Category: Instagram

11 Instagram Content Ideas for July 4th

July 4th is upon us! We could all use an opportunity to think about fireworks, BBQs, and pool parties, right?

If your business isn’t based in the USA, it’s still a good idea to acknowledge Independence Day for your American followers.

Here are some content ideas to post on Instagram – both feed and stories – in honor of the 4th of July.

1. Deck out your workspace in red, white, and blue

Decorate your office, studio, or workspace with red, white, and blue streamers, banners, and wall hangings. Capture the festive atmosphere in a video or photo. For stories, try experimenting with Boomerang or Layout. Add some text and fun GIFs, and you’re good to go.

2. Showcase a specialized July 4th product or project

Create something special for the 4th of July. Decorate a cake with stars and stripes, craft some patriotic jewelry, make a red, white, and blue edition of your custom-made quilts — whatever it is. Then, showcase the product or project creatively to your feed and/or stories.

Some DIY inspiration from crafter @amandakingloff (Note that carousel posts are a great format for showcasing step-by-step projects):

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkwI5hBHVS2/

3. Post your favorite patriotic song

Use the music sticker for stories to post a segment of your favorite patriotic song. Don’t have access to the music sticker, or can’t find the song you want? No worries — you can use VideoBoost to create a video with the lyrics you want and add music to the background.

If you’re a musician, consider performing a cover, or even composing an original song in honor of Independence Day, and sharing the content to your feed and stories.

4. Poll your followers about their July 4th plans

One of the great things about Instagram Stories is how easy it is to encourage your followers to interact with you with very little effort. Use the poll, quiz, or question stickers to ask them about their plans for the 4th of July. Are they planning a BBQ? Watching fireworks? Spending the day with family and friends?

5. Share a historical tidbit

Find a historical fun fact about the 4th of July, the War of Independence, or the founding fathers — preferably one that ties into your business somehow.

Pro Tip: when sharing your selected fun fact to stories, summarize it succinctly. Keep in mind that your followers won’t have time to read too much text, so it shouldn’t be much longer than one sentence!

6. Make a 4th of July tutorial

Find a fun 4th of July craft or recipe, preferably one related to your business, and create a tutorial. Here’s a great Independence Day cooking tutorial from food brand @wildwayoflife:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzf_1x4Himi/

Check out our post on How to Create a Tutorial with Instagram Stories to learn best practices for customizing your tutorial for Stories.

7. Launch a special 4th of July giveaway or sale

Offer a special discount or flash sale, or organize a contest or giveaway! Read our post on How to Run a Successful Instagram Giveaway to learn how and find some ideas.

8. Video your local fireworks show

Who doesn’t love fireworks? Take your smartphone with you to your local fireworks show and capture some good footage. Post your best video to your feed and share some 15-second clips to your Stories, wishing your followers a #happy4thofJuly.

9. Take a photo or slow-mo video of a flag

Is there a flag hanging somewhere near your office, studio, or home? Maybe you can hang one outside your door for this occasion. Get a good shot of it and share it to your feed and/or stories with a Happy Independence Day wish. If it’s blowing nicely in the wind, a slow-motion video of it waving will look particularly cool. Pro tip for stories: You can capture a great slow-mo video using SuperZoom!

10. Post a patriotic quote

Find a patriotic quote that speaks to you and share it with your audience — maybe alongside a photo of the author of the quote, or maybe simply using a red, white, and blue color scheme.

Quote inspiration from home decor small biz @hartandhess:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk0MiQFAyLA/

11. Red, white, and blue selfie

You can always dress up in red, white, and blue and post a photo of yourself! If you have additional staff at your business, consider posting a team photo with all of you wearing those colors, or waving American flags.

Action Items:

  1. Pick one or more of these ideas that sound like a good fit for your business.
  2. Plan ahead: if you’re planning to issue a specialized product or craft, or to post a graphic or video, start working on it ahead of time so it’s ready for July 4th.
  3. Add your favorite 4th of July Stories to your Highlights so people visiting your profile can check them out!

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11 Instagram Content Ideas for Service-Based Businesses

For service-based businesses without a physical product, creating content for Instagram might sound like a really difficult task. But we’re here to reassure you that there are actually tons of fun, engaging and educational content that service-based businesses need to be sharing on Instagram. And if you are feeling stuck when it comes to brainstorming Instagram content, we’ve got you covered! Keep reading for tons of unique and easy-to-create Instagram content for your service-based business. 

1. Answer FAQ

As a service-based business, you might notice many of your clients and prospective clients have similar questions. Jot down a few commonly asked questions and create a series of posts to share on Instagram weekly or monthly to answer these FAQs. Not only is this the type of high-quality, educational content your clients are craving but it also helps cement you as an expert in your field!

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Emma | Social Media Strategist (@ninety.five.media)

2. Behind the Scenes Video

Who doesn’t love seeing some behind the scenes footage? Next time you are working with a client or wrapping up a project, be sure to quickly record a few short videos or snap a few photos on your phone. Later you can compile these quick clips together to create a fun, BTS video your clients will love! Not sure how to edit video clips together? With the video-making app Boosted, it’s super easy to create videos from photo or video content. Plus, there’s tons of templates, music and font options to create professionally branded videos! Read Next: “16 Essential Video Marketing Tips for Small Businesses in 2021”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ADVENTURE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER (@rebekahviola)

3. Client Reviews

Have clients that absolutely love your work? This is the PERFECT content for service-based businesses to be posting on Instagram. You might already have a few client testimonials on your website but in order to help drive potential clients to your website to book your services, you need to be sharing these great reviews on Instagram. So don’t be shy about posting these as often as you can!
 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Anita | Chartered Accountant 💷 (@goselfemployed.co)

4. Tutorial

As a service-based business, your followers and clients look to you for educational content in your field and a tutorial is the perfect type of quality content your clients will enjoy engaging with. Choose the topic you want to talk about, write out a few step by step instructions and create a few Instagram Stories or carousel tutorial to share on Instagram. Read Next: “7 Secrets For Entrepreneurs to Get The Most Out of Instagram Stories”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by social⚡️digital⚡️strategy (@lindsaysganga)

5. Mistakes to Avoid

You probably see many of your clients making the same mistakes often. *cringe* Help out your clients and potential clients by (nicely!) sharing a few mistakes people often make with their social media, accounting, fitness, etc and give advice on what they could be doing instead.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jess | Branding + Web Design (@graceandoak)

6. Mood Board Monday

If you’re a service-based business in a creative field like photography, graphic design or wedding planning, we have a fun and refreshing type of Instagram content to test out… mood boards! Simply compile a few aesthetically pleasing photos and create a mood board to help your clients get inspired!

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by TORONTO WEDDING PLANNER (@prettyplans.ca)

7. Time to Hire

If you work with a lot of small businesses, it’s a great idea to share a few signs that they are ready to hire you for your services. As a small business owner, sometimes it’s hard to know when it’s the right time to start outsourcing and hire service-based businesses to help you run your business. Let your clients know exactly what you are looking for in clients that are ready to work with you and signs that it’s time for them to hire you!

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Rebrand + Launch Copywriter (@aleisekay)

8. Reading Recommendations

Have any great books you’ve read recently? This is a super easy and fun topic any service-based business could share on Instagram! Select a few books you’ve read recently (brownie points if they are related to your service offering!) and create an Instagram Reel to recommend these books to your clients. Not sure how to create Instagram Reels yet? It’s easy to create high-quality marketing videos in just a few minutes with the video-making app Boosted!
 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by JENNA | Virtual Fitness Coach (@jennafit_)

9. Pros & Cons

As a service-based business, part of your job is selling your services and a great way to do this is by sharing the pro’s and con’s of using your services. (Hint: Share lots of pros of hiring you!) You can share these in an Instagram caption but creating an Instagram Reel is even more fun and engaging for your clients to watch! Read Next: “13 Instagram Reels Content Ideas for Small Business Owners”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by SHOSHANA SOCHER | Realtor (@shoshana_socher)

10. Share a Stat

Are there any interesting stats related to your business that your clients might find relevant? Sharing industry-related statistics is an easy and educational piece of content you could share every once in a while on Instagram. Make it visually interesting and be sure to make it clear why you clients should know or care about these statistics. 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Socialfly (@socialfly)

11. The Lingo

This last idea for Instagram content for service-based business might just be our favorite! There are likely tons of terms you use in your business on a regular basis that are pretty basic to you, but this doesn’t always mean your clients will know the lingo! Share some of the terminology that you use on a regular basis to help your clients learn more about your industry and make it easier for them to communicate with you once they’ve hired you for your services!

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CL Designs | Graphic Designer (@_clieu)

Has your service-based business created any of these types of Instagram content yet? We hope you enjoyed these ideas and can’t wait to see all of the great content you create! 

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8 Instagram Growth Hacks for Small Business Owners

Looking to grow your small business’ Instagram in 2021? Check out our top 8 Instagram growth hacks specifically for small business owners. We’ve covered it all – from a few small, simple changes you can make to your Instagram strategy, such as hashtag secrets, content ideas and engagement tips, to bigger changes like utilizing ‘secret’ Instagram features, creating video content and knowing how to use the Instagram algorithm to boost growth. 

1. Create Reels – Reels is Instagram’s short-form video feature (similar to TikTok) and is one of our top tips for small business owners to grow their Instagram accounts in 2021. There are SO many types of video content small businesses can create for Reels (get inspired here!) and your customers will love engaging with this type of content. You can create Reels directly within the Instagram app or you can create high-quality marketing videos in just a few minutes with a video-making app like Boosted. Read Next: “The Small Business Owner’s Guide to Instagram Reels.”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jo & Rae Co. (@joandraeco)

2. Utilize Hashtags Strategically – If growth on Instagram is one of your goals in 2021, hashtags are a key Instagram growth hacking strategy. You might already be using hashtags, but are you using the best ones to help your small business grow? Don’t just use hashtags with millions of tags – look for more niche hashtags for better reach and to connect with your target audience.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Social Media Agency (@_hellomedia)

3. Create Shareable Content – Shares are now more valued within the Instagram algorithm, so creating shareable content is more important than ever. A great example of shareable content are simple quote graphics that your community can relate to or find inspiring. Need some help brainstorming content for your small business? We’ve put together a complete content creation guide for small business owners: “Brainstorm 20+ Social Media Content Ideas for Your Business in Less Than an Hour”.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by LARK Skin Co. (@larkskinco)

4. Encourage Saves – Just like shares are more valued now within the algorithm, so are saves. Be sure to encourage engagement and don’t be afraid to give specific calls-to-action at the end of your Instagram posts. For example, you can host a giveaway with a requirement to save the post to be entered to win. Or you can even include a small arrow and a CTA to save this post in the bottom right corner of your post.

5. Instagram Guides – Instagram launched ‘Guides’ this past Spring and they’ve recently expanded the feature to everyone. Instagram Guides allow you to curate posts and videos alongside helpful tips and advice. Not only is this great content to share via your Stories, but your Product Guides might even be featured in Instagram Shop, Instagram’s new shopping destination within the Instagram app that helps customers discover new products from brands and businesses like you.

6. Send More DMs – If you want to grow your Instagram account AND make more sales this year, your small business needs to get active in the DMs. Instagram Direct Messages allow you to communicate more personally with your customers, answer questions and build stronger relationships. Here’s everything you need to know about how to utilize Instagram DMs. Read Next: “8 Easy Ways to Get More Instagram DMs From Customers”

7. Engage Before & After Posting – In order for your content to keep showing up prominently in your followers’ feeds and Stories, it’s important to engage with your audience – especially right before and right after you post. Before posting, comment on several posts within your community and after posting, respond to DMs, like old comments, etc to help your account stay relevant in your followers’ newsfeeds!

8. Post to Stories Daily – And last but definitely not least, one of the most important elements to successfully growing your small business’ Instagram account is consistency! You don’t need to post to your Instagram feed every single day, but we definitely recommend posting to your Instagram Stories on a daily basis. This can be something simple like sharing one of your past posts, something you are working on or a quick hello message to your followers. Posting daily to your Instagram Stories lets customers know you’re active on Instagram and will help your content stay relevant in their newsfeeds so they don’t miss any of your posts. Read Next: “7 Secrets For Entrepreneurs to Get The Most Out of Instagram Stories”

We hope that these Instagram growth hacks help you boost your small business’ Instagram followers, engagement and drive more sales! Looking for a few more ideas to improve your Instagram strategy in 2021? Check out our “21 Ideas to Revamp Your Social Media for 2021” article next.

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13 Instagram Reels Content Ideas for Small Business Owners

Whether you’re a service-based business owner or a product-based business owner, there are tons of great video content ideas you could be creating for Instagram Reels. In 2020, Instagram announced the release of Instagram Reels. Reels provides Instagram users and businesses with a new way to create fun and engaging short-form videos. Most small business owners already know the power of being on Instagram – with over one billion monthly active users on the platform, it’s a smart move for business owners to focus marketing efforts on Instagram. 

If your business is already active on Instagram but hasn’t posted a Reel just yet, now is the time! Don’t let lack of content inspiration hold you back – read on for 13 Instagram Reels content ideas you can create for your business, anytime.

Why Now is the Perfect Time to Create Instagram Reels

Instagram recently shared that mobile-shot Stories ads have a 63% chance of outperforming studio-shot ads – which means your small business can make a huge impact with videos created on your phone.

And most excitingly, Instagram JUST announced the release of new and improved insights for Instagram Reels to help your small business know exactly how your Reels content is performing. With the new Reels insights, business owners can see important new metrics like Accounts Reached, Plays, Likes, Comments, Saves and Shares. The new Instagram Reels Insights will show users specific metrics like what kinds of accounts they’re reaching with their Reels and which content formats are most engaging with their audience.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Instagram’s @Creators (@creators)

13 Instagram Reels Ideas for Product & Service-Based Small Business Owners

1. Share your favorite tools – As a business owner, you’ve likely tried and tested quite a few things to help you be most productive and keep your business operating smoothly. So why not share these learnings with your followers? Sharing some of your favorite tools that you use in your business is a great idea for an Instagram Reel and something you could create every few weeks to share new tools and tips that you’ve recently been using.

2. BTS photoshoot – Photoshoots aren’t just for photo content! Whether you’re doing a big shoot with new products or a small DIY photoshoot for Instagram content, this is a great opportunity to create a Reel. Be sure to take a few quick videos during the photo shoot to create an Instagram Reel showing the Behind the Scenes of your business’ shoot.  

3. How to book – For service-based businesses, an important Instagram Reel video you should create is telling potential customers how to book your services. Provide a simple step-by-step video explaining exactly where customers can book your services and what to expect after they’ve booked. This might just be the final thing that helps push interested customers to hit ‘buy!’

4. Your story – As a business owner, you have a unique and powerful story that deserves to be shared and celebrated. No matter what your story is or how long you’ve been running your business, a great video for Instagram Reels is a short video sharing your story. This will not only will help your customers get to know you better, it can also provide motivation for your followers and fellow business owners.

5. Answer a FAQ – Do your customers ask you a lot of questions? If you seem to be responding to a lot of comments or DM’s with similar questions, this is something you have to create an Instagram Reel about! Your customers frequently asked questions provide you with important insights into things they need to know about your business and their interests. Keep track of FAQ’s and create several Instagram Reels to answer all of your followers’ questions.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by NIKKI // FIT & NUTRITION COACH (@nicoleprins)

6. Show off your fave products – Do your customers know which of your products are your favorites? Create a fun Instagram Reel video to share some of your favorite products and styling tips with your customers! They will love learning which ones you like best and getting some styling ideas directly from the person behind the brand.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Bodomint | Diaper Bags (@bodomint)

7. Mistakes to avoid – Who doesn’t want help avoiding mistakes? Whether you’re a product-based or a service-based business, you can share mistakes you’ve made along your entrepreneurial journey or common mistakes you see customers making. Just be sure to keep your Reel informative and helpful to avoid making anyone feel judged.

8. Share some of your recent work – Obviously you should be showing off your recent work all the time as a business owner, but have you created an Instagram Reel yet to share some of your work? We love this content idea because it’s a great way to promote your products or services on a regular basis and is genuinely interesting to your customers. For the most engaging Reel, try picking your very favorites and share why you love them.

9. Perks of being your customer – Do you like to surprise and delight your customers and clients? Let potential customers know about a few of the fun and special perks they can enjoy as your client. Not only does this show how much you care about your customers, but it also helps people who are interested in buying from you in the future picture how enjoyable it would be to work with you.

10. Pick a style – A great Instagram Reel content idea to show off your products in the most engaging way is to round up several different products and ask your followers to pick their favorite! Instagram users love polls and quizzes and this is a fun way to take the voting element everyone loves and apply it to your Instagram Reels.

11. Share your struggles & successes – Everyone knows it’s not easy being a business owner! If you’re looking to create more raw, authentic Instagram content, you could share some of your struggles and successes over the past year on Instagram Reels. Being open with your customers helps them be more empathetic, feel like they know you personally and creates a stronger bond over time. 

12. Your top tips – Is there anything you wish you had known earlier in your entrepreneurial journey? These insights and learnings are valuable content to share with your customers. You can create an Instagram Reel video talking to the camera about something you’ve learned or put together a quick roundup sharing your favorite tips you’ve mastered along the way.

13. Announce a sale – Last but not least, you can announce a sale with Instagram Reels! Customers obviously love sales and we love the idea of sharing the news of an upcoming sale through Instagram Reels to get your customers even more excited. You can share behind-the-scenes of prepping for the sale or details about the sale like how much the discounts are and when the sale ends.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPRUfWYneMa/

There are so many ways for your customers to learn more about you and your business through Instagram Reels.  And we hope you take full advantage! If you’re looking for a tool to create Reels with, check out Boosted – the video-marketing app for professional templates with stock photos, fonts, music and more that makes it quick and easy to create quality, on-brand Reels for your brand.

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5 Social Media Content Ideas for National Small Business Week

Happy National Small Business Week! This year, National Small Business Week takes place from May 2-8, 2021. NSBW celebrates the 31.7 million small businesses across the United States. Small business owners have hustled hard this past year to keep their businesses alive and deserve this week of recognition more than ever. 

Wondering how you can celebrate this occasion for your brand on social media? Here are 5 creative and engaging content ideas for NSBW.

1. Inspire your audience with actionable ways to support small businesses 

Share specific and actionable ideas with your audience as to how they can support their favorite local businesses – during NSBW and beyond. For example, here are 5 ways to encourage your audience to support their neighborhood pizzeria: 

– Buy pizza from them once a week / once a month etc. instead of eating out at a bigger, national chain 

– Be sure to tip your server or deliveryperson  

– Purchase a gift card for a friend

– Give the pizzeria a shoutout on your Instagram Stories next time you visit 

– Leave a positive review on their Facebook page

No matter what industry you’re in, you can create a post or video on this topic. Here are some posts to help inspire your content:

2. Share your own small business journey 

How did you (and your business) get to where you are today? NSBW is a great time to reflect on your journey and celebrate your successes as a small business owner. Share a post or video detailing your story. Some questions and prompts to help get you started: 

– When did you start your business? What motivated you to initially start your business?

– What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a small business owner?

– What is your why – what keeps you motivated as a biz owner day after day? 

– Share 3 things that your customers may not know about you.

– Be sure to thank the people who helped you along the way, whether that’s friends, family and/or customers.

Here are some great posts from small business owners sharing their own biz journeys:

3. Create a video in honor of National Small Business Week 

Spread your NSBW message across social media with an eye-catching video! People are twice as likely to share video content with their friends, compared to any other type of content. 

If you’re new to video content creation for social media, don’t worry! Boosted, the video creation app with professional, ready-to-go templates, has a unique template in honor of the occasion that you can customize for your own brand in only minutes: 

4. Create an Instagram Guide of your favorite small business products & services

Instagram Guides is a new Insta feature that enables users to share tips, insights & longer-form content. Consider creating a Guide of a roundup of products and / or services you love from various local businesses⁠. Within Guide Types, you can select either Products or Posts to create this type of Guide. 

Check out our post here for more insights on how to create your own Instagram Guide: 

5. Enter the #GrowWithBoosted Challenge 

We’re hosting a special-edition #GrowWithBoosted Challenge over on our Instagram (@boosted_by_lightricks) in honor of National Small Business Week. Enter the challenge this week for the chance to win a $500 Amazon Gift Card or lifetime access to Boosted Premium!

Here are all the details you’ll need to enter: 

We hope that these ideas help inspire your brand’s social media content in honor of National Small Business Week 2021! Be sure to check out our blog for more social media marketing insights for your small business.

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9 Mistakes Small Businesses Are Making on Instagram Stories (And How to Fix Them)

There are so many reasons for small business owners to utilize Instagram Stories. Stories offer a quick, convenient way to share short-form content on-the-go to easily engage with your customers on a daily basis.

But when it comes to Instagram Stories, there are several common mistakes we often see small business owners making. We’ve rounded up the nine most common mistakes small businesses are making with their Instagram Stories, along with tips on how to fix them.

1. Not using Stories at all

One of the biggest mistakes small businesses can make when it comes to Instagram, is not using Instagram Stories at all! There are so many benefits for small businesses when it comes to Instagram Stories – Stories are an easy way to engage with your customers daily, drive more traffic to your website and create quality content quickly.

2. Not branding your Stories

Just because Stories don’t have a permanent spot on your feed doesn’t mean that they can’t be customized and beautifully branded! The simplest way to make your Instagram Stories feel on brand is to always use your brand colors. Did you know that you choose any color you want on Instagram Stories? Simply upload an image that has your brand colors to your Instagram Story, then use the drawing tool to tap and hold to select custom colors.

Read Next: ‘5 Ways to Make Your Instagram Stories Stand Out’

3. Not using Instagram Shopping

If you are a product-based small business, you should definitely be using the Instagram Shopping feature. This enables you to tag your products in your Instagram Stories to make it super easy for your customers to shop your products  directly through Instagram. In order to use the Instagram Shopping feature to tag your products in posts and Stories, you’ll have to get your Instagram account approved then set up a catalogue of your products through Facebook. Learn how to set up Instagram Shopping here.

 4. Not posting videos

Short-form video content is extremely popular and highly engaging – which is why it’s a huge mistake if your small business isn’t sharing videos on your Instagram Stories! Photos might seem like the easiest type of content to create and share but a tool like Boosted makes it simple to create high-quality videos, quickly and easily. Boosted has tons of beautiful templates and stock footage to choose from. And you can easily customize the colors, fonts and logo to create a branded, custom video for Instagram Stories in just a few minutes!

Read Next: ‘7 Creative Ways to Use Video on Social Media’

5. Not including Instagram Stickers – When you upload a photo or video to your Instagram Stories, there’s a wide variety of Instagram Stickers you can choose from. Instagram Stickers are easy to include in your Stories and can make your Instagram Stories more engaging for your customers. So, which stickers are the best for your small business to use? Try using the question and quiz stickers to ask your followers a question – this is a great way to get feedback directly from your customers!

6. Not using hashtags – One mistake small businesses make when it comes to Instagram Stories is thinking that hashtags are just for feed posts. However, using hashtags on your Stories is an important step that many business owners forget! There are two ways to include hashtags in your Instagram Stories and you should be using both.

The first is the Instagram Hashtag Sticker – this is a sticker that your followers can click to view more posts under that hashtag. (This will help your Instagram Story reach even more people too!) And the second way is a great Instagram Story hack that every small business owner should know about – you can copy and paste a paragraph of related hashtags into the font option and make the font the same color as the background or hidden behind a GIF. These ‘hidden hashtags’ are another way to help boost your Instagram Stories to more potential customers.

Read Next: ‘7 Secrets For Entrepreneurs to Get The Most Out of Instagram Stories’

7. Not sharing your feed posts – Once you’ve shared a post to your feed, you should be sharing it to your Instagram Stories as well! Many small business owners forget to promote their content and sharing your posts to your Instagram Stories is a free way to help boost both the reach and engagement on all of your Instagram posts. By sharing your post to Instagram Stories, your followers will be more likely to see and engage with your post right after you’ve posted it (which is an important strategy when it comes to the Instagram algorithm!).

8. Not posting daily

As a small business owner, it isn’t realistic for you to post on your Instagram feed every day, but you also don’t want to make the mistake of not posting daily to your Instagram Stories. The beauty of Instagram Stories is how simple it is to create and share content. Some days you might post more often on Instagram Stories than others, but you should make an effort to post something to your Instagram Stories every single day, even if it’s just a quick check in to say hi to your followers, an inspirational quote or even sharing a relevant past Instagram post.

Read Next: ‘How Many Times a Day Should You Post to Instagram Stories?’

9. Not saving Stories to Highlights

Last but not least – the final mistake that small business owners are making when it comes to Instagram Stories is forgetting to save their Stories to their Instagram Story Highlights. The Story Highlights feature allows you to organize Stories you’ve previously posted into easy-to-access collections directly under your Instagram bio. When you’ve created great Instagram Stories with helpful info for your customers, it’s a shame to let them disappear forever after 24 hours. Utilizing Instagram Story Highlights helps your customers quickly find the content they are looking for, drive more traffic to your website and provide another way to engage your followers.

Read Next: ‘How to Use Instagram Story Highlights Strategically as a Small Business Owner’

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How to Get Verified on Instagram: A Step by Step Guide for 2021

Ever wonder about those blue checks that appear next to certain accounts on Instagram?

They’re verification badges for notable people and brands — and they come with a lot of benefits. In this article, we’ll cover how and why to get the coveted blue check next to your account name. (For TikTok verification, check out our post here).

Why it’s Important to Get Verified on Instagram in 2021

Instagram verification has a few important benefits:

  • It makes a great first impression. Making a good first impression is a fundamental principle in branding. When someone comes across your profile, before they know anything about you, they’ll know that you’re “the real deal”: a person of note or a recognized brand.
  • It increases discoverability and brand awareness. Verified accounts appear higher in searches and suggestions on Instagram.
  • It inspires trust. In the era of fake news, it’s not always easy to know who to trust. The blue check tells your followers that you are who you say you are. This is especially important when promoting a special offer or deal, because users might be skeptical of special offers from unverified accounts.
  • It helps you avoid identity theft. People can use fake accounts to spread misinformation or try to sabotage your reputation. The blue tick helps you avoid that situation by making it easy for people to verify whether it’s really you.
  • It grants you access to special features. Instagram usually rolls out beta versions of new features to verified accounts first. The swipe-up feature on Instagram stories, which allows you to add links to your Stories, is only available to accounts with above 10,000 followers — and verified accounts, even if they have fewer than 10K followers.

Sounds great, right? So who is eligible for all these benefits?

List of 6 Criteria for Instagram Verification

These are 6 rules which Instagram requires to verify an account:

  1. Your account must follow the Terms of Use and Community Guidelines: This is true of any account.
  2. Your account must be authentic: It has to represent a real person or business.
  3. Your account must be unique: You can’t verify multiple accounts for the same person or business (unless they are language-specific).
  4. Your account must be public and have a bio, profile photo, and at least one Feed post.
  5. No “add me” links to other social media sites. Your link should lead to your official website or landing page.
  6. Your account must represent a notable person or brand: Instagram will search for you to see if you’re well-known, and they will consider accounts that are featured in multiple news sources as long as it’s not paid or promotional content.

Please note: you cannot buy Instagram verification, and any service claiming to be able to get your account verified for a fee is a scam. Getting verified on Instagram ‘for free’, or organically and naturally, is the only safe and legitimate way.

Think your account qualifies? Ready to get verified on IG? Here’s what to do:

Steps on How to Get Verified on Instagram in 2021

  • Open your profile page and tap on the 3-line icon on the upper right corner of your screen. Select “Settings” at the bottom of the menu:
  • Then tap “Account”:

get verified on instagram

  • And then “Request Verification”:

request verification on instagram

  • On the next screen, you’ll be asked to enter a number of details:
    1. Full Name: This is your full legal name as it appears on your government-issued ID.
    2. Known As: This is your business or brand name. If you’re a public figure or your business is named after you, enter your own name here.
    3. Category: Here you’ll be given a number of category options to choose from. Choose the one that closest describes what you do, or if none of them do, select “other.”
    4. Photo ID: Here, attach an image of a government-issued photo ID. The page lists a few examples of valid ID documents. Make sure you use a photo or scan where your name is clearly legible.
  • Once you’ve filled in all the fields and attached your ID, tap “Send.”

Instagram verification can take anywhere from days to weeks. There’s no way to speed up the process, so you’ll just have to wait patiently! You’ll get a message in your notification feed when a decision is made about verifying your account.

If your Instagram verification request is denied, no worries — you can try again in 30 days.

How Many Times Can I apply for Instagram Verification?

There’s no limit to how many times you can apply for verification after each 30-day waiting period.

If your account is repeatedly denied, it might be because of one of the following common reasons:

5 Common Reasons for Not Getting Verified on Instagram:

  1. The account violates the Terms and Conditions or Community Guidelines. Read Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Guidelines carefully and ensure that your account complies with them.
  2. The account doesn’t represent the person or entity asking for verification. Your account has to represent you or your business or brand. “Official” fan accounts for celebrities, movies, or fictional characters don’t count.
  3. The account isn’t public. Private accounts can’t be verified.
  4. The account isn’t complete. Make sure your account has a bio and profile picture, and at least one Feed post.
  5. The account promotes a type of business or brand that violates Instagram’s terms. Even if the account itself is free of content that violates Instagram’s terms and guidelines, the nature of the business might do so if it’s fraudulent or shady.

If none of these apply to your Instagram account, it’s possible that your brand might not be well-known enough yet. In this case, keep working on promoting brand awareness and recognition, so that next time Instagram reviews your account, your brand will be prominent and easily searchable. This is something you should be doing anyway!

Remember that Instagram doesn’t count paid or promotional content, so if you really want your account verified, the best course is to generate some genuine media attention.

Should You Apply to Get Verified on Instagram?

If you think your account meets the above criteria, and you want to increase your following and brand awareness, you should definitely apply to get verified.

Even if you’re not sure whether your account qualifies, it’s worth a try. Worst comes to worst, nothing will change; in the best-case scenario, you’ll be inducted to the exclusive blue-check club, where you’ll enjoy greater discoverability, access to special features, and the reputation of trust that comes with account verification.

how to get verified social media marketing

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Instagram Business and Marketing Trends for 2021

Instagram is one of the top social media platforms in the world. In fact, Instagram currently has over one billion monthly active users. Despite being one of the most popular social media companies in the world, Instagram is actually owned by Facebook. But even though Instagram is owned by Facebook, it is still a standalone social media giant. Therefore, it is crucial for companies to have effective marketing strategies for Instagram in addition to Facebook. One of the best ways to create an effective Instagram marketing strategy is to be fully aware of all of the key business and marketing trends for the platform. 

Here is a look at the top Instagram business and marketing trends for 2021. Your business can use these trends to create a winning Instagram marketing strategy in the next year. 

1. Social Cause Support 

In the past year or two, a number of key social causes have sprung up and have become extremely popular on Instagram. The world is going through a social justice revolution and Instagram is helping spread the word! This trend was strong in 2020 and will likely continue well into 2021, it cannot be denied that IG has become a major platform for social causes. Brands that show support for these important social causes can help them win over followers and customers that support these causes. The younger generations have a strong preference for brands that show empathy, so showing empathy and support for key social causes of 2021 on Instagram can be extremely helpful for brand growth. 

2. Instagram Stories 

In the past year or two, Instagram Stories have become the single most popular kind of content on the platform. In fact, there are over 500 million Instagram accounts that use Stories every single day. Instagram Stories are so popular because they are intriguing, easy to use, and do not require a lot of production effort. Instagram created its Story feature after seeing how popular Snapchat’s time-based, photo messages became. While Snapchat pioneered the technology, now Instagram users also use these image or video Stories on a regular basis. Brands can use the Instagram Story feature to provide quick updates about products, sales, behind the scenes tidbits about the company, and more. Stories help to keep followers engaged and connected to the brand. Because Story content is so consumable, many followers actually prefer it! So, it’s a win-win. Due to the strong popularity of Instagram Stories, they will definitely continue to be a strong Instagram business and marketing trend in 2021. Get started with Instagram Stories now!

3. Shoppable Posts 

Instagram launched shoppable posts in 2016. Since it launched this feature, Instagram became a giant ecommerce portal for brands. Many brands have already had tremendous success from shoppable posts. In 2021, shoppable posts are continuing to rise in popularity. With Covid-19 in 2020,  most people are doing most of their shopping from home now to stay safe. Since shoppable posts make shopping on Instagram so easy, it is likely that shoppable posts will continue to be extremely popular amongst brands on Instagram. 

4. Going Live 

Going live on Instagram Stories is becoming more and more popular on the Instagram platform. In fact, in 2019 alone, Instagram users watched 1.1 billion hours of live video on Instagram. Many brands have taken notice of this trend and have started to go live in order to market their products and engage their followers in real time – and your brand can too (check out this guide)! For example, Chipotle recently started going live to share recipes with their followers. Chipotle followers are die-hard fans and are therefore really interested in following cooking demos in live time. This is just one example of how companies can engage their followers in order to create excitement and interest in their brand. There are also many other, different ways that brands can do this! For example, bicycle brands can go live while riding bikes on trails, travel brands can go live to show an exotic vacation location, tech brands can go live to demonstrate a new product, etc. The sky’s the limit in terms of using going live to create value. Make sure to check out the new Instagram live badge when you take advantage of this great marketing tool!

5. Reels 

Instagram Reels was released in August of 2020 and it allows Instagram users to edit and publish videos that are roughly 15 seconds. Instagram obviously noticed the major success that TikTok was having and wanted to follow suit. Because TikTok is constantly under threat of being banned in the United States, Instagram Reels has real potential to snatch up some of the short video market. Reels is currently very new so it is flying under the radar a bit, but look for it to gain a lot of traction and to become a major Instagram trend in 2021. 

Conclusion:

Instagram continues to be one of the most used social media platforms on earth. If your company can create a high-quality Instagram account and use it effectively, then it can be enormously beneficial for your business. Not only can you use Instagram to market to your customers and grow your following, but you can actually use Instagram to sell directly to your followers.

Due to the incredible value that Instagram has for businesses, there is virtually no reason why your company should not be making an effort to market and sell on Instagram. Make sure you choose the right Instagram business category for you biz. Most of the top brands in the world have Instagram accounts that are very active. If you can take advantage of the trends listed in this article, then you could be well on your way to Instagram success in 2021.

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Instagram Business Categories: The Complete Guide

What are Instagram Business Categories? 

An Instagram business category is the category that a business can list itself as in their Instagram bio. There are over 1,500 different Instagram categories that a business can choose from: everything from fast-food restaurants to architectural designer has a category on Instagram. You cannot choose a business category for a personal account, so if you want to select a business category, you will have to create or convert to a business account.

Why Are Instagram Business Categories Important? 

Instagram business categories are important because they help people to find your business. They do this by telling Instagram’s search algorithm to display your business when people search for businesses in your niche and area. For example, if you have an Italian restaurant in Pasadena, then your business category should say Italian restaurant and your location should be marked as Pasadena, California as well. 

It is important to be as specific as you can when you are choosing your Instagram business category. This is because the more specific you are, the easier it will be for your customers to find. For example, as an Italian restaurant, you should choose the category “Italian Restaurant,” as opposed to “Restaurant.” Need more convincing? Check out why you should switch to an Instagram business account here.

How to List an Instagram Category 

When you are setting up your business account on Instagram, you will be automatically asked to choose a business category. When you are prompted to answer this question, make sure that you choose the most accurate answer possible. After you finish the steps to complete your business account setup on Instagram, the business category will automatically be displayed beneath your business name in your Instagram bio. 

How to Change Your IG Business Category 

Many businesses end up changing their business category either because they found a different category that they thought was more appropriate for their business or because they changed their business model. If you find yourself in a similar situation and want to change your business category, then you can change it quite easily. All that you have to do to change your business category on Instagram is log in to your Instagram business account, click “Edit Profile,” scroll down to the business category section, and select a new business category. 

List of Most Popular Instagram Business Categories:

For the full list of all 1500 categories, click here. And below are the most popular categories:

  • Advertising/Marketing
  • Agriculture
  • Arts and Entertainment
  • Automotive, Aircraft and Boat
  • Beauty, Cosmetic and Personal Care
  • Commercial and Industrial
  • Education
  • Finance
  • Food and Beverage
  • Hotel and Lodging
  • Legal
  • Local Service
  • Media/News Company
  • Medical and Health
  • Non-Government Organization
  • Nonprofit Organization
  • Public and Government Services
  • Real Estate
  • Science, Technology and Engineering
  • Shopping and Retail
  • Sports and Recreation
  • Travel and Transportation
  • Armed Forces
  • Charity Organization
  • Community Service
  • Country Club / Clubhouse
  • Environmental Conservation Organization
  • Labor Union
  • Private Members Club
  • Religious Organization
  • Social Club
  • Sorority and Fraternity
  • Sports Club
  • Youth Organization
  • Art
  • Book and Magazine
  • Music
  • Show
  • TV and Movies
  • ATM
  • Campus Building
  • City Infrastructure
  • Landmark and Historical Places
  • Locality
  • Meeting Room
  • Outdoor Recreation
  • Public Toilet
  • Religious Place of Worship
  • Residence
  • Brand
  • Cause
  • Just for Fun
  • Public Figure
  • Model
  • Writer

Final Thoughts:

If you want your business to thrive and be successful on Instagram, then it is critical that you have a business category listed in your bio and that this category is chosen wisely. The more accurate and specific that your business category is, the better. Having a very specific business category can help you stand out from your competitors. So, choose wisely! 

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