Five steps to market your business on Instagram through a crisis

instagram, social media

While your competitors are in panic mode, it’s time to remain calm and solution focused to build your brand, attract new followers and convert them into customers.

This is how you lead in times of crisis.

If your followers perceive you as an industry leader, they will come to you for help.

If your content helps them with their problems, they will trust your product or service to do the same.

No matter how your business has been impacted, communicating with your customers via Instagram can be done at no cost, and makes a world of difference.

Step 1: Show up authentically

Be Authentic. Honest. Vulnerable. Every business has been impacted by this. If it’s not business as usual… that’s ok!

Your customers want to be kept in the loop. That’s why they follow you. They want to see the behind the scenes!

Tell them how you’re feeling and ask them the same!

Remember, Instagram is about two-way communication. Stay connected on Instagram, even if your doors in real life have been temporarily closed.

Step 2: Revise your ideal client

It’s easy to forget the person at the receiving end of what we’re sharing –the whole point of our content is to connect with them.

Ask yourself: Who does your content speak to? Who has a demand for this content?

Give this person a name. This is your ideal client. Naming them makes them more real.

Mine is called Adele – Don’t ask why!

What can you share with your Adele that is going to help her TODAY?

Is it relevant to her current pain points?

Keep these at the focus your content, and you can’t go wrong.

Step 3: Keep content solution focused

Why did people follow you before COVID-19? Guess what? They still follow you for that. Don’t start posting random content. Be compassionate and understanding but ultimately the value you provide your audience hasn’t changed.

For example: My audience follow me for easy, practical tips to market their business on Instagram.

Now it’s your turn! Why does your audience follow you? What value does your content provide?

Remain solution focused and you will zoom ahead of your competition.

Step 4: Share video content

Increase educational content using Stories, Instagram Live or IGTV to strengthen relationships with your followers.

Video builds trust faster because followers get the opportunity to see and hear you.

Here are five video ideas you can create today:

  1. Host free Instagram Live Webinars: Educate your followers.
  2. Q&A Videos: Using the “question” sticker on stories, get your followers to submit questions. Create video content, answering their questions to share on your feed, stories, IGTV or Live.
  3. Start an IGTV series: Post a new video each week to keep your community engaged and coming back for more.
  4. Create Tutorials and How-To’s: Share 1-minute videos to your feed, on your story as multiple 15 second videos or as IGTV’s for up to 10 minutes.
  5. What’s in your camera roll that’s 10 minutes or less? Go through old videos and utilise relevant content.

Step 5: Invest in yourself & learn what you don’t know

Upskill yourself. Right now! Not next week. Not next month.

The sooner you get started the sooner you’ll have a bigger market on Instagram to sell to.

The time is now to work on your business. To do things you’ve been putting off. Create new systems. Source new products. Ultimately, make life easier when you re-open. When this passes business will go nuts and you’ll want to be ready.

Brooke Vulinovich, social media expert, www.brookevulinovich.com.au