If you are running a small local business, be it a coffee shop, a restaurant or a store, one of the best ways to ensure people will find out about you is to make as much use of social media as possible. While big brands already know that and conduct huge campaigns on their social media accounts, small businesses can benefit even more form an established social media presence, as it is the best way to make sure your brand’s name gets popular. Below are 4 ways you can take advantage of Instagram to grow your local business.
Encourage your customers to follow you
The most obvious way to get followers and likes on Instagram is to let your customers know where they can follow you. If you are running a store, you can some small business cards that include your social media accounts, as well as your address and phone number and tell people where they can find you.
Encourage them to follow you by explaining the benefits they could have, such as being the first to know about new products and services, gaining access to exclusive discounts or promotions, as well as participating in giveaways.
To increase your reach, you can also buy Instagram likes fast, from social media marketing agencies. These likes help you increase engagement and get your account seen by others as well.
Offer discounts or giveaways for Instagram followers only
To get people to follow you, you can run giveaway campaigns, where users need to follow your page, or like and share to their story a certain post. This way, your customers get something in return for engaging with your business and you get more exposure.
Think of it this way: to sign up for a chance to win a $20 voucher, your followers need to share your post on their stories. This way, you get exposed to their followers, who will become curious and check your account. More followers means more people who will find out about your brand and results in a bigger in-store flow. If you want to get more likes, you can give small prizes to every follower who, for example, likes 50 of your posts.
Showcase your products
The is no point in having an Instagram account if you don’t constantly show your followers what products they can find if they come visit you. If you are running a store, post every time you stock up on products, or when you have limited sales.
If you are running a restaurant or coffee shop, post photos of your meals or best cappuccinos daily. Stories of your staff making those picture-perfect lattes will have customers wanting to come get one as fast as possible.
Encourage user-generated content
User-generated content is far more engaging and valuable for customers. In fact, this is how many of them discover new brands or places. If a user likes your place and posts about it on social media, share their content to encourage them.
This way, you both have something to gain. They promote your business in a genuine way and you repay them by exposing them to your followers base.
