Instagram is an essential medium for wedding vendors to embrace when it comes to reaching engaged couples. It’s a highly visual medium with direct contact with your target audience. There are many ways this social media platform can be a helpful tool, so we’re breaking down the top 8 ways your wedding business should be using Instagram.
AN OVERVIEW OF INSTAGRAM’S AUDIENCE
Just in case you aren’t already convinced that Instagram is a tool you should be using, here are a few interesting facts about the platform, its audience, and the most popular content —
- Instagram is the second most downloaded free app in the Apple app store.
- It’s nearly an even split between men and women.
- 63% of Instagram users log in at least once a day.
- Users spend an average of 28 minutes a day in 2020.
- One-third of the most-viewed Stories are from businesses.
- 73% of Gen Z says Instagram is the best way for brands to reach them about new products or promotions. (Email is also a surprisingly effective way too.)
- Brand Stories (as in Instagram Stories) have an 85% completion rate.
- How-to tutorials are the most popular form of Instagram video content.
All that being said, if you don’t already have a business account for your wedding business — you need one.
Here is a helpful resource if you’re just starting from scratch and need help.
8 WAYS WEDDING BUSINESSES SHOULD BE USING INSTAGRAM
The goal of using Instagram is to authentically and effectively connect with and engage your target audience. It’s not about being trendy or cool — it’s about using tools to build your business.
While there are many ways to use this tool, here are a few ways you may have overlooked.
1. Use carousel posts to get in front of your audience more than once.
With Stories, IGTV, Reels, etc., (which we’ll talk about later), the carousel post might not seem so attractive, but here’s a little secret perk. A carousel post is simply when you do multiple pictures — up to 10. The perk is that you have multiple opportunities to catch your audience’s attention.
After they see the post one time in their feed, they’ll see it again, starting with the second picture this time and so on. So, where a video might only have one chance in their feed, a carousel post has a few different chances.
This is great for listicles, round-up posts, and more!
Want to maximize the content in your carousel posts? Here’s a great resource from Later with ideas for using carousel posts.
2. Use the regram as a way to connect with your customers and grow your exposure.
There are multiple benefits when it comes to regramming. First, it helps you connect directly with your customers. Second, it shows that you see them, you’re listening to them, and you’re celebrating with them.
Second, it increases your likelihood of getting seen by a larger audience — including the followers of that regrammed account.
Third, this reduces your work because you are utilizing user-generated content for your own social media. Finally, a bonus is also considered social proof, which is the most effective marketing you can do. People love to see what other people think about you and how they used your product.
Before you regram, it’s important to know the right way to do that. So here’s a great resource from Hootsuite that breaks down the topic thoroughly — and with easy-to-understand action steps.
3. Use location tagging to increase your exposure to local customers.
According to Social Insider, Instagram posts with a tagged location create 79% higher engagement than those without. While nothing is guaranteed, that’s a nice potential percentage for simply adding a location.
Location tagging puts you on the map (pun intended) and helps you increase exposure. Plus, it could result in sourcing new user-generated content.
People on Instagram use the location tool to find things they are interested in. That could be a local looking for a new coffee shop or an out-of-towner wanting a destination wedding and looking for a local photographer. So there’s a lot of potential here.
It’s quick, it’s simple — yet you can also get creative too. So don’t overlook this easy step to increase your exposure to customers.
4. Use video to get more engagement.
According to a recent survey from Hubspot, over 50% of consumers want more video content from the brands they love. In fact, by 2021, it’s projected that mobile video will account for nearly 80% of total mobile data traffic.
With this in mind, Instagram has invested a lot to make mobile video easy and engaging on their platform.
In addition to standard video posts, they have —
- IGTV
- Reels
- Stories
They have made it easier to locate video by making IGTV appearing 4x larger than photos on the Explore page.
Good news! Consumers like watching videos from brands. It’s a great way to connect with your audience, understandably showcase your product and services, and more. Currently, 1/3 of the most-viewed Instagram Stories come from businesses, so if you’re not using Stories, Reels, or IGTV — stop what you’re doing and make a plan to get that done.
Notice, we said to make a plan, not make a video. Video doesn’t have to be overproduced — in fact, the more organic it feels, the better. But you don’t want to be producing content just for content’s sake. Make a plan so that you can add value. Are you the type that wants to start a Wedding Planning HotList show on your own IGTV channel, so you do a new video every Tuesday? Maybe you want to specialize in showing behind-the-scenes sneak peeks. Or maybe both. The plan is about knowing your goal in sharing content so that you can determine your parameters.
Pro-Tip: The earlier you jump on a trend, the more forgiving the audience will be. Nervous about Reels? Don’t be. Early adopters get a lot more creative room because everything is so new.
5. Use your Instagram bio to your advantage by optimizing every element.
Your Instagram bio is something you want to put thought into. It’s what tells people who you are, what you do, and how they can join in — or at least it should.
An effective, optimized Instagram bio should —
- Explain what you offer and what people can expect from you.
- Include a call-to-action link to use your branded hashtag to share their content or to download your lead magnet, etc.
- Add contact info or options.
- Keywords related to your field or service.
- Use emojis where appropriate to add interest.
Depending on your business type and details, you may not be able to get all of that fit in, but get the most important content included.
Here are a few sample bios of people who have a good blend —
6. Use Instagram for research.
Don’t overlook using Instagram as a tool for research.
You should be researching your —
- Competitors
- Industry Mentors/Inspiration
- Target Audience
It’s important to research your competitors. This is not a bad or sad thing. In fact, it’s important to see what they are offering and how they engage with their audience. By doing this, you will see opportunities left on the table where you can bring clarity or a new service that meets that need. Here’s a helpful resource to show you how to research your competitors.
Be purposeful about seeing what your industry inspiration account does. What works for them may not work for you directly, but it helps to look at people who are winning and see how that can apply to you.
Lastly, it’s important to research what your followers or target audience are doing on Instagram. As a wedding business owner, you need to know what else they are looking for and at. There’s a lot of helpful information to be gleaned there! Here’s a helpful resource with a few practical tips on researching and finding your target audience.
7. Use all of Instagram’s features to engage with your audience.
This may seem obvious, but what we mean here is that you shouldn’t be leaving anything unused.
Are you utilizing Highlights to your advantage? Have you created Stories with interactive polls in them yet? If not, why not? Remember the stat from earlier? One-third of the most viewed Stories were brand videos. That could be your wedding business.
Later has some good tips for how to use Instagram Stories to your advantage here.
Another important feature is hashtags. You’ve got to use them — and use them in the right way. A creative hashtag can be funny, but not many people will find you unless you’re trying to build a branded hashtag campaign.
The two goals of hashtags are to get a new audience to find you or drive your audience to participate in a branded hashtag for user-generated content. Here are a few practical tips on using hashtags on your Instagram account.
8. Use social ads on Instagram.
It’s simple. It’s inexpensive. And it can be very effective. So whether it’s engagement season and you’re trying to get in front of newly engaged couples, or you want to showcase a new product to your current followers, ads are a wonderfully easy way to do that.
If you’re concerned that you don’t know how to do ads, our sister company Brandlink Media can help answer your questions in a free consultation call. However, if you’d like to tackle it yourself, here’s a great resource to get you started.
Now it’s time to get inspiration for these amazing Instagram posts you’re going to create for your wedding business. But first, check out our blog on Trending Terminology Wedding Pros Need to Know for 2021.
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Written by Corrie McGee
