Instagram Business 101

Instagram is a great place to show off your makes and stitches as you begin developing new designs and ideas. It’s a fantastic tool for sharing inspiration and a valuable resource for finding inspiration. 

As an independent designer, embracing Instagram Business Accounts goes beyond showcasing your creations; it’s about strengthening connections and honing your voice. Creating content that resonates transforms your audience from customers into a tightly-knit community, fostering a connection that lasts and if done correctly, translates into sales. 

You will quickly find that the community you’ll build will not only become your loyal customers but champions of your success.

This is a great place to take a moment and note: Vanity metrics mean NOTHING if they are not helping you reach your business goals.  Focus on community building combined with your business goals. Your metrics will be secondary confirmation that you're on the right path.

Let’s dive into how to put that concept into practice!

In a digital era dominated by visuals, Instagram stands as a powerhouse with over 25 million business profiles, making up a significant chunk of U.S. businesses. As an independent designer, tapping into this bustling platform can be a game-changer for connecting with your audience. 

Your Instagram presence is more than a gallery; think of it as a touch point where like-minded individuals gather. By curating authentic content, you have an opportunity to build and engaged an invested audience. 

Posting should be authentic - and not the buzzword version of authentic - but truly an extension of you and your craft. Think of your Instagram as your home, and with each post, you are inviting people over to visit. By posting what feels authentic to you, you’re making sure that your house party has a guest list of people who you want to engage with. Become a place for conversation starters and for your audience to explore and discover. 

If you post based on trends that don’t align with your voice, you will end up with an audience that doesn't align with your voice. Even when posting on trends - you want to make sure that everything is based on your point of view and your voice.

In the fast-paced world of social media, staying on your audience's mind is the golden thread. Your unique content should become something your audience looks forward to seeing, ensuring your stitchwear brand occupies space in their thoughts.

The key is consistency. This consistent presence is the foundation of lasting connections as well as helps you build audience reliability. Your community will come to rely on you and know that you are consistent. This builds trust.

New to the design game? Learn more about Turning Your Stitchwear Hobby into a Thriving Business

Pause…Is a business account right for you…: META is a business. This is something that most people overlook because it’s a social community space. But it’s important to remember that it’s a business and its users are the product and the customers. If you have a personal account you are the product that they can sell to advertisers.

Download the Instagram app: If you don’t already have the Instagram app on your phone (wait… really?) You can download the app from your device's store. Instagram's mobile-friendly design ensures a smooth journey.

Account creation: Populate your details, favoring a business email address. Already have a personal account? Don’t worry! Easily transform it into a business profile in the settings.

If you have a business account you are the customer that they are trying to sell advertisement space to. The decision to switch to a business account comes with many perks. BUT it’s important to consider the way the platform will look at you before making that decision.

Connect with Facebook: If your business has a Facebook foothold, link it to your Instagram Business Account for a seamless cross-platform experience. While your content will need to evolve to fit this new platform, since you’re just getting started a little crossover could help you find your footing.

If you have a Facebook page, you can quickly link to your Facebook Business page and this will help you cross-post among platforms as well as show Meta you are a business across all their platforms.

Complete your profile:  Your profile is your digital atelier. Add a distinctive profile photo, weave a compelling bio infused with emojis and hashtags, and sprinkle in vital contact information. This is incredibly important as this information is used behind the scenes by Instagram for searchability.

Additionally - you want this to be your quick intro to your audience. Make this space count.

Optimize your profile: Go even further - Uncover the additional features tailored for business accounts. Fill in company info, choose a relevant category, and add action buttons for a streamlined customer journey.

Remember, if you’ve made the decision to switch to a Business Account, you can switch back to a personal account or a Creator account at any point. Many of the analytic tools available to business accounts are also available to creator accounts BUT without the label of being a potential advertising partner. 

So make sure you’re correctly labeling your account and setting yourself up for success!