The world was introduced to Instagram in the fall of 2010. The term Instagram derived from a combination of ‘instant camera’ and ‘telegram’ and quickly grew from 1 million users in 2010 to an incredible billion daily users by 2018. At Insiteful Solutions we are Social Media and Online Specialists and are based in Markham and the GTA who can help bring your social media marketing to the next level.
While similar to other social media vehicles Instagram is more focused on visual sharing. With nearly 5 billion mobile phones in use globally people are taking more photos than ever before; it has been estimated that 95 million images are posted to Instagram every day. Instagram users can comment, like, tag and communicate both publicly or in private messaging. While text is often incorporated into an Instagram post it’s not required.
How do I get started?
Glad you asked – the very first thing you’ll need to do is to create an Instagram account – the good news is that its free! If you have a business Facebook account you can use that or you can sign up using an email account. Once you input your username and password you will be asked if you want to connect with people you may already know on Instagram.
When opening up a business Instagram account it’s a good idea to brand your account to match all your business marketing materials. As soon as you start connecting with people they will be able to learn about your company – and as the saying goes ‘first impressions matter’!
How do I post photos and videos to Instagram?
In a single post you can upload up to 10 photos and videos. Her are helpful instructions from Instagram!
Tap then tap Library (iPhone) or Gallery (Android) at the bottom of the screen.
Tap .
Select up to 10 photos and videos from your phone’s library. To adjust how each photo or video is cropped, tap it then touch the screen to adjust how it fits in the frame. Keep in mind that the orientation you choose (square, portrait or landscape) affects all of the photos or videos in your post. You can’t select a different orientation for each photo or video. When you’re done, tap Nextin the top right.
Tap a filter at the bottom of the screen to apply it to every photo and video you’ve selected, or tap a photo or video to edit it and add filters individually.
To change the order of your photos and videos, tap and hold one then drag it to another spot. To remove a photo or video from your post, tap and hold one, then drag it to at the top of the screen. When you’re done, tap Next in the top right.
You can add one location and caption for your entire post, and tag someone in each individual photo. Tap Tag People, then swipe to find the photo you’d like to tag someone in.
Tap Share.
In Feed, you’ll see the first photo or video from your post with a row of dots below it. People can swipe to see the rest of the photos or videos you’ve shared. On your profile, you’ll see the first photo or video from your post with in the top right. From your profile, you can tap the post, then swipe to view the rest of the photos and videos you’ve shared.
What the heck is a hashtag?
On Instagram hashtags and how you use them matter; using the hashtag symbol # next to a keyword does two things. First, it helps people to search for topics using the # symbol and it also indexes terms and topics that can be used across the social media network.
Hashtags got their start on Twitter in 2007 by product developer Chris Messina, he sent out a tweet asking if people would use the # symbol when identifying group activity on Twitter. Chris mined other social media platforms Jaiku and Flickr for inspiration on how best to contextualize and group like minded terms and issues. Originally Chris wanted hashtags to act as a device to provider users a way in which to add supplemental info to a (think linking a magazine article related to the topic of your photo on Instagram).
After some trials and tribulations (and internal debate at Twitter headquarters) the hashtag soon evolved into an integral part of every social media platform.
Hashtags are a great way for you to draw attention to your business; its been reported that an Instagram post with a hashtag gains 13% more engagement that one without. Your company can reach customers in two ways: you can create a hashtag related to your product or offering or you can start using hashtags created by your customers. An irreverent use of hashtags has also become popular marketing method. In 2015 Red Bull started their #putacanonit campaign which asked people to include a can of Red Bull in their Instagram photos. The campaign took off like wildfire and created massive user generated content at absolutely no cost to Red Bull.
When using a hashtag for your business it’s important to remember that it should reflect your brand’s personality. There are also general hashtags ( example: #instadaily) that are used broadly that you could also take advantage of (keeping in mind that broadly used hashtags can dilute your message). You should figure out what number of hashtags works for your brand and keep them organized in either Excel or an Instagram analytics tool. Most brands post anywhere from seven to 20 hashtags per post. You can also easily research how other brands are hashtagging and test out what works best for your business.
What’s tagging?
Tagging is another great, virtually no cost, way to attract attention to your brand on Instagram. You can tag someone on Instagram by placing an @ symbol before their name. You can identify someone in a photo by tagging them or can mention them in the text in your comment section. Its best when tagging someone to have the correct link to their social media account. Before tagging someone on your Instagram account it’s a good idea to have a plan formulated on who you are trying to reach and what you’re trying to communicate.
At Insiteful Solutions we are Social Media/Online Specialists who operate in Markham and the GTA. We’ve worked with hundreds of clients to improve their social media marketing – give us a call so we can help your company!
SEO or PPC Advertising with Google AdWords: What Should Toronto Businesses Focus Their Marketing Dollars Towards
Should a company invest their marketing dollars into Search Engine Optimization (SEO), or spend it on PPC marketing with Google AdWords? This is actually one of the most common questions we receive from Toronto businesses interested in doing online marketing. The two Internet marketing strategies are very different, but also have a lot in common. Understanding how both work and their differences is a great way to take your digital marketing to the next level.
First, let’s begin by understanding how SEO works. Search Engine Optimization has been around since there were search engines. Basically, SEO is the practice of making a website more attractive to both Google and its visitors. There are a lot of ingredients that go into a well-planned SEO strategy including content development, link building, optimization of navigation, keyword-optimized META tags and dozens of other elements. A good SEO campaign is powered by data and engagement. Eventually, a well-designed SEO strategy will produce strong ROI by causing a website to rank high in organic web search results for keywords relevant to the brand.
SEO helps a website become more user-friendly to its visitors, therefore creating higher conversion rates. It’s important that a website loads quickly and have a mobile-friendly design; both elements weigh heavy in how Google ranks websites.
How long will it take SEO to have an impact on a website? This is one of the most common questions we are asked. SEO isn’t magic, it takes some time and hard work. Results and timeframes will vary greatly from business to business. Some websites may see results after a couple of weeks, others may need to wait for months or even longer. Organic traffic from Google is some of the most valuable and high-converting traffic a business can have. Ongoing SEO will generate strong traffic for the long-term.
Instant Google success can happen by running Google AdWords pay per click (PPC) ads. Results can often be seen within 24 hours and it’s easy to modify and tweak your campaigns. There are 3.5 billion searches done on Google every day and Google AdWords allows you the ability to pay for advertising on specific keyword searches. Google AdWords is a powerful tool with excellent ROI, the right PPC strategy can transform a business overnight.
Like any other form of advertising, it’s important to do your research when working with AdWords to come up with really strong ad copy and landing pages. Within a few days, you should be able to gain an understanding of how people find your site on Google and what keyword combinations produces the best traffic for an affordable price. High-performing PPC marketing doesn’t happen by accident, or by simply spending more money then the competition, they take work and constant fine-tuning.
It’s best to invest in both SEO and PPC in the early days of a marketing strategy, but the cost can be a factor. Budgets will vary from business to business and your company may not be ready to invest a lot of money into Google AdWords today. Like you, many Toronto companies are wondering what’s the best way to start with a shoestring budget. Starting with SEO will provide your business with an understanding of how people interact with your website and content. This knowledge can eventually become the foundation of your PPC advertising once your budget allows for it.
SEO and Google AdWords are two of the most effective and high-converting strategies in the digital marketing world today. Our Markham digital marketing agency has helped Toronto businesses like you take their marketing to the next level, by creating both SEO and PPC marketing rooted in strong ROI. Our experienced team will be happy to discuss the goals of your company and partner with you to create a digital marketing strategy that generates both leads and sales for the longterm.
Learn How Content Marketing Can Generate Leads and Sales for Your Markham and Toronto Area Business
Any effective marketing plan in 2019 will contain some form of content marketing. Brands need to focus on interacting with their audience, it’s a crucial part of conducting business today. Sharing the story of your brand and the work you do will help generate more leads and business. Posting high-quality content regularly will set you apart from the competition and will also help you rank higher in Google search results.
Bill Gates famously said, “Content is king.” Online marketing really can’t exist in today’s world without good content, yet it’s amazing how many companies ignore it. Content is one of the most affordable and sustainable marketing strategies that can directly lead to more conversions and profits. A recent study by DemandMetric found that content marketing costs about 62 percent less than traditional marketing and produces three times as many leads.
Trust is a key element in online marketing, and that’s something that will never change. Today’s consumers have multiple options at their fingertips and with content marketing, it’s vital that you build an instant level of trust with your audience when they interact with your brand online. Content marketing gives you the ability to engage with your audience, it’s an excellent tool for building trust and authority. Strong content will instantly provide costumers with an outlet to develop a positive opinion of your brand. Providing value in your marketing is key, educating your customer with solution-oriented content is the best way to stay memorable.
With so much technology, it can be easy to forget the human side of marketing. Throughout history, marketing has been powered by story-telling and word-of-mouth, content marketing brings these powerful and proven strategies to the digital age of 2019. Content marketing has the ability to inspire people and keep a brand top-of-mind throughout the sales process. Businesses will learn about the preferences of their visitors by dialling into the analytics data generated from their online content.
Content powers the Internet, and Google wouldn’t exist today if people didn’t share their thoughts and stories online. If you don’t have good content, Google has no reason to send people to your website. You could be missing out on a lot of traffic and business due to the fact you’re not saying anything interesting online. Good content will aid in every part of the marketing funnel and will help you gain informed customers.
Content marketing will also grow your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. Posting SEO-friendly online content is very important because Google’s algorithm is constantly scanning the Internet for new content and keywords. The best online content is written with the purpose of engaging with customers with Google’s algorithm in mind.
Remember, even the best ranking content is useless if people can’t connect to it. Ideally, you’ll have a good understanding of what your audience wants to read about online and you’ll fill up your website with it. Spend the time and do your keyword research and insert them naturally into your writing. Don’t overuse them, try using similar words or phrases. Remember, content marketing is bigger than just text. Mix things up; try posting video, social media posts, and white pages. People trust brands that post content on multiple digital platforms.
Getting third-party websites to backlink to your site is an essential ingredient for achieving SEO success and content marketing will help. Websites tend to link to other websites that add value to the experience of their readers. Having a good selection of backlinks and well-written content is the gasoline that fuels SEO.
We’re watching voice search become a part of the average Canadian’s life. Sales of smart speakers such as Amazon Echo and Google Home have shot through the roof and they are not showing any signs of slowing down. This trend provides an exciting opportunity for companies investing in content marketing. It’s estimated that 50 percent of searches will be done with someone’s voice by 2020. The average person can type around 40 words a minute, but they can speak nearly at 150 words.
People are not asking Jeeves questions anymore, they are speaking to the smart devices in homes and vehicles and they are doing so in a conversational tone (much longer than the traditional way of typing). Regularly posting strong content helps smart devices find you on Google, voice searches tend to be for long tail keywords (A long-tail keyword is a search phrase that contains at least three words), and content marketing will help you land this traffic. Smart devices are three times more likely to share localized search results. Regularly including localized information and keywords in your content will help you gain this high-converting segment of traffic.
Content marketing will help grow all the other parts of your marketing strategy. Our clients have used their content to power email marketing, social media, Google AdWords campaigns, and video. It’s an excellent way to make your marketing elements convert with a higher level of consistency.
The benefits on content marketing are countless and it’s a no brainer in today’s digital marketing world. Our team of experienced Internet marketing experts have helped businesses in Markham and throughout the Toronto region take their marketing to the next level with our content marketing services. If you want to learn how partnering with a Toronto content marketing agency like Insiteful Solutions can help your firm generate more leads and sales be sure to contact us today. We’d love to learn about your marketing goals and help you achieve them!
