How to Instagram Your Way to Business Growth

Scrolling through Instagram, it’s easy to feel like every other business has it all figured out — while you’re still deciding what to post (or whether you should even be on the platform at all). The good news? You don’t need a huge following or fancy tools to turn Instagram into a real growth driver for your business.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to Instagram like a pro, from setting up a new business account to creating a social media strategy that works.

Why Instagram makes sense for your business

Instagram is a magnet for companies looking to attract new customers and increase brand awareness. Here’s why.

Reach potential

Instagram boasts over 2 billion active users across the world, making it the third-most popular social media app globally. It counts subscribers in nearly every country, with India, the U.S., and Brazil being its top markets. 

People flock to Instagram for its visual content. The platform’s heavy focus on images and video clips means businesses can use it to show off products and services to potential customers. 

Instagram includes tools that brands can leverage to sell directly through the platform. This is great for reaching potential customers on their smartphones, something that’s crucial now that the majority of online purchases are made via mobile devices.

Enhancing existing marketing efforts

Most people get dozens of emails each day, but they don’t always read each one. Instagram gives you another outlet to reach clients who missed your latest message. 

Combining Instagram and email unlocks cross-platform opportunities. You can use Instagram to promote your email marketing list and gain more subscribers, and vice versa.

By introducing Instagram as a marketing channel, you can build a community of people interested in your brand. Fans can comment, like, and share your content, which can help your posts gain traction and reach even more people. 

Cost-effectiveness

The best thing about Instagram for small business is that it’s completely free. There’s no charge to set up an account and start posting today. That’s totally different from traditional marketing, which typically requires some upfront costs.

Instagram business versus personal: What you need to know

If you’re one of the 171.7 million people in the U.S. with a personal Instagram account, you already have some understanding of how to Instagram. But when you set up a business Instagram account, you’ll unlock several useful features.

Key differences

Ever wondered how many people saw your post? A personal Instagram account won’t tell you — but a business one will. You’ll get access to other analytics, too. Follower growth, impressions, engagement rates, and reach are all visible through a business account profile.

Instagram business accounts have an area for contact information. Here, you can insert your business email, phone number, address, and website. This makes it very easy for anyone following your brand to get in touch. 

Businesses that sell products can create an online shop linked to their profile. People who view your shop can purchase items without ever leaving the Instagram platform. And, if you prefer that people buy through your website, that’s not an issue — just add a URL tag to the item.

Why business accounts matter

Having a business Instagram account gives your brand professional credibility. To people who are just learning what you offer, that’s a big deal. If they discover your website and see you have business socials, too, it sends a positive trust signal. 

Every Instagram business account comes with access to a custom API. With this, you can track brand mentions, social trends, and relevant hashtags. It also integrates with marketing tools you might already use, such as Constant Contact. When you connect your Instagram API with our platform, you can create posts and analyze the results in one place.

Setting up your Instagram business account

Not sure how to join Instagram? These tips explain how to start an Instagram account from scratch or by converting an existing account you already have.

Creating your account from scratch

Download the Instagram app onto your phone. Open it and tap Sign Up, then enter your email or phone number to start the process. 

If you already have a personal Instagram account, open the app and tap the drop-down menu that’s next to your user name. From here, tap Create New Account. 

When prompted, enter a username for your new account. It should reflect (or be) your brand name so that people can easily find you. Then take these steps:

1. Tap your profile and tap Account type and tools. It’s underneath the “For professionals” heading.
2. Tap Switch to professional account.
3. Follow the prompts to fill out your Instagram business profile. You’ll provide information about your business type, contact options, and profile visibility. 

After finalizing your new account, you can upload a profile image and header. Keep your images consistent with your branding across other marketing channels. 

Converting to a business account

If you have a personal or creator account you use to promote your brand, you can convert it to a business account. However, if you use your existing account for other purposes — such as keeping up with friends and family — you’re better off creating a new business account. 

Switching a personal Instagram account to a business account

1. Tap your profile pic to enter your settings.
2. Locate and tap Switch to professional account. 
3. Tap Continue. 
4. Choose a category for your brand. Tap Switch to professional account.
5. Follow the prompts to update your account with your business information. 

Converting an Instagram creator account to a business account

1. Tap your profile pic to enter your settings.
2. Tap Creator tools and controls.
3. Tap Switch account type > Switch to business account.
4. Tap Switch.
5. Follow the prompts to update your account with your business information. 

Developing your Instagram content strategy

Short-form, visual content works quite well on Instagram. Let’s look at how to Instagram content that people get excited about.

Types of content that drive engagement

Behind-the-scenes content gives followers an inside look at your brand. It shows the faces behind your products and services. That’s important, especially for brands that don’t have a local physical storefront. Use this type of content to spotlight your team, brand culture, or show off your process. For example, a restaurant could post a clip of kitchen staff preparing for the Friday night dinner rush. An accounting firm could spotlight its newest team members.

Promote the benefits of your products or services in your Instagram posts. Some ways to do this include before and after transformations, customer testimonials, and educational content about your offerings. For example, a hairstylist could share before and after images of a customer’s haircut. A realtor could share recent client reviews and testimonial snippets.

Not all posts have to come from you. Get your customers to engage with you through user-generated content. This strategy encourages customers to create relevant content and tag your brand in their post. Give people a reason to participate, such as a free product for winning posts.

Forming Instagram partnerships or collaborations keeps the content flowing. Essentially, you can cross-promote a non-competitor and ask them to do the same. Or, you can team up with an Instagram influencer and ask them to create posts that promote your brand. 

Constant Contact offers on-demand webinars to help you find a content mix that works. Check them out for expert tips you can leverage on social media.

Content planning and consistency

There’s a myth that you have to post frequently to get results on social media. But that’s not exactly true. While platforms do look favorably on accounts that stay active, that doesn’t mean you have to post five times a day. Instead, focus on making quality posts that get engagement. Likes, shares, and comments send very positive signals to Instagram and can help your posts get more organic reach.

Some brands take a batch creation approach to social media. Using this technique, you create upcoming posts for the next week or month at one time. Then, you upload content and schedule each post according to your preferences. It’s a good way to save time and keep your Instagram content flowing during busy periods.

Keep your business cycles and seasons in mind when planning your social media content. For example, you might post more frequently during the times clients buy the most. Also, try to mix up content frequently so viewers stay interested and engaged.

Growing your Instagram following organically

Implement these strategies to capture new fans naturally — no ads required.

Building your hashtag strategy

Hashtags categorize content and show up in search results among people who search for them. They start with the pound symbol — # — followed by a word or phrase. Someone who stumbles across your post using a hashtag may decide to follow you, too. 

There are a few hashtag types you can pick from as you learn how to Instagram. They include:

• Local: Location-based tags, such as your country, state, city, or neighborhood
• Industry: Highlight your brand’s industry, such as fitness or food
• Branded: Include your organization’s name or relevant keyword
• High-volume: Popular, generic hashtags that may have millions of followers, such as #travel
• Niche: Subset of a high-volume hashtag that’s targeted for a specific group, such as #ArtisticRetreat

To find suitable hashtags for your business, try using a tool such as Brand24. It can help you find relevant hashtags and monitor Instagram for mentions of your brand name. 

Another way to find hashtags is to check your competitors’ profiles. Look at the hashtags they use, and see if they’re a good fit for your organization, too.

As your business grows, start using branded hashtags for each post you make. A simple hashtag with your organization’s name can increase brand awareness and attract new followers. 

Engagement tactics for small businesses

You don’t need thousands of followers to be successful on Instagram. Instead of focusing on the number of fans you have, emphasize authentic connections. Respond to comments and direct messages promptly, and build relationships with complementary businesses. Work with those accounts to promote each other’s content. 

Timing is important, too. Test different posting times to find when your audience is most active. This might be mid-morning, when people settle into their workday. Or it could be lunchtime or early evening. 

Stay consistent with your posting routine, but be careful of oversaturation. Too many posts could drive followers away, especially if they don’t get engagement.

Instagram features every business should use

Besides regular posts, explore how to Instagram using its other features.

Stories and highlights

Stories run for 24 hours and appear at the top of each user’s feed. They can be up to 60 seconds long, but Instagram splits longer clips into 15-second segments. 

Stories are great for daily engagement. Use them for behind-the-scenes content, limited-time offers, and timely announcements. To get more engagement from stories, include interactive elements such as polls or questions.

You can save Instagram Stories as Highlights. These appear on your profile and stay there until you delete them. They’re useful for showcasing evergreen content, such as customer testimonials and FAQs.

Instagram Threads

Instagram Threads is similar to X (formerly Twitter). It’s primarily text-based content, but you can include pictures, short videos, and links in your posts. You need an Instagram account to use Threads.

You don’t have to start from scratch to find an audience on Threads. You can connect with people who already follow you on Instagram and have a Threads account. And because posts are text-based, you can dive into topics that don’t align with Instagram’s visual content strategy. For example, you could use Threads to summarize recent blog posts or case studies, and include links for fans who want to read the full article.

Instagram and Constant Contact: Expanding your digital presence

Constant Contact provides the tools you need to manage email and social media marketing in one place. Using it can save time and unlock synergies that improve campaign results.

Integration opportunities

With Constant Contact, you can create and share content across your email and social media channels. There’s no need to leave the platform, and you can quickly transform content between channels without any hassle.

Constant Contact also keeps brand messaging consistent. You can save your preferred brand colors, fonts, and logo within the platform. Any time you make a post or send an email, you can add your brand elements for unified messaging across marketing channels.

Content repurposing strategies

Many organizations use email newsletters to keep subscribers up-to-date with relevant industry or brand information. If this is you, try reusing content from the newsletter in your social media posts. It’s an easy way to get more eyeballs on your brand without having to spend time creating new content. 

This strategy works both ways. If you post something directly to Instagram, you can reshare it in your next email. Constant Contact easily converts your content to the appropriate size and includes editing tools, so you can adjust the message before sending.

Audience growth acceleration

You know how to start Instagramming, but how do you attract followers? Get quick traction with your new business Instagram account using your existing customer data. Ask current email subscribers to follow you in your next message. Include a link to your account so they can easily add you. This can help you build a sizable following in the days after creating your account.

As you gain followers and get more comfortable with Instagram, try building a comprehensive customer journey. Outline each step the average client undergoes during the purchase process, and use email and social media to push them through the funnel. This can look like:

• Sending a welcome email message that includes a link to follow you on Instagram
• Following up a few days later with a message about your top-selling products
• Posting an Instagram Story about an upcoming sale
• Targeting new subscribers with an Instagram ad
• Emailing order processing and shipment information when a customer makes a purchase

Using both channels together — Instagram and email — keeps you in contact with customers naturally, using the platforms they already spend time on.

Measuring success and next steps

As you learn how to Instagram, use the platform’s built-in analytics to track your progress.

Key metrics for small businesses

Engagement matters more than follower count. Monitor likes, comments, and shares on your posts. You’ll also want to track story completion rates. This tells you how many people watched your story from beginning to end.

If you include website links in your posts or profile, track how many people click on them. Google Analytics is great for this — it tells you where your clicks come from, whether it’s social media, search engines, or some other source.

The whole point of using Instagram is to attract new customers. So, find ways to monitor how Instagram contributes to leads, sales, and conversions. This may include:

• Email list growth from Instagram
• Sales generated through Instagram Shopping or links
• New bookings, appointments, or other conversions from the platform

An upward trend is what you’re looking for. You can set target benchmarks to work toward as your social media strategy gains traction.

Scaling your Instagram presence

While Instagram is free to use, a business account gives you access to paid ads. Using this feature can improve your reach and allow you to target users who fit your ICP. Instagram lets you limit spending to an amount you’re comfortable with, so you don’t have to worry about exceeding your budget. 

Business users also get access to Creator Studio. It lets you manage your content from a desktop computer, rather than your smartphone. You can use it to view analytics and schedule posts in advance. To use Creator Studio, log in to your Instagram business account through the Instagram Creators portal.

Your Instagram journey starts now

Instagram is a must-have tool for growing your brand. It can help you find new customers, increase your sales, and improve brand awareness. Best of all, it’s free, and you don’t need a massive marketing budget to make it work for you. 

For best results, learn how to Instagram in combination with your other marketing channels. Lean on the data you have to connect with existing customers and quickly build a fan base. Then, develop a content and posting strategy you can stick with.

Constant Contact provides all the tools you need to manage your email and social media marketing campaigns. Sign up for a free trial to explore how our platform can support your brand.