THINK BIG: Instagram for Small Businesses: Useful Tips

I am a marketing chick and a social media enthusiast. I am also a strong believer that a picture is worth a thousand words, being constantly fascinated by creatives around me and inspired by their talent. So, I jumped on the Instagram bandwagon in order to be part of a global creative community, as well as to get my hands on a very powerful digital marketing tool.

I am telling you, it’s primetime to become paparazzi of your own business and share your products, as well as your brand’s happenings with the world. All you need is access, a steady hand and a strategy!

                                         Let's share the love! - Follow me @thinkpinkthinkbig

A Few Tips from Me to You:

Choose Quality over Quantity

It's your virtual product portfolio on display and you want to present it in the best possible way. Patience people! Take multiple shots and share on Instagram your best quality, visually attractive pictures. Sometimes you even need to get painstakingly planned shots to make every image look as sleek as a fashion editorial.

Tell a Story

Use your pictures to tell a story that reflects your brand’s aesthetic. Showcase not only your product, but also its story behind it, like its making of, behind the scenes going-on at your store/office, street-style pictures, trends and materials, as the best inspiration comes from a mix of influencers. Make it interesting!

Craft Descriptions

Take your time to craft tempting and thoughtful image descriptions to make your feeds more searchable. In this case, hashtags are your best friends! Find out the popular ones (For example #love, #fun, #happy, #tbt, #summer) and apply them relevantly. I have made a list of them in Evernote, which I find it really useful for quick reference. Be careful though not to overdo it with hashtags, as it can come across that you are desperate for an audience and spammy, which can be damaging for your brand image.

Engage

Keep in mind that Instagram users love the sense of community the application brings. So , make sure that are nice and you share the love by replying to your followers’/potential customers’ comments, say thank you and “like” other photos.  You can also create your own hashtag and encourage your followers to use it. For example, my own hashtag, relevant to my blog is : #thinkpinkthinkbigmoments

Identify, acknowledge and encourage street-style figures, like bloggers, social media enthusiasts and other influencers to get engaged by posting about your product, which will enhance the story behind your brand. Then, re-purpose the images that were submitted to you by happy customers by sharing them to your other social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. For example, the Greek shoe manufacturer Pargiana features my Instagram pictures enjoying their shoes via Fecebook.

Snap Happy!

 

 

THINK YUMMY: On-the-go Bites

When it comes to lunch box food, there is no doubt that I am a sandwich girl. Sandwiches on-the-go are the perfect office solution, as they can be made in advance, travel with ease and there is an endless variety. Having said that, I am the one who relies on the old-school, classic ham and cheese sandwich day after day. So, I decided to spice things up a little on my sandwich repertoire by making use of food staples in my fridge, as well as incorporating ingredients that give a spin on classics.

The Weight Watcher : 
Cucumber, Cottage Cheese and Basil Sandwich

Ingredients:

• Whole grain bread, generously sliced 
• Cucumber, thinly sliced
• Cottage cheese 
• Fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

The Greek Lover:

Feta Cheese, Olives and Tomato Sandwich 

Ingredients:

• Small baguette bread, halved horizontally
• Feta cheese
• Heirloom tomato, thinly sliced
  
• 5 black olives or black olive pate
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil 
• Oregano

The Meaty Delight:

Meatballs, Feta Cheese and Tomato Sandwich 

Ingredients:

• Country bread, halved horizontally
• Meat balls, halved
• Feta cheese
• Heirloom tomato, thinly sliced
• Green peppers (optional)
  

The Italian Deli:

Cream Cheese, Proscuitto and Sun-dried Tomato Sandwich 

Ingredients:

• Ciabatta bread, sliced
• Cream cheese
• Proscuitto
• Sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
• Fresh basil leaves, finely chopped 

Tips: 

• The best sandwiches are made with the best ingredients.
• Prefer fresh ingredients that can stand up to the heat, like tomatoes, avocados, peppers and onions.
• Avoid a sauce that would make the sandwich soggy, if it has to sit in the lunch box all morning.
• Spread cream cheese, butter or mayonnaise all the way to the edges of each slice of bread to create a seal against wet sandwich fillings.
• Experiment with different types of bread, like baguette, ciabatta, bagel, country and olive bread. As a general rule, the moister the filling, the drier and denser the bread should be.
• A layer of basil adds a hint of bitter to round out the flavor.
• Freshly grounded pepper elevates the sandwich.
• Enjoy your sandwiches with homemade lemonade or a cup of tea.

 Enjoy!

Photo from here