Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels, so when you set up a Business Profile on it, you should focus on many different aspects. Today, we decided to wash away some common Instagram Business Profile bad practices and tell you how to shine instead. Take this model as your guide and go for it!
At first glance, the process of creating an Instagram nickname seems to be extremely simple. Given such a saturated environment, however, securing the perfect username might be becoming increasingly difficult.
When choosing a username, you should make it:
Unfortunately, coming up with a name that will become recognizable and form a solid foundation for your brand is not a simple task. Moreover, the only way to check if a given name already exists on Instagram is through trial and error, which can be a time-consuming and self-defeating task.
Below, you’ll find some of the most popular combinations that you can use to inspire your username.
The main difference between an Instagram business profile and a personal account is access to features such as Instagram info, advanced contact details, and Instagram ads.
After switching to a business profile, you gain access to Instagram Insights. This is Instagram’s native analytics platform, which includes data on engagement, impressions, audience demographics, and much more. You can find out when your followers are most active and who they are, for example.
Additionally, by having a Business Profile, you can plan your posts in advance with a helping hand from, e.g., Kontentino.
Convinced yet? Check how to switch to a Business Profile:
You have limited space (only 150 characters) in your Instagram Bio, so think about what you want to convey to first-time visitors. This may play a crucial role not only in introducing your account but also in convincing others to follow it.
Here’s what you should include in your Instagram bio:
All these fields can be easily edited, so you can make changes whenever you like.
A great option after switching to a Business Profile is the ability to add contact buttons to your Bio. This is very helpful for people who want to contact your company because all they need to do is click the appropriate button to call or send an email, depending on your preferred form of contact.
You can also add Call To Action buttons. You can pick from actions such as Order Food, Book Now, or Reserve in order to navigate your followers even further.
They’re free and available to anyone with a Business Profile, so why not use them?
On Instagram, you can only add one clickable link and only in one place, which is in the description of your profile or the so-called Instagram Bio.
Essentially, it’s a winning formula – you don’t have to waste time or effort as you’re directing people to a particular link. But it might also be the case that you would like to add a few links there to a blog, show, or other social media channels, etc.
How to do it? There are a few workarounds to help you squeeze the most out of a single Instagram link.
If you don’t need to build a complex page, you could simply link to your most important destination on the website.
This link is also easily editable and doesn’t count towards the 150 character limit of your Bio.
When you create a Business Profile, it is a good idea to think about what photo you will add to it. This image represents you or your business and reflects your character and personality, as well as the business identity.
Therefore, it has a big influence on how you are perceived.
When picking a profile photo, remember that:
You might also want to check out this handy checklist on social media image sizes to make sure you pick the right one.
There are a couple of elements that need to be identified before you hit “publish” on your first post.
Coming up with an idea for your own brand hashtag is…always a good idea. A unique hashtag makes you stand out from the crowd and be instantly recognizable as a brand, which allows you to track brand mentions more quickly and easily.
What to take into consideration when creating your brand hashtag?
To promote your hashtag, you should use it consistently on all communication channels. You might even plan activities to get user-generated content marked with your hashtag in the promotional strategy. Thanks to the ability to monitor hashtags or use social listening tools, it is very easy to locate places of discussion about your company and get the chance to join such conversations.
We mentioned a brand hashtag, but you shouldn’t forget about having a set of them to accompany each of your social media posts.
What benefits and practices should you take into consideration here?
As a rule of thumb, you may want to include:
You have 30 hashtags at your disposal, so make the most of them! If you struggle with finding the best set, you may want to use some hashtag research tools. We’ve identified a few of them here.
Also, you should decide whether you will add hashtags in the comments or the captions of your photos. Speaking of captions…
A caption is a body of text that is published under each Instagram photo that consists of up to 2,200 characters with spaces, so you have plenty of space for your needs. What should you have in mind when creating a template?
You may want to really make the most of the aforementioned 2,200 characters. Posts that have a longer caption are often more engaging, resulting in people commenting, liking, and interacting with more and more content from your brand.
If you are able to make your caption interesting enough for users to read it all and make them want to hit the heart icon under your post, then the Instagram algorithm may work in your favor and show your posts to more people. This may boost your Instagram SEO game, along with other content.
Like Google, Instagram’s algorithm bases its search on specific keywords and phrases. Instagram sorts through millions of accounts to find the most relevant results, and it goes without saying that it has both more content and factors to analyze. This is where filling in Instagram alt text comes in.
Instagram alt text is a feature that makes it possible for users to write custom alternative text, allowing you to give more information about your photos.
For example, a photo of flowers in a pot could be alt-texted “A photo of yellow tulips in a transparent flower vase on a wooden table”.
While the feature was designed primarily for visually impaired Instagram users, the search algorithm can also take into account what is written in the alt text space and base its results on that too.
Instagram currently creates alt text automatically so that screen readers can listen to photo descriptions. This feature uses object recognition technology to generate a photo description that screen readers can listen to while browsing the app. However, you can add custom alt text after uploading a photo to provide more information about the post. This may be a win-win – you make your content easier to understand and also enhance your SEO.
Is that all? Not quite! There are a few hidden features you can use for your Instagram Business Profile.
You’ll find it above your profile photo and followers count on your profile.
This Dashboard gives you access to setup more features:
Furthermore, the Professional Dashboard gives you insights into your statistics.
Tagging can be tricky on Instagram – on the one hand, it’s great to get your audience talking and sharing photos regarding your business, but on the other, having the process out of your control can jeopardize your brand recognition and bring you unwanted attention or put your brand in a bad light.
Here’s where tag approval and removal procedures may come in handy:
We hope that our laundry list will come in handy for you when setting up a new Business Profile on Instagram or optimizing your existing one. Once you sort your workflow out, you may be surprised at just how smooth the set-up can be! And, if you want to know more about Instagram management and what to take into consideration, check out our article on efficient Instagram management!
Good luck!
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