The general question out there is that is Instagram as useful for all kinds of businesses? Well to go to the beginning, Instagram started off as a passion for Food Bloggers and proved very useful for them and the connected industry. But down the line, Instagram has proved useful for many other industries as well. Today, the Retail Industry uses Instagram the most perhaps, generating a lot of inquiries and sales through the platform.

With the tools and marketing devices that Instagram offers, no matter what kind of business you are, you can get creative and use these tools to your advantage.

Advertising on Instagram:

Photo Ads:
A Photo Ad post looks like a regular Photo Post, except that the photo has a sponsored label, usually on top. These Ads also have a ‘Learn More’ button right beneath the picture, on the right side.

At first thought it may seem like only companies with a product to sell, like jewelry, cosmetics, outfits etc can make the most of this. But if the image is a catchy one and makes people stop while scrolling through their feed, then this can work for almost anyone and type of business. A high resolution, beautiful image with an equally catchy tagline, and people who are looking for your product will click on that ‘Learn More’ button.

Video Ads:
Video Ads again look like normal video posts, but with that sponsored label and the ‘Learn More’ button.

Again, a video ad does not need to be a conventional video with actual people or real-life images stitched together. It can be an animated video or an infographic type of video as well. The focal point here is to make sure that your video is attractive enough for people to stop scrolling and see it. Once we see the video ad from this perspective, it becomes clear that any business can make use of this feature.

Carousel Ads:
Just like Facebook, Instagram has the option of Carousel Ads as well. It is different from a Photo Ad, in the fact that a Photo Ad only has one image, while in a carousel ad, you can put multiple images in and the audience can keep swiping to see them.

This is a great way to put your product through to customers if you feel like a one-liner does not explain enough about what you are trying to say or sell. The pictures need to be of very high quality and the messages need to be simple but explanatory enough, so that when a potential customer keeps swiping, they have a full message unfolding in front of them.

The Shop Tab:
Instagram recently added the ‘Shop’ tab to the business accounts. This one feature though, is restricted only to businesses that sell Goods and not Services.

With a payment gateway similar to an e-commerce store, create your Product Catalog and ensure you tag people and other establishments on the same, while adding a post.
Do remember that the products you put on sale must comply with Instagram’s Merchant Agreement & Commerce Policies.