You know that one app you just minimized to read this article? It was most probably Instagram. Even if it wasn’t, let’s assume for a minute that it was. The reason behind this bold assumption of ours is the immense popularity of this app, which is only increasing each day. 

Do you know that in India, as of a few months ago, almost 130 million are actively using Instagram? That accounts for 9.3 percent of our country’s population. The craze of Instagram here is such that India has been used many times for testing out any new services/products, the most famous cases being Instagram Lite and Reels. 

As people have started understanding its importance, over the past couple of years, it has become quite an integral part of the marketing strategies of many companies globally. One of the factors that have worked out really well in this app’s favor is that people, even celebrities, tend to be freer on it as it has a very informal and breezy vibe. 

Instagram Stands for Small Businesses 

Last year when the pandemic began and started affecting businesses globally, Instagram launched several ways in which people could discover as well as support small businesses. They also introduced tools that would help in keeping the local businesses informed. 

With the help of their new ‘Support Small Business’ stickers, Instagram users could easily show their support for any business using their stories. They could also mention the name of the business directly and give all their followers a sneak peek into the work of that particular account. 

Whenever people use this sticker, the stories get clubbed together under the ‘Support Small Businesses’ sticker so that it can reach a wider audience and the users can easily access the work of these micro enterprises.  

 

Source: Elite Daily

The sticker helps these businesses to not just reach new customers but also stay connected to their existing customers. With the help of this sticker, businesses could also easily give a shout-out to the business entrepreneurs of their community. 

Further, they even added a section called Business Resources that could provide businesses with assistance by keeping them informed about the latest tools and resources which could prove to be helpful for them during such times. 

Small Businesses Doing Brilliantly on Instagram

 

There is a sea of local businesses out there and while it isn’t possible to list all of them here, we have put together our top picks for you:

1. Happy Threads by Supermoms 

 

Supporting small businesses is all about providing a platform for the people who are looking to establish themselves with the help of their craft. Founded by the organization ‘Supermoms4u’ back in 2016, ‘Happy Threads’ focuses on helping women capitalize on their arts and crafts skills. It deals with various kinds of crochet products that are ‘handmade and hand knitted’. 

2. Okhai 

 

Another small business powered by skillful women. Any hindrance that their less privileged backgrounds created has been lessened to a great degree owing to the platform. The talented team, which includes more than 400 rural women, sells handicrafts that richly showcase their traditional heritage combined with modern processes. 

3. Cats and Bows 

 

Award-winning accessory brand, it has been around for a few years now and the founder Roshni has built it from the ground up. All the different accessories that are sold by the brand are meticulously designed and handcrafted by her. Roshni also actively speaks in support of the whole micro enterprises industry and is always open to collaborating with other business owners so that they can help each other out. 

4. Go Boho Decor 

 

Shefali Pandey’s brainchild is a home decor company that focuses on Boho, eclectic, pastel, and sustainable themes. The fact that her family business is furniture manufacturing has also helped her greatly in following her passion for decor. She is a digital marketer by day and a ‘quirky furniture maker’ by night. Her work is primarily centered around styling rental homes.

5. I Am Rural 

 

With detailed descriptions that highlight the delicate work done by the rural women of India, I Am Rural is another brilliant example of how Instagram has helped in bridging the gap between them and their customers. Not only are these quality items but they are also sustainable. The account is slowly and steadily gaining traction as they come out with more and more of their products. 

There are so many options to choose from these days and it just goes on to show that all that was needed was a platform, where these talented people could display their skills.  

Thanks to Instagram, a lot of young entrepreneurs have been able to get a platform to make use of their skills and actually profit from them, or even just apply themselves. Putting yourself out there is the scariest step and the platform has made it somewhat easier. 

Getting started 

For all the businesses out there that still have some reservations about the app and haven’t been able to quite get the results they were hoping for, go over the tips given below, incorporate them in your strategy and you’ll be set. 

These are proven methods, especially for all those small to medium-sized businesses that haven’t been able to establish themselves in the social media space yet and are working on it: 

 

Find your customers 

All you need to do is go over the following lists of your competitors’ accounts and see who all are interested in the kind of work you do. Message them directly, don’t spam, and work on building a real connection.

Create good content 

Pushing out audience-specific content is vital to any marketing strategy. Use Reels and posts and stories to come up with content such as short BTS clips, inspirational quotes, product sneak peeks, and so on. Work on engagement.

Work on a good bio 

You don’t have to be formal here. Humanize your brand, and keep your target audience in mind while coming up with your bio. Use emoticons, vertical spacing, or whatever comes to mind to express yourself better. 

Post only high-quality photos 

Try clicking pictures in the natural light but try to avoid using your front camera, and never edit your pictures using the Instagram filters. Use proper editing apps to give a professional look. 

Include hashtags 

Try to put yourself in your target audience’s shoes and come up with the hashtags they might be using to search for the kind of content that you’re uploading. Use them but don’t overdo it.

Keep them interested by offering discounts 

This can be especially helpful for all those who have opened small ecommerce stores on Instagram. You’ll be able to attract more followers. But even if you don’t have any ecommerce stores, offering exciting discounts is always a good strategy.

Maintain an aesthetic feed 

Your feed needs to look cohesive on Instagram as the platform is all about aesthetics. Having a theme, and a color palette exclusive to your business in standing out. 

 

Source: A Clothes Horse

Conclusion 

Instagram and the endless features that it brings to the social media space have led to this great uprising of local businesses. A major contributing factor to this growing industry is that users usually use the platform to follow their interests. 

This is exactly what makes it so popular. People can actively cultivate their interests and stay connected with their friends and family at the same time. The pandemic just accelerated this process, and now that the people are unleashing their creativity unabashedly, we should also do our bit and #supportsmallbusiness. 

For more such content, don’t forget to go over Digital Ready’s Blog section. Further, also go over the various digital marketing courses that we offer and take your first step towards becoming a digital marketer.