popular. Demonstrate humor and film a rehearsed dance choreography with the staff of your organic supermarket to a current chart hit. With a little luck and the right hashtags, your reel will become a viral success.

conclusion

Post your way up! Use Instagram now to recruit future colleagues for your team, exchange ideas with your customers and draw the attention of new customers to your brand. The platform is now used by small and medium-sized companies from all industries to successfully shape the present and future of their brand free of charge and with little effort. For many SMEs, Instagram shopping means more customers in their online shop and, on average, significantly more items or services sold per guest. For example, if you want to live stream from your bistro's kitchen, you need a reliable Internet connection. The customer, who is with you especially because of the avocado bagel from the last Instagram story and wants to show it to the waiter on her cell phone, is too. The WLAN marketing package from Socialwave not only offers you and your customers a free WiFi network, it also lets logged-in guests easily follow your Instagram account. As a result of the growing number of interested followers who share your content with like-minded people, nothing stands in the way of the success of your business. More information about the Socialwave marketing package can be found here.With our WLAN marketing package, your customers/patients/guests advertise for you, are happy and recommend you to others.