11 Tips for Retailers to Make the Most of Instagram

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I can feel my heart pounding and sweat trickling down my temple. I'm breathing heavily as I walk to the elevator. It's a three-story climb to lift weights. No stairs for me today; the intervals were enough to wear out my leg muscles, but sprinting isn't the only exercise I need to do.

The elevator is slow and I have a few minutes. What do I open first? Facebook? Snapchat? Twitter? No, I open Instagram. What are my friends up to today? Which makeup tutorial should I copy for my date tonight? Everything is answered on Instagram. It’s fast, too. Unlike Twitter, I don’t have to worry about being caught for long. If your store is doing it right, I’ll see you there too. If you make it easy for me, I might even make a purchase in this elevator.

Instagram for Retail

So how do you make sure I see you in the elevator? Here are some Instagram best practices for retail:

How to get the most followers:
1. Create a brand story
Instagram was created to allow users to connect with the benefits of using the nigeria phone number list people and things they care about. As you know, your brand is more than just the objects it sells. Instagram is a great place to showcase that. Showcase the lifestyle your brand embodies on Instagram by sharing photos of more than just your products. These types of photos will help you reach potential customers who may not have initially been interested in seeing a photo of your product, and will help show your customers where you fit in their lives.

Instagram for Retail
via Flickr, Andy Spierling

There’s another benefit to sharing photos of things other than your products: All Instagram feeds are personalized. Instagram’s new update has made it even harder to show something someone doesn’t like by upgrading the timeline style from chronological to better. This means that if you show what represents your brand, you’re more likely to get more likes and start showing up in more followers’ feeds.

2. Remember that Instagram was created for connection.
Show how your products are made and what's inside your stores. Show what your CEO does . Your customer wants to know the people behind your company. You can use this strategy to show what the company stands for. For example, say that your company loves to donate or do good deeds, show these charities that your company does or who they donate to.

Young consumers in particular love to feel like they keep coming back. Just look at how successful Toms is. This tip is definitely similar to tip number one. The difference is that tip number one is about showing the lifestyle you're a part of, and this tip is about putting a human face on your brand.

3. Participate in large events
Like Fashion Week or the World Cup. Post something that ties your company to it. For example, on Kentucky Derby Day, a hat shop might share a photo of your employees wearing funny hats for #DerbyDay. The end goal here is more connected to the wider world and showing your followers where you fit in.