When you are establishing a web design business, it is very important to appreciate that you are entering a well-developed and competitive business niche. It is therefore not only vital for you to differentiate yourself from others but also be able to reach out to the target audience cutting through the clutter.
With the typical limitations of the budget, every startup has to reckon with and the fact that potential customers can be as easily be around the corner as across the globe, there is nothing better than social media to promote your web design business.
Plumping for Instagram as the social media of choice for promoting your web design business is a no-brainer given that it is perfectly suited to show off your creative designs with its visual-centric approach that has made it the world’s most popular photo-sharing social network. However, if you have never use Instagram for business promotion, you need to know how to approach it for the best impact. Some tips:
Create an Informative and Interesting Profile
When your account gets discovered by your target audience because of a hashtag search or your post being seen, the first thing users will usually do is to try and find more information about you. The bio section plays a very important role. You can include the logo of your business or even your photo for a more personal approach and describe who you are, what you do, and why people should consider you. In the initial days when the engagement rate is likely to be low, you can buy 25 Instagram likes at a time to give it a boost.
Do not forget to include a powerful CTA and a link to your website. However, you need to make it crisp and brief because all you are allowed is 150 characters. Be sure to use Instagram for Business as you get more facilities to manage your account.
Use Instagram for Business and Give Your Account a Theme
For your content to be noticed by your target audience, it has to be not only relevant but also inspirational, educational, and entertaining. It can be a mistake to try to focus your content on making sales. Rather, you should attempt to engage your audience with content they are likely to be interested in. It is therefore important for you to understand the kind of content your target audience is interested in so that you can create it and post it regularly.
With web design being a vast subject, it may help you to develop a narrower focus and suitably customize your content to reflect and promote it. For example, instead of trying to target everyone who might be interested in getting a website designed, it could be more effective to establish yourself as an expert web designer for entrepreneurs.
Most of your posts can reflect this theme, however, for the strategy to be effective, you need to understand their motivations, their concerns, the language they use, and what kind of humor tickles them. At a time when you are starting, you are unlikely to have done too many website designs for clients, so you could try and focus on catering to one segment.
Commence Posting and Engaging
to use Instagram for Business, You will only be able to get views of your content and acquire followers only when you begin to post content aimed to attract and engage Instagram users belonging to your target audience. Instagram users are very discerning and expect high-quality posts. While you will undergo a learning curve before you get them right, you need to know that for posts to be effective in getting the attention, they have to be relevant to the audience and be engaging while adding value to them and be entertaining at the same time.
One of the best ways of learning what clicks with your target audience is to visit the Instagram accounts of other web designers operating in your niche and finding out the kind of posts that resonates the best with their audiences. While you can present your creative web design ideas, it can also be a good idea to highlight the website designs that are flawed to drive home the point that you have expert domain knowledge.
While there is no dearth of ideas for engaging your audience, giving away freebies or running contests on various aspects of web design are particularly effective. You can also invite your followers to contribute their content on any topic of your choice using a specified hashtag. User-generated content can be used not only to take the pressure off content creation but is also a good way of recognizing the efforts of your followers. According to a report in Forbes, posting at optimal times can get your content better visibility.
To spark engagement, you should like, share, comment on the posts by other designers or your potential customers, and also follow them. You will be most certainly followed back says an IIgers social media consultant.
Research and Use Hashtags Effectively
The more your posts show up in content searches of users, the more likely it is that they will follow you and engage with you. Embedding hashtags in your posts are among the most effective ways of attracting eyeballs. You are allowed a maximum of 30 hashtags; however, using so many is not desirable. Not only does it display a lack of focus but also your post becomes cluttered, making it unappealing. If you are not sure about the kind of hashtags that work well, visit the accounts of your competitor and find out what hashtags work well for them. Alternatively, you may look for an Instagram hashtag generator to get some attractive and useful hashtags. The rule is to use only hashtags that are relevant to your niche and achieve a balance of popular and specific terms.
Conclusion
Instagram offers several features in addition to posting photos and videos for showcasing your content like Instagram Stories and Reels. These have proved immensely popular with users and represent a great way of attracting the attention of potential customers and engaging with them. Often due to the more informal nature of these posts, you can achieve a connection that is more authentic and credible, allowing you to gain more followers and engagement.
