We all know it doesn’t take very long to judge someone when meeting them for the first time. This could also be said for when you first see an Instagram profile. These first impressions are very important especially when trying to attract and obtain new customers to your business.
Look at your profile as if it’s your store front. If your shop was a mess, there was no branding and nothing in the shop window – no one would come in. This is the same for your Instagram profile, you need to make sure that these potential customers know who you are, what you do and how they can buy your product or service.
In this post, we will be showing you how to build your perfect profile in 6 easy steps to gain new customers and grow your business.
- Your Username and Name
What’s the difference? Well, your username is how you are recognised on Instagram. When you post and interact with other users, that’s the name that will be shown. Whereas your name on Instagram is what is used when people search for you. Therefore, you want to make sure this is optimized with the key words that people will be using to find you.
When choosing your username, you want to use the name of your business. This can sometimes be difficult due to the number of accounts already made on Instagram. To differentiate yourself from other accounts with similar names, you might want to use your location.
For example, @chatimeleeds ✅
Or maybe add a . or _
For example, @fint.leeds ✅
What you want to want to avoid is using numbers in your username (unless it’s part of your brand name).
For example, @chatime123 ❌
This can come across as unprofessional.
- Your Profile Picture
If your business has a logo this should be your profile picture, make sure it has your brand’s colours, well represents your business and is easily recognisable. If your business is just yourself, use a professional picture of you that is well light and represents who you are. In both cases the image needs to be high quality, centred and fully visible in the circle.
Your profile picture is important as it’s the image your customers will instantly associate with your business.
- Your Bio/Description
Your bio needs to inform any potential customers about what your business is about and why they should buy from you. However, you only have 150 characters to get this message across, so here are some points you should cover in yours:
- What do you sell?
- What’s your USP? Is your food vegan? Do you offer delivery?
- Call to Action. Are you doing a promotion? Where do you want your audience to go? Do you want them to order online? Book a table? Book an appointment? Don’t forget to add a link at the below to where they do this.
- What’s your location? Where can people find you?
- When are you open?
When giving all this information you want to be straight to the point, easy to read and a new line for each piece of information.
Finally add emojis!!! Emojis are a great tool to attract an audience’s attention, make your message clear and they make your business look more fun and approachable
- Action Buttons
Action buttons on your profile are a great way to direct traffic to where you want and what works best for you and your business.
The options are, Book now, Reserve or Order food. You can also add contact buttons such as, Message, Email or Call.
It’s important to have these buttons on your page and they’re the easiest way for a potential customer to become a paying customer.
- Highlights
Highlights are a collection of past stories posted on your account that you can group together and keep on your page constantly. These can be great to give additional information to your audience. Here are some ideas for your highlights:
- Your menu
- Opening times
- The origin story of your business
- Meet the team
- Reviews from your customers
- Reposts of people sharing their experience
- Tutorials
- How to navigate your site or app
- The delivery options you offer
- Frequently asked questions
You can also add covers to your highlights, we suggest using relevant symbols along with the correct colours for your brand. This will make your page look professional and tidy.
- Your Feed
At a glance, you want your feed to be consistent, well maintained and make sure it well reflects your brand.
We suggest that you have a variety of posts.
If you sell products, have images and videos of your products, of your team and your location.
If you offer a service, post images and videos of yourself, your team, your location, and informational carousels.
By having a variety of post types, it instantly shows the person looking at your page that you don’t just sell, sell, sell – but that you add value through your posts. It also humanizes your brand, which will increase engagement.
If you incorporate any of these tips on your Instagram, tag us @yolkadigital and don’t forget to follow us for more tips and advice on using social media to grow your business!
