Instagram is not only a website used to show pictures of your vacations and selfies, it is also a very successful marketing tool that can be used to attract clients, keep them up to date with your products and to cultivate some brand recognition.

In this age where social networks are a vital and successful tool for marketers you will gain a lot by using them to your advantage, creating an Instagram profile is easy and free, but gaining loyal followers can be a difficult task and sometimes you might have to spend some to earn them.

You might be asking yourself why is it so hard to earn them if it is easy to post pictures and videos, well the answer is that people follow and share only the things that catch their attention, posting mere pictures of your product isn’t enough, and there are other effective things you can do to gain views, shares and followers.

1. Start with an interesting Bio. You must use a profile pic and a banner that represents your business in an aesthetic and pleasant way. These pictures should be of high quality and should display your brand in a form that is easy to see. Don’t use low quality pictures or images you wouldn’t want your business to be associated with.

Use the name section to display the name of your business, so whenever you follow someone, the name of your business will be shown. Use the description section to add a concise description of what is the aim of your business, you should also add links to your other websites and social network profiles.

2. Be a part of the community! If you’re just starting with your business’ Instagram profile then you might want to look for profiles of businesses similar to yours, after finding one, look for their most recent picture, like it and then pay attention to the others that liked that picture, as they will be mostly composed of your target customers.

Now that you know how to look for them, it is time gain their attention. Check the profiles of your potential customers and then like and genuinely comment a couple of their pictures. Avoid using comments like “come and follow me” and the like, just make a comment you would make to a friend.

Doing this repeatedly will ensure you some daily views to your profile, and if they like you Bio and your feed then these views will turn into followers.

3. Post interesting pictures and videos related to your business. Having a good feed is vital if you want to keep your followers, try to have a cohesive set of images that display what your business represents. Always use high quality pictures and interesting subjects. A nice caption helps a lot too.

4. Use Hashtags. A hashtag can passively attract views and followers. Use them wisely to catch views, you can also create new ones and tell your followers to use them in Call To Actions, this way they will create you views for potential customers.

5. Consider using alternative methods. Posting media sometimes isn’t enough. If you want to gain more attraction then you can hire an influencer to display pictures of them using your product on their instagram profile along with links to your profile and some useful hashtags. You can also distribute links to your Instagram profile on your product on in presentation cards, create a raffle where the method of participation is following your profile and liking a picture.

Don’t be afraid of experimenting with your Instagram profile and be aware of the current tendencies, as they are key in using hashtagas and in generating interest. Good luck!