Instagram for Businesses: 7 Tips

Currently, 2.5 million Swiss people already use Instagram regularly (see Instagram Statistics for Switzerland).

As user numbers grow, so does interest among businesses, because Instagram offers an attractive way to build a community and reach specific customers through a business profile.

In addition to an optimal Instagram strategy and targeted Instagram marketing, you also need an attractive Instagram feed. This is how you can build a sustainable Instagram community.

Here, we’ve put together an Instagram checklist with the 7 most important tips and tricks to help make your Instagram business profile attractive and successful.

☑ Good lighting conditions for high-quality photos and videos

☑ Unique designs

☑ Express your emotions

☑ The photos and videos should have a consistent style (for example, always use the same filter)

Tip: Make sure you have a clean and appropriate background when taking photos or recording videos.

You can use various apps to edit your photos. Avoid filters that look too artificial—the community is drawn to authenticity and simplicity.

Ask yourself: What’s right for my business? What style should I choose, and does it align with my other posts? What do I want to show and inspire?

The most successful posts are the ones that are easy to understand. Don’t overthink your images—even companies’ Instagram posts should be fun!

(Photo editing apps: Afterlight, InstaSize)

A good example @baselswizz:

☑ Choose a theme or unit for your account and your images

☑ Take photos that simply capture the theme

☑ Maintain a consistent theme and visual style throughout

By focusing on a specific theme, your Instagram Business profile will automatically take on a consistent look and feel, and your feed will be cohesive. Your community will clearly recognize what you stand for and, ideally, find common ground with you.

Ask yourself this question: Why should anyone follow your company? Answer this question strategically so that Instagram can be a success for your business.

That’s how we do it, for example, at @rhylax.

☑ Come up with a sustainable strategy

☑ Always keep your target audience in mind

☑ Planning your social media posts a month in advance can help you maintain a consistent rhythm and stay on topic

Ask yourself: What does my target audience want to see? How and why do they want to interact? Why should they follow my account? At what time of day is my target audience most active?

Tip: Be clear about what you want to achieve with your account. A structured Instagram marketing strategy will make it easier for you to post consistently.

☑ Sentences should be short and to the point

☑ The message should be refreshing, clear, and easy to understand.

☑ Use emojis

☑ Start with the most important information, because only the first 125 characters are displayed immediately. You have a total of up to 2,200 characters available.

By including questions in your post, you encourage your community to comment. Networking is important for keeping your users engaged with your account on a consistent and long-term basis.

☑ Post regularly and at a consistent pace

☑ Don’t post too many times in a single day; spread them out over the week (the number of posts per day or week depends on your account’s topic)

☑ Stay true to your style and don’t post randomly

☑ Make sure you post at the perfect time(you can find information about this in your account’s Insights )

Studies show that most users are active on Instagram in the morning between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. and again in the evening between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Many people also spend their lunch breaks on their smartphones, mostly scrolling through Stories. Take advantage of this.

Tip: Stories can help you stand out from the crowd and draw attention to your account. But don’t forget that the average attention span per post is about 3 seconds. Tailor your story accordingly.

☑ Image-related hashtags (so that the image is found by exactly the people who are searching for your topic)

☑ Come up with specific hashtags for your product—e.g., product names

☑ Post the hashtags as your first comment, as this looks better and more professional

☑ Don’t use spammy hashtags that make it obvious you’re just chasing likes (like #tagforlikes…)

You can use up to 30 hashtags. However, using as many hashtags as possible isn’t always the most effective approach, as it can quickly come across as an attempt to attract attention. Use 5 precise and relevant hashtags.

Here is a list of hashtags that Instagram censors and blocks.

Here are the most popular Instagram hashtags worldwide right now.

☑ Target your advertising specifically to your audience. To do this, always define your target audience yourself. You know them best.

☑ Learn from the insights. Which applications are successful?

☑ Hire influencers. Nothing beats authentic, cool influencer marketing.

By promoting your posts to specific audiences , you can significantly increase your reach and engagement. No one knows your target audience as well as you do. That’s why you should always define the targeting yourself when promoting your posts—don’t leave it up to Instagram.

Influencer marketing offers another effective way to strengthen your brand presence. Instagram is the most relevant social media channel for this purpose. To reach your target audience precisely, it’s important to find an influencer who can communicate with them on an equal footing. Credibility is key here. The number of followers an influencer has is secondary. A carefully selected micro-influencer can be just as good a fit for your brand as an influencer with more than 50,000 followers—if not better.

☑ Find like-minded people

☑ Show your appreciation for the other channels and follow them

☑ Don’t hold back on liking and leaving positive comments on other posts (the goal is to show praise and appreciation!)

☑ Your response time to replies, likes, etc., plays an important role— the faster, the better

☑ Highlight user-generated content (UGC) with a repost or a comment.

Create your own social network! Build a community so that Instagram’s algorithm takes your account’s engagement into account.

Tip: If you want more Instagram followers and likes, you should spend at least 1 hour a day being active online to grow quickly and consistently. Share, like, and comment on Instagram posts.

1. Attractive & Clear Profile Description
2. Post images in the correct format (preferably 1080 pixels wide and 1350 pixels high)
3. Analyze what worked well and what didn’t
4. Set Instagram Story Highlights
5. Using Instagram Reels
6. Using IGTV
7. Using Instagram Live
8. Add a location and tag relevant accounts (but not for no reason)
9. Request Verification
10. Include Targeted Calls to Action (CTA)

Rule number one applies to businesses on Instagram, too: Show some emotion. Be personable and relaxed. Always go for “good vibes”—they’ll pay off. And remember, sharing is caring —even on Instagram.☺