3 Instagram Tips for Supplement Companies

With a mind boggling 800 million active monthly users (and counting) Instagram has earned it's place as the go-to platform for companies and brands looking to engage with their customers (and potential customers) in real time.

Of those 800 million users, approximately 77 million reside in the United States - making Instagram a viable platform for those looking to reach new audiences at home and abroad. 

Regardless of where your customers are based, there are certain best Instagram best practices that are almost universally accepted and expected of brands  who decided to embrace the social media frontier. 

Instagram Tips Any Supplement Company Should Keep In Mind

When it comes to making the most of your brand's Instagram account,  don't overlook the obvious (or the not so obvious).

Instagram Tip #1: Don't Over Post

Just like the frequent status updates, overly abundant selfies, and seemingly endless streams of pet and children pictures can clutter of your personal feeds - posting too much as a business or brand can be just as groan (and "unfollow") worthy.

According to some more recent research, including this study from CoSchedule, the ideal posting frequency for Instagram is an average of 1-2 posts per day.

Even though it's not possible to "queue" up a post in the account, it is possible to pre-plan your posting schedule and the content of your posts (copy and graphics) in advance. Having them ready to go makes it that much easier to establish a consistent posting schedule.

Instagram Tip#2: Embrace the #Hashtag

Creating a custom hashtag (or two) can be a simple but effective means for making your brand easy to find and for tracking the success of your posts, your reach, and your overall community engagement.

That said, the cardinal rule of creating your own hashtags is this: Make sure your tag isn't already being used. Sounds obvious, we know. But seriously, always take the time to vet your "new" hashtag.  You'll be glad you did. 

While you're at it, researching existing hashtags (particularly those that are relevant to your brand/industry/space) can be a great way to expand and grow the reach of your account when you're starting it. This is one of those instances where evaluating the posting strategies of brands and competitors who are already established and kicking-butt on Instagram can make all the difference.

Instagram Tip #3: Find your Aesthetic

Instagram is all about the visuals - which is why it's so important to develop a single cohesive aesthetic for your posts and account. When it comes it Instagram, your "aesthetic" is the overall theme, feel, and "vibe" of your account.

So - how, exactly, does one craft things like "feel" and "vibe"?

Even though they sound like intangibles - they can actually be pretty easy to shape. Making simple decisions like a set color scheme, filter (custom or an Instagram default), background, subject matter can all be used to establish a look and feel that, at the end of the day, is unique to your company and your brand.  Think of it as creating your very own visual (and digital) calling card!

When it comes to figuring out aesthetic, learning by example (i.e. checking out other accounts that are already doing it) can be a great way to get started. Or you can check out one of the dozen's of blog posts and articles on the topic - like this one!