INSTAGRAM VIDEO FOR SMALL BUSINESS
Instagram introduced video about a year ago, and yet few brands have taken advantage of it. Instagram is still considered the wild, wild, west of social media marketing, and for that reason brands have not yet had the courage to attack the beast that is Instagram. In fact, a mere 4% of the US Fortune 500 brands are using Instagram video. This means that there is an even playing field for small and mid-sized businesses to get in the game- although some brands out there that are already killing it. How can your business become a behemoth on the Instagram scene?
Instagram has over 200 million active users, most of them characterized as millenials. The simplicity of the app is what makes it so popular. The video function is no different. With 13 filter options, you can edit and cut frames of your video to the appropriate length and then add a unique filter as a finishing touch. At 15 seconds, there is plenty of time to get a message across for your brand. Don’t have any earth shattering ideas? A simple concept is almost always the most effective:
- Promote a new product or service: Customers always enjoy feeling like they have V.I.P access to a brand, so why not post a video about your newest inventory for all your Instagram followers before it gets put on the shelf. Same goes for restaurants with a new menu item or a boutique with a pair of boots back in stock—giving your fans a heads up goes a long way with them.
- Behind-the-scenes: Giving a vision of what exactly goes on at your business helps your customers feel like they’re part of your brand. Try doing a short clip of what happens before your store opens, a tour of your office space, or a snapshot of how your product is created.
- Employee introductions: Your customers like to know who is working for your brand and who they might meet if they stop in! Do quirky 5-second each interviews asking them what they’re favorite part of working at your business is, or go totally shocking and ask about their favorite condiment. Have fun with it, and your followers will too.
- Run a promotion: Create a cool brand video and then announce if it gets 500 likes, those who come into the business and reference the Instagram video get 5% off; 1,000 likes gets 10% off, etc., etc. This will give your small business engagement as well as extended reach to possible new customers, all while treating your current followers to a small discount.
So is your head swirling with ideas? Remember, this doesn’t have to be a masterpiece in videography—just a thoughtful, branded video that speaks to your audience. Don’t forget to include a terrific hashtag to tout to your followers. There is no golden number of hashtags, but more than two can be overwhelming for your followers. What are you waiting for? Arm the forces to make social media gold!
Are there any video strategies you’re already using on Instagram?
