How to Craft a Business Instagram Post

Instagram is widely used and known by the younger generation (13-29 year olds). It’s a way to share pictures with your friends and families, document life events (like graduations or baptisms) and stay updated on loved ones lives, even if they are very far away. A fun fact (from Instagram) is that 90% of Instagram users follow a business. That’s why it’s so important to craft an Instagram post for your business that includes all the essential components and conveys a message that makes them want to purchase your product/service. As usual, I will be pulling my information from my class textbook, Essentials of Social Media Marketing.

Instagram is mostly visual content. People share pictures on their main page and stories. Therefore, the most important component of your post is the picture. You want to show a picture of your product/service that conveys your brand message and what you’re trying to sell. For example, if you’re trying to sell a new refreshing drink, you’d want to post “aesthetic” pictures of the drink and its ingredients that would make the viewer want a cool drink. You can also accomplish this by posting a video, maybe of pouring the cool, refreshing drink into a tall glass with ice and a garnish.

The next component of a successful Instagram post is to have a caption. Sticking to 150 characters ensures that most people will give 10 seconds to read it. If it’s too short, they won’t understand the product/service and if it’s too long, they won’t bother to read it. Hashtags and mentions can increase traffic and engagement with your post. Finally, a call-to-action is imperative. Whether it’s a website link to your business site, or a discount code, if people are interested they will follow. Discount codes are especially helpful because they tend to draw in those looking to save money. People are more likely to purchase something if it’s “less than the sales price”.

In conclusion, having aesthetic pictures/videos in your post that convey what you’re trying to sell is imperative. The caption should explain what exactly you are trying to sell, in case there is any confusion with the pictures that were posted. Having hashtags, mentions, shoutouts and a call-to-action is also very important to make a post that stands out to consumers and draws them back to purchase your product/service at a later time.