Category: Business

If you want to increase your fan following, gain customers, and boost brand awareness, then Instagram is your magic solution. You know that this photo-sharing social website has more than one billion users monthly, which is more than the social media platform Twitter. Many businesses, big and small are using Instagram to communicate with their potential customers. Then, it’s not simply the numbers but also the people using Instagram.

When you post high-definition and relevant content, your buyers will use the marketing message sans any hard selling from your end. Here Instagram acts as a magic solution for reaching out to your targeted audience through quality photos and videos without using any hard sales tactics. Instagram helps in converting passive buyers into loyal, confident customers. That is because people visit social media sites for some references.

According to research, you can also use Instagram influencers to market your business and products. If you have a small business, you can reach out to micro-influencers, who have a following of 1,000-100,000 on Instagram. It is not solely about the number game, in fact, these micro-influencers help you to reach out to your targeted customers. Therefore, here are some of the best tips to promote your business and boost sales through Instagram.

Post popular Instagram content that people would follow

Instagram is all about visuals, stunning photos, and videos, and therefore, use popular, eye-catching content that people would like and follow. That is the best way to pique customer interest on this social media platform. Studies show that 90 percent of any information communicated to the human brain is visual. Therefore, post the best product photos on Instagram to grab audience interest. The photo-sharing site is not a shopping platform but full of potential shoppers and therefore make the most out of this opportunity.

The greatest benefit of photos or videos is that they tell loads about your products without you shouting aloud about what you have to offer. This way, you do not need to hard sell. If your prospects like your product visuals, they will show interest.

Therefore, pushing your products will not work on Instagram; you need to be creative about the visuals. Did you know that 67 percent of shoppers like photos, which look detailed and valuable? It helps your buyers to make a purchasing decision compared to stark product features listed or for that matter customer reviews. Post stunning, professional photos and flaunt your brand aesthetics to pique customer interest on Instagram.

Add an attention-grabbing and informative bio to pique follower interest

Before users click ‘Follow’ on your Instagram profile, they would have to click through your business profile. Therefore, make sure that Instagram users find your bio informative and appealing. You will need to persuade your followers that your posts will add value as well as rich content in their Instagram feeds. All you need to add is the name of your business as well as a concise description of your brand or what you do. Smart businesses write an attractive bio and that is how they manage to buy real Instagram likes.

Make sure your bio piques follower interest. Do not use a sales tone; keep the bio simple and light instead. When it comes to Instagram, it has a different culture unlike your online store or for that matter other social media platforms. Therefore, write a bio that the Instagram community would love and that which reflects the kind of photos or content you will share on Instagram.

You can also tweak your bio to market your current campaign, product launch, or sale. Then, do not forget to add a link in your bio that is clickable. It could direct your followers to your landing page or online store.

Read More: Ideal Jobs for Busy Moms while Sitting at Home

Use lifestyle photos to convey your brand culture

Your Instagram posts are not related to hard or direct selling and therefore, your focus is to add appeal and value to your social page feed. It is essential to ensure that your followers stick to your brand and the best way to do it is by using lifestyle photos that add pizzazz to your feed.

You might be wondering what lifestyle photo means. Well, you can use life-inspired scenes, backdrops, and even models using your products. For example, you can show the photo of a beautiful model wearing your chandelier earrings on her first date. Again, you can post happy images of a woman using the kitchen appliance you sell.

On Instagram, you not only need to promote your brand in a subtle way but also show your products as well as the lifestyle and culture surrounding your merchandise. It helps in reinforcing your brand equity and the emotions related to your business and products.

Use special deals, discounts, and promotions to attract followers

Attract your followers by posting about special deals, promotional offers, and discounts. You can also design posts about some insider information. You can use text overlays that help you add your promotional offers directly on the image that looks visually appealing and stylish, especially your exclusive discounts and offers.

You can use free tools like PicLab, Over, or Phonto to help you pick the best fonts, text positioning on the image, and message. It will look extremely attractive and your promotional offers would fit seamlessly within the visual square of your Instagram post. Even big brands like Starbucks use this technique along with relevant hashtags to publicize their seasonal beverages. Therefore, you can also do the same when you are about to launch a new product.

Post store updates so that your customers can plan and become prepared right away when your product is live on your Instagram page. Listing popular products helps in boosting sales. This way, you can sell out your items minutes after your Instagram content is posted and at the same time offering special deals and discounts.

Final words

Use these tips and tricks to promote your brand and improve sales via Instagram. Make the best use of visuals and high-definition photos.

When living overseas, there’s nothing quite like receiving a care-package from your loved ones, full of home comforts in the form of food. If you have a loved one living in the United States, you might want to let them know that you’re thinking about them by sending them some of their favourite home treats. Thankfully, exporting food to the US isn’t as complicated as it might sound, as long as you take the time to do thorough research and comply with all of the appropriate regulations. We’re detailing some of the most important things to know.

1) Foods must gave a shelf life of longer than six months from the date of shipping

All food items that are classed as perishables cannot be transported to the US, in fact they are not permitted for transport via courier as a general rule. This is because they could spoil during transit, especially if there are any delays with the service for any reason, or if there are any hold ups during customs clearance. Sadly, this does also apply to home-made foods, as they tend to fall under this category due to the fact that they do not contain any preservatives. Trying to pass your home-made foods off as store bought items is a no, no. If you are caught, there will be penalties for doing so. As tempting as it may be, instead, opt for sending your loved ones recipes for their favourite home-cooked foods so they can recreate them, while also sending them their favourite store bought treats they cannot get in the US.

2) Don’t expect your parcel to be kept ‘this way up’ during transit

Be careful when sending delicate foods via courier to the US, that should be kept ‘this way up’. Unless booked with a specialised courier, food parcels to the US will be treated in the same manner as any other shipment. Marking the package as ‘fragile’ will serve as a reminder to those handling the parcel that it should be handled with care, however, do keep in mind that it will still be transported through a standard courier network alongside other heavy and large items. It will travel along conveyor belts and will be placed in and out of vans when forwarded for delivery. As such, it may not arrive in the same state it was sent.

Read More: 13 Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Clean

3) Package your food hamper securely

The number one reason for parcels arriving to the destination country in a poor condition is, generally, due to insufficient packaging. Therefore, to ensure your food shipment to the US arrives promptly and free from any damage, be sure to package it securely enough to be transported. Wrap each item of food individually, before wrapping it again in bubble wrap to provide impact protection. Fill any voids of space in your package with leftover bubble wrap. For your outer packaging, it is always best to invest in a new, double-walled cardboard box. Not only are they affordable, but they are a great choice for shipping all types of items. Finish by sealing the box with plenty of packaging tape, making sure to secure all flaps and seams.

4) Some items are highly restricted

Before preparing your food shipment to the US, it’s important to keep in mind that some food items are highly restricted. This applies to most countries throughout the world, however, each and every country has their specific regulations when it comes to food. Generally speaking, so long as the food item is in its original manufacturer’s packaging, is sealed and has not been tampered with in any way, and has a shelf life of longer than six months, it can be sent to the US. However, if you’re unsure, you should refer to the official FDA guidelines.