The Official Lightswitch Guide to Understanding Instagram for your Business
Tips and tricks to help your business get the most out of Instagram
Instagram consists of several post options, giving your business a wide variety of options to choose from.
If you're wondering how to start promoting your business via Instagram, whether that be organically or through paid media - you've come to the right place! We're breaking down best practices for Instagram Feed, Ads, Reels, and Stories.
Instagram Feed Posts
The Instagram feed is a mix of accounts you follow, promoted content, and content recommended by Instagram.
Summary: Instagram is great for businesses that want to increase brand awareness, boost sales, and increase audience engagement. This app is geared more towards B2C rather than B2B, but can be utilized in different ways for different audiences.
The Basics
- Still image or Video
- Recommended 1:1 or 4:5 aspect ratio
- Appears in standard Instagram Feed
- Instagram Stories are only available for 24 hours unless added to a Highlights tab; Feed posts are available until you delete them
Recommendations
- Include captions on video
- Primary text ≤ 125 characters
- Headlines ≤ 40 characters
- ≤ 30 Hashtags
Who uses Instagram
- Most Instagram users are 18-44 years old, they are split fairly evenly between men and women and they are more likely to be higher earners
- For more information check out this great article from Hootsuite
Businesses Who Successfully Use Instagram
- Restaurants
- Home Services
- Subscription services
- Music & Performing Arts
- Direct to Consumer products
- Apparel
- Financial services
- Healthcare services
How to use it most effectively
- Switch your company account to a Business Account to gain access to more insights and analytics
- Set up an Instagram Shop to tag your products directly in your content
- Select an enticing cover image for videos; When posting a video, make sure that the cover image is cropped correctly for both the main feed (square) and for the Reels tab
- Use hashtags strategically to help boost your content to the right people (3-5 is best)
- Use your own analytics and research best practices for ideal posting times to engage the highest number of your audience
Note: Broadcast channels are not available for everyone. If available, it is a great way to connect with your most engaged audience members/followers. Various new features are continuously being rolled out for different accounts, such as a 20 photo limit instead of the standard 10 as well.
Paid Targeting Capabilities
- Languages
- Interests
- Behaviors
- Incomes
- Lookalike audiences
- Gender
- Geography
- Age brackets
- Life Events
Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels are videos, typically short vertical videos, that are shown on Explore pages and on your main profile under your Reels tab (and main feed if you choose to host it there as well).
Summary: Instagram Reels are great for businesses that want to diversify their feed, quickly introduce themselves to their current and new audience, and have the opportunity to be discovered by those not currently following your account.
The Basics
- Vertical or Horizontal video
- Recommended 9:16 aspect ratio
- Appears in Reels tab, and can be displayed on the Feed as well
- Instagram Reels will loop
Recommendations
- Aim for videos 7-15 seconds in length
- Primary text ≤ 72 characters
- Add captions and alternate text
- ≤ 30 Hashtags
Who uses Instagram Reels
- 21% of Gen Z (United States) use Reels weekly
- Reels are most effective for 18-34 year old audiences
- For more information check out this great article from Hootsuite
Businesses Who Successfully Use Instagram
- Restaurants
- Home Services
- Subscription services
- Music & Performing Arts
- Direct to Consumer products
- Apparel
- Financial services
- Healthcare services
If utilized correctly, any brand or business can take advantage of the opportunities that Instagram Reels has to offer.
How to use Instagram Reels most effectively
- When Reels are in full screen mode, there are buttons overlaid on the right side of the screen. Do not put important information where it will be covered up and interfere with the engagement buttons
- Consider leaving roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom, and 6% on each side of the screen free of text, logos, etc.
- Viewers have incredibly short attention spans – short videos with quick cuts (and a great hook) can help to retain their attention
- The Instagram Reels algorithm favors Reels that have high engagement, use audio, are full-screen vertical videos (9:16 aspect ratio), and use creative tools like text, filter or camera effects
- Don’t underestimate ‘dark social’ – people share Instagram Reels 1 billion times a day through DMs
Instagram Ads
Instagram ads are advertisements that run across Instagram. Since Instagram now falls under the umbrella of Meta along with Facebook, you can also simultaneously run ads on both Facebook and Instagram.
Note: Utilize the previous explanations in our guide for advice on aspect ratios, captions, etc.
Ways to Create Instagram Ads:
- Create ads directly in Instagram by boosting Feed posts, Reels, or Stories
- Create ads from your Facebook page by linking it with your Instagram account
- Create ad campaigns in Meta Ads Manager
Paid Targeting Capabilities:
- Languages
- Interests
- Behaviors
- Incomes
- Lookalike audiences
- Gender
- Geography
- Age brackets
- Life Events
