7 Essential Tips for B2B Instagram Marketing

October 21, 2021
By
Kyra Goodman

Here's how you can capture clients for your B2B brand on Instagram.

B2B companies often think that an image-driven social media platform is only suited for direct consumer brands—but that couldn't be further from the truth. Because of its massive user base and interactive features, Instagram is a terrific way for B2B companies to take control of the conversation and build closer connections with their current customer base.If you're just getting to grips with Instagram marketing, these seven tips can help you get going in the right direction.

Establish your goals

First, you need to decide on your end goals and objectives before you start with Instagram. Is it to increase your clientele? To showcase your products? Or to build a brand image?The best way to get tangible results through Instagram Marketing is to be clear about what you hope to achieve. From there, you can plan and curate your posts to suit your objectives.If you are not able to clearly define your objectives in advance, your efforts will be unfocused and inevitably ineffective.Take Ahrefs’s Instagram page, for example. The company has an Instagram account with a clear purpose: to show off how cool it is to work there.Their feed offers a snapshot of the company's culture. It's full of photos of employees at work and candid shots from around the office.

Produce engaging and authentic content

While setting up your Instagram account, there are two things you should never fall prey to:

  • duplication of other accounts' content
  • using cliché or generic images

Some brands do a good job of challenging these norms, but it's still a pretty bad idea. If you want to differentiate yourself from the competition, don't try to be like everyone else.It's better to come up with authentic and original content that people can immediately relate to.If you want your Instagram feed to be authentic and personable, HubSpot's Instagram page is worth looking into. From musings on best practices to growth strategies, they regularly post content that's worth checking out.Remember, it's all about the story you're telling with your content.So take a step back and think about what kind of imagery would help you tell your brand's story and create a positive emotional connection with your audience.Put in the time and effort to create unique, high-quality posts of your products or services in action and carefully stage them for maximum impact.Your followers should walk away feeling excited, inspired, or happy after seeing your posts.

Improve the visual charm of your Instagram feed

Instagram is a visual medium, so it's important to focus on producing eye-catching visual content. To give you a better idea, here's a striking example from CBRE, a real estate firm.Commercial real estate might not be an exciting topic, but CBRE’s Instagram certainly is.With an eye for photography and compelling captions, it’s clear to see why the team at CBRE has zero problems getting likes on their posts.Mailchimp is another B2B company that takes care of the overall visual appeal of their Instagram feed.They specialize in email marketing and recently expanded into websites and commerce.Every detail of the brand’s Instagram page is carefully designed to reflect a cohesive theme.Don't shy away from being innovative with your pictures. The more visually engaging an Instagram feed is, the longer people will linger on it.

Optimize your profile

With hundreds of active business accounts, it's easy to feel lost in the shuffle. Luckily, there are ways that you can optimize your profile so that people can find you when searching for relevant information.Here are some ways to increase your organic visibility in Instagram's native search engine.

Having a keyword-rich username and bio

Users find profiles by searching for keywords, so having them in your username and profile name can improve your chances of showing up.While the main purpose of a bio is to introduce your brand, you can also leverage this space for SEO.Your bio is a valuable space to include relevant hashtags and keywords that you want to rank for. By adding primary and secondary keywords to your bio, you're adding extra visibility to the content that you're posting.

Applying hashtags as keywords

Instagram's hashtag feature is one of the most helpful instruments for brand promotion.Hashtags can help you reach a far wider audience on Instagram. They are basically keywords that you can use for your posts.Incorporating hashtags into your posts increases your chances of reaching new people. But do note that Instagram will factor in numerous other elements in its hashtag search algorithms, including engagement, follower relevancy, post timing, etc.To give your posts a better shot at showing up in appropriate hashtag searches, make sure to choose your tags wisely, come up with engaging captions, and improve your overall Instagram content quality.

Taking advantage of the Alt text feature

Instagram's alt text feature is designed to enhance visually impaired users' app experience. But this feature can also be an opportunity for brands to boost their SEO.

Getting tagged

Tagging is one of the simplest ways to spread the word about your brand.When people tag your business in their posts or stories, others will be able to click through to find more information about you. This effect is further heightened if you're tagged by a popular account with a lot of followers.

Highlight your customers

A great business not only brags about its own successes but also highlights the value that it has brought to others.By highlighting your customers' stories, you show that your business is all about enriching the lives of others.Adobe's Instagram page is filled with engaging content that comes from the hands of its community. The account highlights original art created by members of the Adobe community — art that showcases the best of Adobe's graphic design software.This approach goes a long way in establishing a positive brand image.Keap also knows how to turn their Instagram page into a space where customer experiences are emphasized. Their feed is filled with feedback and reviews from their customers.By allowing customers to voice their thoughts, Keap benefits from increased brand awareness and reach. Which will ultimately lead to more sales and traffic.

Switch things up to keep your audience interested

Instagram offers businesses a wide range of possibilities for presenting their content. The flexibility of this platform allows for incredibly diverse storytelling.This means that your visual marketing strategy doesn't have to be one-dimensional. By switching between different formats, you can make sure that you:

  • capture all the nuances of your company's story
  • create a unique, immersive experience for your audience
  • keep your target audience on their toes

Have Fun

While it's important to foster a professional image, you should not be afraid to have a little fun from time to time. Whether it's with a cute pun or a silly meme, smart brands know how to bring the fun factor without degrading the quality of their content.See how Semrush mixes fun into its Instagram posts to engage its audience.Impeccable designs may garner you a few likes at best, but an amusing caption with a playful pop culture reference can win you the hearts of thousands. Adding a touch of whimsy to your Instagram presence helps develop a more intimate bond with your customers.

Capture the attention of decision-makers with Instagram

Although you can't directly sell your products or services on Instagram, the platform offers an excellent opportunity to establish deeper relationships with your target audience by creating touchpoints that build trust.With the right Instagram strategies, business owners can bring visitors into their world and grow brand awareness.

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