Instagram is the New Business Card

Wednesday June 30, 2021, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, shared an IGTV and stated that, "Instagram is no longer a photo-sharing app." Due to research and feedback given, people are looking to be entertained and in efforts to support this, Mosseri states that what Instagram is trying to do in order to stay relevant with the trends (due to serious competition from TikTok) is to "lean into entertainment and video."

This then tells us a few things:

1. Short-form video marketing is the current preferred medium for social media and content marketing.

2. This is no longer the same 'photo-dump' sharing Instagram that we all know and love.

3. Instagram is in fact changing.

Instagram has slowly become a mini website or online ‘boutique,’ ‘portfolio’ or even ‘business card.'

As small business owners, it's vital that we look at Instagram as a tool or a resource that we can utilize for our small business. Instagram is not your marketing strategy, it's a tool that you can utilize within your content marketing strategy.

Therefore, in regards to your Instagram page and bio, you want a stranger who has never been to your page before to immediately know who you are, what you do, and how you’re going to solve their problem or fulfill their needs.

So that they immediately inquire for your services, hit the follow button, or purchase from you.

Because that’s the goal, right?

And this is why it is so important to have your page fully optimized because you want a stranger to not only come to your page and immediately know who you are and what you do but you want them to look at your page, your bio, and content and know that you are credible business that they want to continue to engage with.

Use this image as a guide or example to optimize your own Instagram bio.

The business description is vital as this area is now searchable, given particular keywords, within Instagram's algorithm. This is similar to how you would search for something on Google.

Utilize keywords associated with your industry to increase chances of being found organically in search results on the Explore page.

The bio section is prime real estate as this is limited space (150 characters) where you want someone to immediately know who you are, what you do, and how you solve their problem or fulfill their need.

Next, the CTA or call-to-action is space for you to tell a person how and where to take the next step in their journey (depending on where you want to drive traffic to). You will also want to include a clickable link (again, depending on where you want to drive traffic in your marketing funnel), and triple-check that the link is properly functioning.

For more tips on how to optimize your Instagram feed, including Instagram Highlights and Instagram Guides and tips and information about an effective content marketing strategy, be sure to download our free guide: Instagram for Business here.

written by:

Adriana Leos

Chief Creative Officer