04 Jan 5 Instagram Features for Small Businesses That Should Be Used

 

Instagram is one of the most widely used social media sites, with 1.38 billion users who log in on average every 53 minutes.

Not only is the manner in which the material is presented to consumers what makes it so interesting and entertaining, but the platform itself has evolved over time to meet the needs of its users.

Your small business has a ton of options for using Instagram to increase brand recognition and revenue. However, you must make the most of every feature offered by Instagram in order to increase visibility and reach your audience. It’s very probable that you’re using Instagram’s standard features to their fullest. Although you’re creating posts, reels, and stories, are you really making the most of this potent marketing tool?

We’ll talk about five underused Instagram features in this guide. We’ll describe these features to you, along with their advantages. Let’s begin right away!

 

1. USE A LINK IN A STORY

Previously, only verified users or those with more than 10,000 followers could choose to link to a specific website. Instagram eliminated these limits in October 2021 and made adding links to stories available to all accounts.

The dominant social media platform owned by Meta has improved the new function. You can add the link sticker anywhere on your article, and it is much more noticeable. Additionally, the sticker provides extra transparency by displaying the destination link’s domain to story visitors.

If you want to promote organic engagement, raise conversions, and make it simple for your followers to access your material, you must use this function. Add a clear call to action and personalize your link sticker to match your brand’s look and feel, and you’ll get the best results.

 

2. INSTAGRAM SALES

Instagram is a big market and an efficient way to increase sales. More than 200 million Instagram users regularly visit multiple business accounts. 44% of those people use Instagram for shopping.

The next neglected Instagram feature is shopping tags, which brings us to this. You can tag your products in the pictures and videos you upload on Instagram using shopping tags. They contain information on the item, including its cost, specifications, and a link to make a purchase on your website.

Simply clicking on the shopping tags will allow viewers to buy the item or learn more about it. The shopping tags are an essential element for your business if you use Instagram to draw in new clients and increase direct sales. They make it easier for followers to find and even purchase your stuff.

 

3. GEOTAG YOUR PLACE

You may connect with people from all over the world using Instagram. Potential consumers from Brazil to Australia and wherever else may view an Instagram post or video. While that reach is impressive, there are times when a more focused, local reach is all your business needs.

Imagine that you are a well-known New York bootmaker for cowboys. Your most recent creation is competing favorably with the Lucchese boots in terms of both style and toughness. Despite the fact that you are situated in New York, Texas is where you have the majority of your clientele, and you are most interested in connecting with them.

You won’t benefit from your caption for an Instagram picture or video in that aspect. The Instagram geolocation tag is crucial in this situation. The geolocation tag, as its name suggests, enables you to identify a specific location in your posts and articles (in this case, Texas).

Your post will be visible on Texas location pages in addition to those of your followers. This makes your most recent custom cowboy design more visible to your target market. Local businesses can effectively contact nearby clients with the geolocation tag, as can international marketers looking to engage users in certain geographies.

 

4. PUSH NOTIFICATIONS TO SEND

Another function that many companies believe to be ineffective is push notifications. You should ask your followers to accept push notifications from your business even though you don’t necessarily need to enable them for your business account. This is why:

One study found that customers who enabled push notifications interacted with their respective companies three times more frequently than those who did not. Every time you post, users who have enabled push notifications are notified, which may be the secret to increasing engagement.

 

5. ON INSTAGRAM, USE ALT TEXT

The description that replaces an image if it cannot load is known as “alternative text” or “alt text.” Because it informs search engines like Google about what is happening in the image, it is helpful for search engine optimization (SEO).

For your photographs on Instagram, alt text is a crucial component that shouldn’t be ignored. Alt text enhances the searchability of your Instagram posts and increases the likelihood that more people will see your content.

Additionally, by including alt text in your photographs, you can reach followers who are blind or visually challenged and don’t utilize Instagram the same way as others. To understand your message, this group of followers must use assistive technologies like screen readers.

Images are not translated by screen readers. Instead, they read alphanumeric descriptions of on-screen pictures. Your message won’t reach these particular audiences if the photos don’t contain alternative texts for the screen readers to read aloud.

 

UTILIZE THESE FEATURES OF INSTAGRAM TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

Social media is always changing and developing to improve the user experience. It’s critical to familiarize yourself with all of Instagram’s available features and updates. Make effective, original content that engages readers. Utilizing these features will expand your audience, increase user engagement, and increase conversion.

Choosing the best social media marketing management won’t cause you any problems because it will give your business more significant creative control. You can benefit from Umbrella Communications‘ social media marketing services. Our solutions put the needs of the consumer first and focus on achieving results. Get a free assessment by contacting us right away. If you have any queries about marketing and social media management, contact us now.