Jumping into social media marketing without the proper knowledge and tools can be a bit like arriving at the foot of Mount Everest with no equipment and no training. Let’s just say it probably won’t go well. Listed below are the tools you need to conduct a successful Instagram marketing campaign.

3 Instagram Marketing Tools Every Climber Needs

1. Use the Right Format

If you plan on using Instagram as a marketing outlet for your business you will need to use proper formatting. When a prospective client or customer clicks on your profile they should immediately see four things; your logo (check out our previous blog on the importance of logo design for more information), the name of your business, a concise tag line (or about section) and a link to your website. These elements will help the prospect identify who you are, what you provide and where they can go for more information. Customers on social media are looking for the same thing search engine users are: answers. Provide a path to those answers and customers will reward you with their business.

2. Put Your Best Foot Forward

Every bit of content that you publish should be well thought out, thoroughly developed and implemented with precision. At least that’s what the experts tell you. In reality, most firms don’t have the resources to create enough original, viral content to impact their social media marketing. Some will succumb to blackhat SEO techniques, others will focus too long on one piece of content that they ignore other aspects of their inbound marketing campaign. Running an effective Instagram marketing account is important, but remember, it’s only a small part of a greater whole. So, think before you post (but not too long) and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

3. Optimize and Analyze

Unless you upload an offensive photo that then goes viral, your chances of Instagram marketing-related failure are low. If you are keeping tabs on your posts performance you should be able to identify why certain posts fail and others succeed. Was it optimized properly? What hashtags were used? Was the content relevant? Was it posted at a time when your customers are on Instagram? As your campaigns continue to grow and diversify so too will your methods of analysis, but the aforementioned questions are a good place to start. With the right format, the right content and the right analysis your Instagram marketing campaigns should begin to soar. Like most forms of inbound marketing, success on social media relies on resources. The more you have, the swifter your climb will be so, make sure you are prepared for the journey ahead and enjoy writing the story you want told.