The gradual shift from real to virtual happened way too quickly where before one could realise, their entire lives were being shifted to social media. With the digital marketing and technology booming, it was no surprise to witness even businesses and shops going virtual. 

 

Also, why shouldn’t they? Instagram. A well known social media platform alone harbours approximately 1.22 billion users where more than 500 million users are active with their accounts and posting stories. India’s users alone accumulate to almost 100 million users whereas USA is still in the lead. The same took a drastic turn especially in the pandemic where people turned to social media for almost everything. 

 

A time where people started preferring online over offline, be it for personal or professional connections, building businesses or even launching one. 

 

Instagram now also acts as a platform that nurtures brands and businesses where success on the platform means profits and leads in no time. This is a reason why many have begun elevating their social media presence, creating content and finding target audience on instagram itself for most of the opportunities. 

 

Many new businesses have also been launched on Instagram that have seen wonderful success within a short period of time due to their strategies. 

 

Now that one knows the actual reason and benefit why most of the users resort to turning to Instagram to build their audience and get potential customers, they would also wonder how to go through the process. 

 

 

Even though the journey and the process would be gradual, complex and filled with hardships yet to give one an edge, we will highlight few significant pointers on how to launch your small business on Instagram- 

 

1. Research-

• No matter if you are bringing an old existing business to social media or launching a new one, before initiating with the account, make sure to do your research and plan accordingly. 

 

• Create a notepad and a planner to note down important details and questions like- “Which audience am I looking for and targeting?”,“What is their age and what content would they prefer?”,“Am I bringing anything new to the table and how should I proceed?”,“How do i want to plan my feed?”,“What is my budget to elevate my business on this platform?”

 

• Answer those questions in detail and research for the same on other pages and through various resources so that you have a clear and precise plan. Set aside this time to simply plan and research. 

 

2. Optimise Profile-

• Now with the help of all the guidance you have received from researching, begin with starting up with the profile. Create the profile with the name and username of your business. Make sure to toggle the bar from personal to public, and then make it a professional page so that you can receive insights and analytics. 

 

• When asked, fill out the category your business deals with, such as food, entertainment, fashion, etc. and pick the one. After which if it suits you, you can also follow the people from the same industry to find inspiration and guidance.

 

• Create a catchy bio and set up the perfect profile picture that entices the audience. Move ahead to then create a teaser such as pictures or clips that suggest the business is launching soon, along with other posts to create a hype among the audience. Create a little following before your launch day.

 

3. Arrangements- 

• Begin with making all the arrangements that your business needs to operate properly such as products, materials, shipping packages, etc. though start with a moderate balance and if you run an existing business then sort it through for later.

 

• Also, get the equipment or anything required to shoot or create content. Make a space reserved for creating content, work on an aesthetic background and remember that social media runs on visuals so it should have a dazzling appeal to the audience. 

 

• Similarly, begin with arranging for the launch day such as what content would be posted, templates to be used, exciting offers or strategies to create a hype for the day. Also, share the same among your friends and family and promote the page beforehand on other social media platforms. Make sure to imprint your presence on launch day through giveaways, exciting offers, engagement, or other strategies. 

 

4. After the launch-

• The real hustle starts after the launch day as it is on your shoulders to create an outstanding social media presence for the success of your business and profits. Post consistently and engage with the audience. Create unique and trendy content that also resonates with your brand. 

 

• Opt for well thought strategies such as hashtags, captions, collaborations, paid advertisements, etc. to create a following and then convert them into potential customers. 

 

• Stick to the niche, plans, and schedule along with coming up with new ideas to elevate the business. Also, take feedback and criticism seriously. Share stories, reels, videos, etc. along with good feedback to showcase the growth and quality. Work on creating good quality products along with staying true to your brand and its identity. 

 

Launching a small business on Instagram and building it from scratch will not be an easy task however continue working hard and consistently. Continue building a community of followers and customers and stay true to the authenticity of the brand. It will work out well all in good time.