We all know what people LOVE images of their pets, so Instagram is a natural platform for any Pet Business to be on. Who wouldn’t want to follow an account with lots of lovely cute cat and dog pictures.
There is however a lot more to Instagram than just cute pictures and there is definitely business for us all to win if we use Instagram correctly.
Some interesting stats that you need to know about Instagram
- Over 1 billion people use Instagram every month.
- Instagram reaches 140 million U.S. users.
- Instagram users spent an average of 30 minutes per day on the platform in 2020
- 200 million Instagram users visit at least one business profile daily
- 81% of people use Instagram to help research products and services
- 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day
Source Hootsuite
3 Things That You Need To Consider When Starting To Use Instagram For Your Pet Business
#1. Good Images
This might seem an obvious one, but we are all guilty of this (including me!). It’s very easy to just think ‘oh that picture will do’ – but it won’t! Instagram is a visual platform and if your pictures stink then no-one will want to follow you. There are lots of filters within Instagram that can really make your pictures look awesome – so use them.
Before you share anything to Instagram just stop and look at the picture and analyse whether it really is good enough to use.
Think about the lighting, the background, the placement of any text you are adding, the branding and the message you are sending to your followers.
If you are creating text based graphics for Instagram make sure they are branded to your company colour and style.
Top Tip: It’s a good idea to keep track of the images you post on a spreadsheet and record the results of each. This was you can identify what is working best for you. And do more of that!
#2. Engagement
As with any social media platform you need to engage with people.
Getting People To Engage On Your Posts
- Don’t just share your image without any comments. You need something that will get people to comment back and take action. Make sure you have a strong call to action.
- Use emojis to make your comment eye catching and fun – this will also encourage people to read your posts.
Finding New People To Engage With
One of the things I love most about Instagram is that it’s so easy to find new people to chat to. You can search for people via the hashtags they use or the locations they tag themselves in.
This makes it really easy to find Pet Lovers in your local area that you can interact with.
Follow them, comment on their posts and get to know them. It’s likely that they will follow you back and become a fan of your account.
Top Tip: Why not start by looking at who is tagging themselves at local dog parks or coffee shops. These are people who love their pets.
#3. Hashtags
People can find your content on Instagram via hashtags. They then may decide to start following you – if they like what they see.
You need to search for hashtags that your ideal customer will be looking at. Use hashtags for your business and your local area – for example #dogsofnewyork #newyorkcats
Make sure you don’t just pick all the popular hashtags as the competition to get seen on these is huge. Pick some that are not so popular that you have a chance of appearing at the top of in search.
Top Tip: Don’t rely on hashtags to grow your account. It is part of Instagram – but you need to be creating awesome content and engaging with people to grow your account.
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