4 Ways to Optimize Your Business Instagram’s SEO
Instagram has exploded in popularity over the last several years; if you have a business, you should definitely be investing time into your Instagram page and profile - it’s a no-brainer! Unfortunately, many people shy away from Instagram because it’s so different from building a website and sharing links to a simpler social media platform (I’m looking at you, Facebook!).
Once you get down into the dirt with Instagram, you’ll see just how easy it can be to create, optimize, and manage your profile. It’ll all be worth it once you start to see your customers and fans interacting directly with your content, trust me. I’ve got four tips to help you get started.
Tips to Increase Your Discoverability on Instagram
1. How to Choose a Good Instagram Handle
If there’s one thing Instagram does exceedingly well, it’s making usernames easy to find, create, and maintain; however, it’s still important that you spend plenty of time considering what username will be best for your business.
Keep it Simple
A shorter, more concise username will be easy for your fans and customers to remember - if it’s easy to remember your username, you’ll get more traffic and returns to your profile (and, hopefully, more follows).
If possible, use your full business name, but keep in mind that other social media profiles, like Twitter, only allow 15 characters for your username.
If you absolutely have to add special characters to your username due to availability issues, place them at the end so that the important part of your username will still turn up in search results.
Feel free to use a clever play on words or an acronym, as long as your brand will not be confused by the difference between your company name and your username.
2. Why Your Instagram “Name” Matters
Instagram allows you to further explain what you do within your profile via the “name” feature.
Here, you should use some kind of job description: Los Angeles Real Estate Agent, Social Media Analyst, or Freelance Ghostwriter.
Think about what your blog or business has to offer customers and use the “Name” feature to describe your title as the handle operator. Keep in mind that these words you use will be searchable tags for customers on the hunt for your services or expertise.
3. What to Include in your Instagram Bio
Your Instagram “bio” is the perfect place to express yourself and make your brand’s personality well-known. If you take a peek at some renowned brands’ bios, you’ll start to see recurring themes that change according to trending stories or events.
Your bio should:
reflect what your business is currently up to
briefly describe what you’re all about
include a call to action of some kind (even if it’s just your latest blog post or product lineup).
Here’s an example of a great Instagram bio that includes a fantastic call to action.
4. IG for Businesses
My last tip for you is to convert your personal Instagram account into a Professional account as soon as possible. Alternatively, you could start a new account if you don’t want old family pictures and information listed with your business photos. However you choose to proceed, make sure you take full advantage of the perks that come with an Instagram Professional account (contact information, business location… etc.).
Converting Your Instagram Account into a Professional Account
First, navigate to your profile on any device – Instagram’s interface is pretty similar across all devices and applications.
Find your settings within your profile and select “Switch to a Professional Account”.
Instagram will take you through all of the necessary steps; take the time to fill out as much of this information as possible, but you’ll likely be spending some time getting everything just right after your account is converted anyway.
Take a look at instructions on how to convert to an Instagram professional account directly from Instagram.
Ask anyone who knows social media inside and out; they’ll tell you that Instagram is the place to be for advertising products and services right now. Don’t get left out of the loop on this one – you’ll be doing your brand and potential for growth a major disservice. Take some time to hammer out the perfect profile, and you’ll be off to the races!
For more on these tips, check out my Cocktails With Christine IGTV video Optimize How Your Business Reaches Your Customers. Plus, you’ll get a yummy cocktail recipe at the end ;)
