How to use Instagram for local business
Most of us are aware that many people are on social media for a significant part of their day, so it seems like a no brainer to meet them where they are. With more than a billion active accounts and a daily user base of 500 million, Instagram is a platform you want to pay attention to as a local business.
Although Instagram attracts a variety of users from all over the world, it is becoming more and more useful to local business, and many local brands have discovered creative ways to connect with local customers.
Plumbers, builders, driving instructors and dance tutors have all found innovative ways to use Instagram and engage their local customers. What’s more, according to a recent Hootsuite study, 81% of users will use the platform to research a product or service.
Not to mention, engaging and responding to comments is also a great chance to address and respond to your customer’s experience or answer any potential customer questions. Plus, by responding to any potential negative comments, you can show your followers that their opinions really matter to you.
Still not sure that Instagram is the right platform for your local business?Before we go any further, let’s look at some stats:
Instagram is the fourth most used app worldwide, only surpassed by Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube.
Instagram’s desktop site is the sixth most-visited website in the world.
Just these figures alone demonstrate how powerful Instagram is as a marketing channel for local business, and with some of the new features, why it is really useful for local businesses.
In this article we explore ways that you can best use Instagram for your local business.
Create your local community
Like everything in local SEO and marketing, there’s an art to cultivating your Instagram account and building the following for your local business.
Above all it’s worth remembering that Instagram, like all social media platforms, is a community.
And just as your local business is a valuable part of your local community, your Instagram should also show that you’re a reputable and valuable member of your local online community.
Being seen as part of your local community will help you earn local followers, and potential customers, all eager to engage with your content.
To establish your reputation in the Instagram community, it’s a good idea to create relationships with influencers and other brands (sometimes even your direct local competitors). Join in with the conversations they’re starting, interact with the content they’re producing, and engage with other Instagram users on similar accounts.
Micro Influencers for local business.
Many brands look at connecting with mega-influencers but more often than not, they don’t have the budget to work with these Instagram megastars. Fortunately, micro-influencers work well for local brands, often even better than celebrities.
Search for someone who has a great reach within your community, and find a way to get these micro-influencers to share your content or products/ services.
Building great relationships can go a long way with these local influencers, not to mention offering a few complimentary services or products! Community thought leaders are also a good place to start.
Be the friendly neighbour - Repost Local Content
Another easy way to strengthen your local following and to enhance your business’s reputation on Instagram and in your local community is by regularly reposting content published by your local followers, by other businesses in your area, and by local influencers.
This strategy will not only create a stronger reputation in the community, but can also save you a lot of time! Think about it, you do not always have to create original and unique content, but can easily share other’s.
Moreover, the original content creator will feel great that their content is being featured by your business, and other followers will take notice too.
Creators may even mention your “shout out” on their Instagram page, which will allow you to reach their followers and widen your audience in your local community.
When you share content created by real people in your local area, it makes your brand more approachable and human. Your company begins to feel like a friendly neighbour, instead of just another business looking for sales.
Demonstrate Your Local Lifestyle
Instagram is a visual social media platform, and as such, it‘s the perfect channel to demonstrate what your brand’s local lifestyle looks like. Incorporate pictures of your products or service in action to let customers envision living that lifestyle.
When creating visual content to demonstrate the local lifestyle offered by your product/ service, aim to incorporate well known landmarks in your village, town or city. These landmarks are recognisable and familiar to your local clients, and they can help to create the customer’s vision of your products in their life.
For example, bakers, think about a customer eating your artisan cakes at your local train station for example. Or a local stationers/ book shop, what about a customer reading a book in your local park on a sunny day?
Local hashtags
Hashtags are very much like keywords. To find trending hashtags in your area, pay attention to the local news, any upcoming local events, and community or city specific holidays. This is also another good reason to follow other local businesses and celebrities, as you can look at their account for inspiration!
It’s also good practice to include hashtags that include your area and the type of business you run. Remember, hashtags are a lot like keywords.
If you are a surf shop in Newquay for example, Instead of slapping a generic #surf on your photo’s caption, use a hashtag that includes your location, like #newquaysurf.
If you are a life coach in York, you want your business’s Instagram content to appear in searches for ‘Life coach York’. Therefore, hashtag your content with tags like #Yorklifecoaching, #lifecoachyork, or #Yorkmentorcoach.
The only real challenge, in terms of localised hashtags, is understanding how local to get.
These are questions to bear in mind when choosing relevant hashtags:
Do you focus on your specific town or entire county?
Is it better to use a hashtag with just your town’s name, or is there more volume in the town and region?
Should you target within your specific neighbourhood?
Much like keywords, there’s no one answer to this question, it depends on how people search in your local area. It’s always best to do some research to determine the best local hashtags to use in your area.
Location, Location, Location: Geotag Your Posts
Instagram users can now search for location tags to find posts from specific areas and whilst it may seem obvious, geo-tagging is something a lot of local businesses do not do. Remember, you can geotag each individual post with a location.
In order for Instagram followers to discover and visit your local business, these customers (and Instagram) need to know where to find your business.
Instagram has both ‘check-in’ and location tagging options available, and depending on the nature of your local business, you can decide how you will utilise the location tagging feature.
For example, a dog walking business could ‘check in’ to your local park and show images or videos of you with your client’s dogs. A local vet may wish to tag posts with an exact address so clients can find the business location quickly in an emergency.
Like hashtags, Instagram location tags make posts and stories searchable. Using location tags can be a powerful tactic for brands, especially in more densely populated areas, or locations with popular landmarks.
Instagram Maps goes local
Probably one of the most exciting new features for local businesses on Instagram is the new maps feature. On top of geo tagging posts, Instagram’s location maps are now searchable, making it easier to discover places and businesses in your geographic area. This update to Instagram maps makes it possible to find popular businesses near you as well as filter businesses by category.
Beforehand, the map experience on Instagram was limited to only showing posts tagged with nearby locations. Now users can discover the Instagram accounts of various points of interest throughout the map.
Finding businesses on the Instagram map is as simple as typing in the name of a city and dragging the map around. When you find the location/business you want, you can save it for future reference, or follow the Instagram account of, to keep it top of mind. This update gives local businesses an incentive to maintain their presence on Instagram.
However, unlike Google Maps where locations are pre-populated or user-submitted, the only way to get found on the Instagram map is to have a business account filled in with your contact information (remember to keep this consistent with your other platforms).
Instagram Searchable Maps Vs. Google Business Profiles
The Instagram Maps experience is similar to discovering local businesses’ Google Business Profiles on Google Maps. However the Instagram experience is possibly more engaging because all kinds of visual content published by the business is visible, and you interact with them directly. You can also see content shared by other customers, if they tag the location. The only thing lacking is customer reviews, but it’s quite possibly only a matter of time before they’re included too.
Making Instagram maps searchable is a huge update for local businesses. Younger web users are increasingly using alternatives to Google for their search needs. Even Google has acknowledged this latest shift in search behaviour.
Google Senior Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan stated:
“In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram.”
Social networks like Instagram and TikTok are fast becoming search engines in their own right, making the local business case for social media usage even stronger.
Include A Link In Your Bio
Last but by no means least, don’t forget to link from your Instagram profile to your website and other channels.
Your business page’s bio is the only space on Instagram that can include links, so you must take advantage of it. If this link is missing, followers won’t be able to convert into clients as they won't be able to visit your website, buy your products, or engage with your company anywhere else.
There are plenty of ‘Link in bio’ tools out there to help you turn that lonesome website link into links to all your most important content.
In summary
Instagram is a social media powerhouse, where more and more unique local marketing options will be embraced as the need for local services grows.
Embracing and sharing a local community spirit can lead to more views on your website and other social media profiles, as well as a higher rate of conversion and money in your pocket. With Instagram’s new maps feature combined with the growing trend of using Instagram to search for products and services, it is becoming more and more important for local businesses to establish a presence.
Instagram, however, is not a replacement for local SEO, and should complement your overall local marketing strategy. You’ll always have more success on social media if you’ve got a comprehensive local marketing strategy in place, including a well-optimised website.
And most of all… Have fun with it! None of this is worth the effort if you don’t enjoy the process. It’s obvious when brands have a presence on social media because they have to. Don’t be that profile!