With over one billion users on Instagram, neglecting this social media platform is to neglect a huge marketing opportunity, especially in interior design and upcycling sectors. However, as with all marketing endeavours – a strong strategy is key.

Steven Covey, author of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People notes the second habit as the ability to ‘begin with the end in mind’; this rings true not only for Instagram but for your strategy as a whole. When creating your business Instagram page you have to consider actually why you are doing it, what is the end goal and how are you going to get there? All too often people fall into the trap of having no defined strategy and find that quite quickly their audience will become bored or confused as there’s no focus.

There needs to be consistency with your posts across social media, it should be working to one end goal. Not necessarily the same content, or even telling the same story, but definitely working as a part of your strategy. Speaking of different social media platforms, a business Instagram account can be linked to a business Facebook account. It’s a really handy way to keep all your data in one place. An Instagram business account is a different entity  to a personal one and should not be confused. A business profile offers a whole host of added features. We’ll get into them as we prise apart the inner workings of Instagram in later weeks – it’s just something you should be aware of.

So, you’ve got your strategy in place and you know how and why you’re using Insta. Tell people! A bio is an often overlooked little feature, you are allowed up to 150 characters to tell people just what your Instagram page is about. It’s the first thing people will see when they click through to your page, so make sure it’s punchy, concise and lets people know what to expect.

Don’t stop there though, chop and change it. Let people know what’s going on within your business. Don’t change it daily, it’s not a status, but if you’re building up to a big event – get it in your bio!

People often like to see behind the scenes of a business. Instagram is a great place to do this, slake people’s curiosity thirst whilst also adding that all important human element behind your business.

So remember, follow your strategy but don’t forget, a picture paints a thousand words – create a narrative, tell a story.