Instagram for Small Businesses: 5 Steps to Growth

People are leaving Facebook in droves. They can rebrand it to Meta, but that's not convincing anyone to stay.

Instead, people are flocking to Instagram even more than before, with a 6.2% growth rate in 2020 and a 3.7% rate in 2021. Between Instagram post size options and Tiktok, businesses need to shift where they're spending their ad money.

But it can be scary to invest more in a new platform, like Instagram. Get the best marketing strategy to post on Instagram (and learn how to use Instagram polls) below.

1. Know Your Grid Strategy

Your Instagram is the sum of many parts, not a collection of pieces. How your posts look and flow together on your profile page or grid matters.

It's important to know how to post on Instagram in the best way. The "grid" is the nickname for the twelve posts that people see on the app at one time if they go to your profile page. They can see more if they scroll, but the screen only shows twelve shots of your business on Instagram at a time on the mobile app. Learn the best times to post on Instagram.

You've likely seen companies do those posts where each picture is a part of a large photo, and then the photo is only seen as a whole on the grid. Those posts are great, but only for a short time. Once you post more pics (unless you post 3 in a row every time), the new posts will scramble the big-grid photo.

We don't recommend business owners use these big-grid pics, or if you do, advise that you delete it after you've used it to promote whatever you want to promote (like a one-time event or product launch).

A great way to find the content you should use is to find your most liked Instagram post. You can also use that to see the best caption for Instagram posts, the kind your audience likes.

Creating a Grid Strategy

Now that you know what you need to think about on a macro scale, how do you want your grid to look when someone first visits your profile? Do you want each post to have the same colors? To be the same filter? Do you want a text post every three posts?

The options of what you can do are endless, but once you choose something, it should be consistent. You can use apps to see what a new photo will look like on your grid before posting it to make sure it fits your aesthetic.

If you download the mojo app, you can easily work on your overall grid aesthetic for free. It allows you to do everything you can imagine, all within one program!

2. Involve Your Followers in Your Content with Instagram Polls

If you have a business where you sell things rather than services, you likely go to some sort of convention/market. That may be a clothing market in LA or Atlanta or a small artist's workshop that you're sourcing.

Many businesses will do "this or that" when they're at these markets, showing followers choices of things they're sourcing for the shop. Even if you're planning on buying both this AND that as a business owner's product, this is an excellent use for Instagram polls.

Your followers will feel engaged, and you'll get free feedback on the kind of things they like. Not only that, but it gives you a built-in content idea for Instagram stories when you're sourcing a new product.

Stories are also a great place to reuse content from other platforms. We show you how to post a youtube video on Instagram and how to post a live photo on Instagram with our app. We can answer other questions like: Does Instagram notify when you screenshot a post.

How to Create a "Be the Buyer" Instagram Poll

To create an Instagram poll, click the [+] feature in the upper right corner of the screen after making your story with the Mojo app. Then you'll see the poll option. Click on it and put "this or that" or "be the buyer" as the title of the poll.

Where it says Yes and No, click the words individually and backspace. Then put in "This" and "That" or "A" and "B," or even "Blue" and "Red." This will make more sense with the two different items in front of you.

Give the poll an hour or so before you check it. Go to that page on your story to see the engagement and swipe up. You'll see the votes for each side as a tally. You can post the results if you'd like, but keep the individual users out of it.

For fun, you can add gifs to your stories. We can show you how to post a gif on Instagram.

3. Go Live

Going live is a great marketing strategy while you're at the market or the convention. It doesn't cost anything to go live on Instagram, and you can make the video a story highlight later.

You can do try-ons for clothes, interview vendors, play this or that with comments, or even take preorders for certain products. But first, you have to learn how to post a video on Instagram.

Going live is a great way to engage passive followers who don't usually engage. Depending on their personal settings, your followers will get a notification that you've gone live. Be sure to be high-energy and clear about the point of the live. That will pull them in!

4. Use a Clickable Link on Your Stories

In late 2021/2022, depending on your version, Instagram rolled out link stickers. Previously, you needed a certain number of followers to have "swipe up" stories that went to specific pages.

Now everyone can add a clickable link to their stories, no matter their follower count. For high click-through rates, be sure you're using and testing these links before publishing them. Have one of your employees try the link the minute you post it to a story and adjust if needed.

A story maker app can help you learn how to add music to Instagram post, how to post multiple photos on Instagram, and how to share a post on Instagram. They also have Instagram Story template options you can work with.

5. Never, Ever Pay for Likes or Followers

We know it's tempting when you see services offering followers or likes, whether free or for a charge. You want more of your target audience to see that product or service, and more people will if it gets more likes.

But these services are frowned upon by the Instagram gods and can get you banned or shadowbanned. It's not worth it.

Just continue creating quality, creative content for your Instagram, and you'll see organic growth.

Five Tips for Small Businesses on Instagram

If you use the five marketing strategy tips above, you'll see a spike in your Instagram engagement. People love to give their opinions (and have many), so be sure to try the tip regarding Instagram Polls.

While you're browsing the blog, learn how to see liked posts on Instagram.

Whatever you do, make sure you post the type of content, you're proud of. Start doing so for free with the Mojo app today!

Looking to upgrade your social content? Subscribe to Mojo Pro today and get started!