I’ve written many times about the power of social media, like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. But what about Instagram? It’s basically like Twitter, except you can only post pictures, and is primarily used by teens and young adults (and cats). However, it can also be a powerful marketing tool if you know how to use it, and especially if you are selling something extremely visual. For example, I follow a tattoo artist who is constantly posting his work, and a girl who crochets and sells her handmade items online for a living and uses Instagram for free advertisement. Not only does it let you market your products (possibly, home listings?), but it gives your followers a personal look into your life. It makes them care. Check out this post by Carrie Barrett at Internet Marketing Inc for some ideas:
Tell A Story Give users an incentive to follow you by providing a “behind the scenes” look into the culture and daily events of your brand.
Find Relevant Followers In order to build your following, it is important to optimize your profile for search with a robust “about” section that includes your website and relevant keywords, as well as your logo as the thumbnail. Utilize appropriate hashtags to maximize your reach.
Expand Your Reach Within the Instagram platform, you can tie a Facebook (profile, not brand page) and a Twitter account. Once you publish an image on Instagram you have the ability to share across either of these channels.