Instagram is the most influential mobile applications used by the millennial and Gen-Z population across the world. With a count of 500 million steady users daily and 1 billion users monthly, Instagram statistics witnessed an unbelievable rise in the usage amidst the COVID-19 lockdown.
Before the lockdown, people spent about 53 minutes scrolling through Instagram on an average. But with nothing much to do at home, users are glued to their mobile screens for more than a couple of hours.
With increased screen time during the pandemic, businesses should be burning the midnight oil ‘on Instagram’ to get their business through the surging and undefined apocalypse.
How to promote your business during a crisis?
To stand out of the 25 million business accounts, it is best to promote your business wisely to grab attention from more eyeballs who are spending hours on phones and laptops than ever. However, you need to find the fine line of overselling and smart selling suiting the global circumstances.
Without wasting any more of this crucial time, let’s get rolling with how to encash your Instagram handle.
#0 Your business ideas
You can promote a business which is quite needed these days, or is of interests of users. For example, Laser engraving on metals is a field in which you can grow a lot.
“Laser etching metal is possible to do at home with relatively low-power lasers. In order to successfully etch metal with a laser, you’re going to need a machine equipped with a laser rated for at least 60 W of power. A laser with a power rating less than 60 W will, at best, leave a pale shadow of your art on the metal.”
#1 Choose your content wisely
Already planned advertising campaigns and brand promotions will have a dwindling effect amidst the pandemic situation. People are constantly envisaging and trying hard to keep their mental and emotional health stable. Amidst such grave happenings around the world, people are surely not interested in mainstream sales and advertisements.
I would recommend a peculiar revision of your scheduled posts according to the current situation worldwide. Relevant and socially aware content that connects people is the call of the hour.
#2 Acknowledge Your Customers and Staff
This is the best time to say thank you to all the people who have contributed and participated in the journey of your business. Amidst all the chaos a small gesture of acknowledgement will go a long way.
Also, make sure you thank all your staff members who are coming to the office or working from home despite all the odds. Designing a few posts that thank all the pivotal members of your organization will imbibe a sense of satisfaction for working with your company.
If you would like to learn more about the steps that businesses can take to ensure that the transition back to the workplace is a success, Zenefits made a return to work guide that is filled with helpful tips and resources.
#3 Tell Your Customers About Your Operations
If you are already operating or planning to operate your manufacturing and delivery options, make sure your customers know about all the precautionary steps being taken.
A well-captured and well-written ‘behind the scenes’ of your production line will be helpful for people to trust the safety measure of your products. Social distancing and sanitation were ignored and created a serious upsurge in the number of cases. Hence, I personally advise that you tell your customers that your business is completely cautious about employee and customer health.
#4 Contribute in The Welfare of The Society
Contributing to society is an exceptional step to promote your business. Good work will be noticed and acknowledged in the Instagram world as well. Many good deeds of businesses went viral amidst the pandemic and received great recognition. Hence, contribute to society and let people know about it with stories or posts. Also, make it a point to retweet and appreciate the good work others are doing. Support the local business owners, feed the street animals, help the poor with food, initiate campaigns with an NGO.
Let people know that you are a helpful business owner. These steps will be etched in the minds of people and a new flock of people will venture into becoming your customers in future.
#5 Communicate With Your Customers
With home quarantine and social distancing, people are missing human interaction and communication. Well, this is the best time to connect with people socially and interact with them.
I strongly suggest not oversee any direct messages that you receive in your inbox. Make sure you reply to the most of them and prepare frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) list and answer them through a post or stories so that your followers feel connected to your business and brand.
However, a live session for people to talk and communicate is highly powerful to reach out to your followers. Talking about random things in the live session while directly communicating via comments or split-screen is a recommended move during the pandemic lockdown.
#6 Free Virtual Classes regarding your business
Instagram’s live session is on the top list for businesses to reach out to more and more people. For example, if your business is a cosmetic line then you can educate people about the best skincare routines with your products. Talk about the pros of each product and how it can transform skin health completely. And there are many other ways to attract your clients too.
Such real-time conversations or classes will harvest an immense impact on your audience. Come up with unique and different ideas for your live sessions and throw some challenges with winning prizes and vouchers.
#7 Use the IGTV option
IGTV’s feature was a welcome for all the users and business owners amongst the other marketing tools. Businesses can talk and feature information for more than a minute and with increased screen time, it is the best time to make use of the feature.
Put up interesting information and how one can use it effectively in their lives. For example, if you own a gym you can put up fitness videos for all body types on your IGTV and stay well connected to all the layers of audience.
#8 Do Not Hoard Your Customers with News
People across the globe are already reading quite a lot of news, you need not add to it. The pandemic has ignited anxiety and depression levels amongst human beings. This is an extremely cautious step to keep out of the news and keep people entangled in activities that will help them divert their minds and keep calm.
#9 Talk About Trends
The pandemic has seen innumerable trends throughout the lockdown. You also need to be an active part of the trends. Using hashtags and viral tags will help you reach out to a larger chunk of people.
Nonetheless, you cannot turn a blind eye to all the social issues that ignited worldwide fire amidst the pandemic. George Floyd killing was a global protest and if your Instagram handle fails to recognize the issue, can be a serious problem. However, put out well-informed and honest opinions about incidents. Half-baked information can pose threats to your reputation.
#10 Get Feedback
It is the best time to gain positive and negative feedback for your products. Arranging a question and answer session with your loyal customers and knowing things they do not like about the product will help know what the customers want.
This is an important step to make your audience feel welcomed with their thoughts and opinions in your business. Feedbacks can also be gained with Instagram reviews and feedback.
#11 Flexible and Revised Plans
During uncertain and fluid situations, your promotions plans must be flexible enough to make an impact during the pandemic. A revised plan and well-structured strategies will help you promote your business in the right direction.
#12 Build an Emotional Relationship
An emotional relationship with the customers will be helpful for your business. Honest testimonials, replying to messages, helping people, polls, reaching out to people with positive thoughts and connecting to other brands to help people will help build an emotional relationship with your target audience. A strong emotional bond will establish brand relationships for a longer run than ever.
Conclusion
Instagram is one of the best tools to invest during a pandemic and global crisis. Make the best out of the time and impact an exceptional number of people through your Instagram handle. Be creative, connect to the customers and concentrate on your business promotion.
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