The Top 3 Things to Do Right Now on Your Instagram
By Jeanne Beirne, AHLC Contributor
The Link Issue 40
Time is valuable and you may not be able to outsource your social media support. So, what do you do?
Do these three things to set the foundation for your Instagram:
1: Bio Refresh
Photo: Great photo (smiling works!), use one of your business colors as the background, or use your logo if you aren’t positioning yourself as a personal brand.
Username: Your Instagram handle.
Name: This is a big change for a lot of accounts. You do not need to repeat your business name if it is your Instagram handle. This is a searchable field for others to find you and your expertise. Use that real estate with intent.
■ Include your top keyword (this will not change your username handle). This name is a searchable term so you want it to reflect what you do (if you are an alt hairstylist you could put Alternative Hair, Alternative Hair Replacement, or your specific brand focus).
■ Put this term in here as when someone searches on Instagram you are more likely to come up. For example, I searched "alternative hair" and those with that term in their name came up in the search.
■ If your brand name does not describe what you do, you need to be specific here (alternative hair, hair extensions, etc.).
■ I Help Statement: You should have an "I help" statement: e.g. “We/I help hair loss clients look amazing with alternative hair.”
■ A combination of what you do plus for whom you do it.
■ Speak directly to your target audience in simple words while bringing out your personality.
■ Think about what you want to be known for.
■ Showcase a result you provide. Call to Action: Tell them what to do next (book a consult, go to the website, find out workshop dates). Bio Refresh Roadmap
2: Better Content
Simple but True: Want to grow your account? Higher engagement? Convert more followers to buyers? Your content is the key. If it is not speaking to your ideal customers, it is not helping you.
We all love the breakdown of color application and detailed industry information, but is it really speaking to your ideal customer? As you build content to post on your Instagram feed, follow these points as a guide.
■ Your expertise in the alternative hair industry so your followers will know you.
■ The value you provide for them when they choose you over others in the industry. Look to build your trust factor.
■ Your products and services and how they satisfy your customers’ needs, can hit know, like, and trust.
■ Showcase who you are and who your team is. These can be fun posts, introduction posts, behind the scenes with the team. You want your followers to like you.
■ Last but not least, post consistently.
Decide what you can do at this time.
Have a schedule and stick to it.
3: Use Your Stories
Tell the tales: Share “moments” of your day quickly and easily in Stories. This can be photos, videos, fun quizzes, etc. Use stickers to increase your engagement.
Stories are for people who are following you already. They don’t grow your follower count but they do build engagement and relationships with those who follow you. Why is this important?
You want potential clients to KNOW, LIKE and TRUST you.
Stories can provide an easy shorthand to make that happen.
Also, you can save your Stories into specific Highlights so people who find your page can view old stories.
Just take these small steps on your Instagram and your social presence will be ready for additional growth.