One billion monthly active users make Instagram an excellent means of business promotion. It’s estimated that there are over 25 million active business accounts on the platform, and more than 200 million users visit at least one business profile every day.

Running a business account effectively can be really exhausting. It can take you long to come up with a nice post idea, edit photos and videos, create a post, and answer the comments and direct messages. Instead of adding posts manually, set up automatic services. The best Instagram automation offers special tools and plugins for planning your posts, monitoring comments, and searching for hashtags. It saves time and effort you may need for managing other areas of your business. 

If you want to know what Instagram can do for your business and whether you need a business account, then keep reading. 

The Pros of Instagram for Business

Review the following pros of Instagram advertising before you start promoting your products or services there.   

• A business profile provides entrepreneurs with several benefits. 

An Instagram business account looks like any other account, but its creator has access to many exclusive features and in-depth analytics.

You’ll see your engagement parameters, reach, audience demographics, and more. This data can help you develop successful marketing campaigns. 

Another useful feature is the ability to share links in your stories. This can help you take viewers from your IG profile to your brand’s website. You can also find out how many people followed the link. 

A “Contact me” button allows setting up direct communication with followers via phone, email, or directions to the location. Also, you’ll be able to purchase ads to run on Instagram.

• Instagram boasts high engagement levels. 

Forrester research found that average brands’ Instagram photos generated 58 times higher user engagement (Instagram likes, comments, or shares) per follower than Facebook posts and 120 times higher engagement rates than tweets.

• It gives consumers the visual clarity of your product or service. 

These days, visual content dominates over the verbal one. The best approach to running your brand’s account is this: share quality and eye-catching images adding minimal text to the posts. 

Seeing is believing. So, make the profile worth watching. Choose esthetics that matches your brand and stick to it. Use the same filter for every post. That’s what 60 percent of the top brands do.

Along with working to find your own style and to master the photo editing software, do not forget about the numbers your account has. Figure out how to buy ig followers to get the most of this kind of boost and to make your page look best to others.

• It contributes to multi-sharing the brand message. 

If some photo becomes a hit on Instagram, chances are it will be shared on other platforms, bringing new visitors, followers, and customers.

• It showcases your brand’s personality.

Your IG profile can show your employees at work, lunch, or using your products. People who work in your company also show the focus and vision of the brand. It’s also a good idea to post real customers using the product or service. It can attract the right audience.

• It boosts search. 

As long as you add the right hashtags, your content is easy to find. Relevant, industry-specific hashtags can reach thousands of people. Instagram users often look for inspiration or simply follow hashtags. That means your posts have a chance to appear in newsfeeds of people who may not follow you.

Use an “Add Location” option. Lately, people often use Instagram in a similar way to Yelp. For example, a person might want a particular kind of food or look for a specialty store. He or she doesn’t turn to Yelp or Google but searches Instagram for a local business that meets their needs. 

The Cons of Instagram for Business

In the Digital Age, most companies strive for a strong online presence in order to be competitive. However, the benefits it can offer depend on the peculiarities of your business. Consider the following information before choosing your Instagram promoting strategy.

• It isn’t for every niche.

Instagram is a remarkable tool for visual brands with a stylish nature. If you are not a brand with visual content, you’ll need to create your unique approach to promoting it on the photo and video sharing application.

• It may take more time and effort than you may expect.

One Instagram user survey reveals that 60 percent of Instagrammers discover new products on the app, and 72 percent have purchased an item they saw on the platform. 

Such inspiring statistics can push marketers to make a common mistake – to use Instagram with a single goal of improving their sales. That’s not how it works. Utilizing this platform for business includes developing a brand, reaching out towards the customers, engaging with them, and inspiring them with your products or services. Don’t create a business Instagram page if your intentions aren’t like that.

• It isn’t for every age group.

The average age of Instagrammers is between 18 to 29 years old. If your target market is predominantly older (35+), you may not find it on the app.

• Instagram is not the best social network to reach men.

Guys use Instagram, too. But only 32% of the active monthly users are men.

• The search algorithm can work against you.  

Think twice before creating a business account. A new Instagram algorithm works best for big brands and companies who are willing to pay more for staying in the newsfeed. Though video ads only cost $0.02 per view, the sum can go up to $1 million for some promotions. Even those brands that already have a substantial organic following are struggling with the integration of their business accounts to the Instagram scene.  

Instagram is the second-ranked social network in terms of active users behind Facebook. That makes it a gold mine of potential sales that can’t be ignored. But it’s easy to overestimate the sales potential of Instagram, as real success on the platform is achieved through reaching the people behind those numbers. Those who create and offer their followers more value can get higher engagement and reach.