Local Marketing with Instagram
The Question here is, does Instagram Marketing also have particular use for local businesses? If you have a chip shop, a hairdressers or anything else, then you might want to alter your strategy slightly but it can still be very effective.
The first thing to consider using here is the location tag. You can tag your images by location and this then allows people nearby to find them. This is a great way to improve your chances of being found for the specific target demographic that you’re aiming. After all, if you run a hair salon then there’s not really much point in you having followers all around the world, unless you’re planning on franchising soon!
Another tip is to use local hashtags. People will often look for hashtags in their local area and this is a great way to discover things that are going on. It works on Twitter too, so if you also share your posts to Twitter you can bring people in this way. Likewise, you should search for local hashtags regularly and then comment on and like the pictures that you find. This works particularly well for tourist attractions. Why? Because when we travel, we will actually be more likely to use local hashtags. You don’t tend to put your location as a tag in every single one of your photos at home – but if you’re visiting another part of the country you’re more likely to use those hashtags. If you then see that your photo has been liked or commented on by ‘Nights Out in Buckinghamshire’ then you might be inclined to have a look and see if it’s something that might interest you!
And remember: real world networking also works very well when it comes to Instagram. If you run a local business, then chances are that you will interact with lots of customers who have Instagram accounts on a face-to-face basis – and they will likewise probably have a large number of local followers. If you have a customer come into your store then, ask them to follow you on Twitter. Better yet – get a photo with them in it and then tag them in it! This can also be a fantastic way to promote your product. So for instance, if you run a hair salon, then why not take a picture of each of your customers with their new hair and tag them in it? Ask their permission first of course but you’ll likely find that most people are more than willing to agree to be featured. This way, all their friends in the local area will see what a good job you’ve done and will be more likely to get in touch if they want a haircut.
Being an active Participant in the platform is the most important Social Media strategy and it is necessary to get involved in every activity. Following other people and brands on Instagram is quite necessary. Engage more in the comment section on posts as well as others.
Strengthen Your Instagram Community:
Reposting the Local Content would be the best option to strengthen the Instagram Community. Your businesses’ reputation on the social media could be greatly increased with reposting content routinely by local followers, celebrities, and other businesses. Instagram would efficiently let you reach out more followers as well as other people in the local community.
This is a key fact to realize in all of your marketing online – it should be a real extension of who you are and of what you want to portray.