The appeal of Instagram for many, is that it’s a visual medium. If you have a fitness business, if you blog about food, or if you are a travel writer, then this is an ideal way to share what you and your business is up to, in a way that is immediately eye-catching and engaging. People will be visually engaged, which is a very effective and useful way to capture attention. Then they’ll have the chance to actually see what you’re describing or explaining and be instantly moved by it, making it the perfect way to grow your following further.
But for some businesses, this same visual emphasis is precisely what they see as a turn off. That’s because in a traditional sense, some businesses are not obviously visual in nature. A good example of this might be law, or perhaps insurance. If you run a life insurance company for example, then how can you express this in a visual way that will be interesting and engaging for your readers? Do you post facts and figures? Bar charts? Statistics? Likewise, if you are a corporate consultant, or an investment firm how can you encourage people to get involved?
What I have found successful when working with these types of clients…
The answer is to find what it is that your business is really about and what it is that you are really selling: how does your service or product make people feel? What are the pain points or fears that drive them to buy from you? Understanding this is what will allow you to communicate the purpose of your business through images. After all, regardless of the type of business, we are all human beings and want certain things, want to feel certain ways and need to fulfill certain needs. We have emotions and the real key is to tap into those emotional triggers by visually capturing how your product or service can be the bridge or conduit to their happiness or fulfillment.
So to use the example of life insurance, this is a business that ultimately sells peace of mind to people who love their families. Therefore, the best way to promote yourself through Instagram might be to share posts of families that are doing things together. You could share ideas for activities and days out, or tips on how to provide for your family. Did you know that the most popular hashtag on Instagram is #love?
Likewise, if you are a business consulting firm, then you might want to promote the idea of successful business and exciting startup opportunities. That might mean posting images of attractive looking offices, successful business professionals, or tips for being a successful entrepreneur.
The potential conflict as some companies will see it, is that you stray too far from the product or service, or that you in some way make your business appear glib. But again, in my experiences from helping countless non visual businesses gain exposure and traction on Instagram, this is a mistake. This thinking couldn’t be further from what actually works and will achieve results.
Your potential customers are human beings, so find the underlying connection between your business and what your potential customers really care about and want, and then visually communicate to them in that way.
Remember that you need to provide value in order for people to follow your brand, that’s what it’s really about. At the end of the day, regardless how visual or not your business is… if you can’t do that, then people won’t have any motivation to keep consuming your content.
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