Instagram Tips: Social Media Marketing Strategies

2. Table of Contents Table of Contents Instagram Marketing: A Preface Why Instagram Marketing is Key to Ecommerce Suc… The Instagram Algorithm Identifying Your Goals and Objectives Setting Up Your Instagram Business Profile Optimize Your Instagram Profile Building an Instagram Content Strategy …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23 Instagram Stories for Business

3. Instagram Marketing: A Preface Instagram Marketing: A Preface When Instagram first popped onto the scene back in 2010, it was just like any other social platform: filled with selfies, pets, and pictures of food. Fast-forward to 2019 and Instagram’s transformation from a simple photo sharing app to a full-on marketing channel is nearly complete. Just look at some of the platform’s newest features! In the last year alone, Instagram has released dozens of new tool for businesses, including advanced analytics, shoppable Instagram posts, and new ways to drive traffic from Instagram Stories, and the new standalone video platform, IGTV. Whether you work in ecommerce, education, or media and publishing, it pays to build a presence on Instagram. But if you really want to get ahead, you need to know the platform (and your audience) inside and out, including what kind of content resonates most, how to build an Instagram Stories strategy, and how to track your metrics and KPIs. That’s where this guide comes in. In the next 16 chapters, we’ll walk you through: The fundamentals of a well-rounded Instagram marketing strategy Tips on how to create an effective Instagram profile Running your first Instagram influencer marketing campaign The ins and outs of your Instagram analytics Tips on how to use Instagram Stories for business And so much more! But first, let’s take a look at why Instagram marketing is so effective for ecommerce businesses in particular. Page 1

4. Why Instagram Marketing is Key to Ecommerce Why Instagram Marketing is Key to Ecommerce Success Success We all know how great Instagram is for sharing photos and videos with our friends and family, but it’s also an incredible channel for ecommerce marketing. But why? Well, an obvious reason is Instagram’s format. Because of this visual nature, Instagram holds massive opportunities for ecommerce businesses looking to showcase their products. Whether through regular photos, videos, or Instagram Stories, millions of businesses have learned that building a visual presence on Instagram can hugely compliment their ecommerce marketing. There’s also the fact that Instagram users are more engaged than the average social media user. And while trends do seem to show that Instagram engagement is dropping (something we’ll be discussing in the next chapter), the platform is still producing higher engagement rates for businesses compared to both Twitter and Facebook. But Instagram users are more than simply engaged -- they’re also commonly online shoppers. According to a recent study, 72% of Instagram users report making a purchase decision after seeing something on Instagram, with the most popular categories being clothing, makeup, shoes, and jewelry. This shopping mindset makes Instagram users the perfect audience because they’re high-intent and quick to convert. Another reason Instagram is so great for ecommerce has to do with the platform itself. As we mentioned in the previous chapter, Instagram has recently introduced a ton of new business-facing tools -- and there’s definitely more to come! Whether through links in Instagram Stories or shoppable Instagram posts, soon enough many of our online shopping experiences will start (and end) on Instagram. All of this said, it would be a mistake to think that just because you don’t sell ecommerce products your business doesn’t belong on Instagram! Beyond its unique ability to move products, Instagram is also an incredible place for businesses to build brand awareness and connect with new audiences (and potential customers). Of course, if you want to build an Instagram marketing strategy that really resonates with your target audience, you first need to understand how the Instagram algorithm works -- something we’ll be discussing next. Page 2

5. The Instagram Algorithm The Instagram Algorithm Oh, the ever-mysterious Instagram algorithm. When Instagram first announced in 2016 that they were replacing the chronological feed with an algorithm, most people responded with a less-than-joyous reaction... And not much has changed since. So why did Instagram make the switch from chronological to algorithm? Well, it had to do with size. As Instagram grew in popularity, it became harder to keep up with all the photos and videos people share. In fact, according to Instagram, people missed an average of 70% of their feeds when it was chronological. In light of this, Instagram created an algorithm that re-organized people’s feeds so they would theoretically see more content that was relevant to them. Unfortunately, it also had some undesirable effects. Whereas a chronological feed requires little-to-no guesswork (all you really have to worry about is posting when your audience is most active), algorithm-based feeds can be influenced by a ton of different factors -- like how much engagement a post gets or how long people spend viewing your posts. And since Instagram is constantly updating the algorithm to improve user- experience and prioritize certain types of content, it can be difficult to know how to optimize your posts to get the most engagement and reach possible… But it’s not impossible! Last year, Instagram actually went on record about how the Instagram algorithm works, including the factors that determine how your post will perform in the Instagram algorithm (and how many people will see it!). Here they are below, ranked in terms of importance: #1: Interest #1: Interest This is Instagram predicting how much you’ll care about a post. The more they think you’ll “like” that post, the higher it appears in your feed. This is based on “past behavior on similar content and potentially machine vision analyzing the actual content of the post,” according to Instagram. Page 3

6. Think about this one like the Instagram Explore page: once you like one video of slime, your entire explore page is full of slime videos. And if someone in your feed posts a video of slime, Instagram’s going to guess that you’ll like that too. #2: Timeliness #2: Timeliness How long ago was a photo or video posted? The new Instagram algorithm will prioritize recent posts, so you’ll hopefully see fewer posts from over a week ago. While the feed isn’t going back to chronological by any means, Instagram is starting to care a lot more about when you post, instead of just the content or engagement on the post. This was confirmed in late-2017 when Instagram pledged to prevent older posts from showing on people’s feeds. #3: Relationship #3: Relationship As a result, businesses will need to be more aware of when their audience is most active on Instagram, so they can optimize their posts to appear at that time. How do you know the accounts that appear on your feed? If you often comment on someone’s photos or you get tagged in photos with them, this signals to Instagram that they fall into your “friends and family” category. As a result, you’ll likely see more content that they post (and vice-versa!). This is great news for businesses because it gives them a way to stay top- of-mind. Just ask your followers to tag you in their posts and make sure you optimize your Instagram posts and stories to get as many comments as possible. Other factors that influence the Instagram algorithm: #4: Frequency #4: Frequency How often do you open the Instagram app? If you’re a frequent scroller, your feed will look more “chronological” since Instagram tries to “show you the best posts since your last visit.” #5: Following #5: Following If you check the Instagram app less often, then your feed will be sorted more to what Instagram thinks you’ll like, instead of chronologically. Page 4

7. How many people do you follow on Instagram? If you follow a lot of people, then Instagram has more options to choose from, so you probably won’t see all of the posts from every account. #6: Usage #6: Usage If you spend a lot of time on Instagram, you’re going to see more posts as Instagram “digs deeper into its catalog.” If you only spend a few minutes on the app each day, then you’re going to just get the highlights from the algorithm. Page 5

8. Identifying Your Goals and Objectives Identifying Your Goals and Objectives Now that we’ve covered how the Instagram algorithm works, let’s talk about how to set your Instagram marketing goals and objectives. Of course, the first step to identifying your goals and objectives on Instagram is to understand exactly what “success” means for you. Are you using Instagram to build brand awareness and reach more of your ideal customers? To showcase your products and services? To grow an engaged community? To increase brand loyalty? Will you use Instagram as a tool for customer service? Will you rely on it to educate your followers about your business or industry? There are a lot of possibilities when it comes to using Instagram to meet your business goals and how you use it is ultimately up to you. Just keep in mind that the goals you set will heavily influence the metrics you use to tracks your success on Instagram (something we’ll be discussing in a later chapter). For example, if you’re using Instagram to build a large and engaged audience, you’re more likely to focus on engagement metrics, such as likes, comments, and shares. If you’re having trouble deciding on goals for your account, it can help to consider the following questions: Why are you using Instagram? How can Instagram assist you in achieving your overall marketing goals? How much time or budget can you commit to Instagram? How does Instagram offer you something different to other platforms? CHAPTER 4 | PART 1 Finding Your Target Instagram Audience Finding Your Target Instagram Audience Once you’ve determined why you’re using Instagram, you need to think about who you’re trying to target. If you already have a good sense of who your ideal customer is, a good strategy is to take that customer profile (or “persona”) and extrapolate to Instagram. Page 6

9. What kinds of content do they engage with? What hashtags do they use? What communities are they a part of? Answering these questions is a great way to sure that you’re hitting your target audience on Instagram. If you’re still having trouble, another option is to research your competitors. Go to your competitors’ profiles and click on their “Followers.” You’ll be able to see the whole list of users who follow them. (Note: we don’t recommend simply going through this list and following each one. Instead, use this information to build a strategy to capture their attention organically). You can also use this strategy to see what hashtags your competitors are using. Instagram hashtags are still one of the best ways of reaching audiences on Instagram, especially now that you can follow Instagram hashtags like you would other users. When researching relevant hashtags, try to go as micro as possible. There’s a good chance you’ll find some ultra-niche hashtags that are teeming with activity from your target audience. CHAPTER 4 | PART 2 Run Your Own Instagram Audit Run Your Own Instagram Audit With your goals and audience in mind, the next step is to take a constructive look at your Instagram profile by performing an Instagram audit. By doing this, you’ll be taking a critical look at everything you’ve done on the platform so far, analyzing it, and then decide if it’s still serving the needs of your business. (Even if you’re just getting started with Instagram marketing, running an audit is a great opportunity to make sure you’re on the right track.) Each element of your Instagram profile should feel intentional, including your profile photo, bio, feed, captions, hashtags, and more. Even the accounts you currently follow become part of your brand on Instagram. Do you find them inspiring? Do they align with your business? Or are they completely random and disconnected? Remember to keep your goals in mind while you’re auditing your account to ensure that every decision you make moves you closer to them! Once you’ve completed your Instagram audit, you should have: Page 7

10. Defined your Instagram businesses goals and objectives A clear understanding of your branding and voice Solidified your content aesthetic Assessed your current engagement strategy Refined your hashtag strategy Page 8

11. Setting Up Your Instagram Business Profile Setting Up Your Instagram Business Profile It’s a question that still pops up from time to time: “Should I switch to an Instagram business profile.” While the answer was less certain in 2017, Instagram recently gave businesses a few more big reasons to convert to a business profile, namely the ability to add links to Instagram Stories, shoppable Instagram posts, and auto-publishing to Instagram. The fact is that today, as a business on Instagram with clear marketing goals, the benefits that come from switching to a business profile are indisputable. Ready to make the switch? Here’s how to do it: #1: Create a Facebook Page for Your Business #1: Create a Facebook Page for Your Business Before you can set up a business profile on Instagram, you need to have an active Facebook Page. Luckily, setting up a Facebook Business Page can be done in a matter of minutes! If you already have a Facebook Page, you can skip to the next step. Start by opening Facebook and clicking on “Create Page” from the dropdown menu. Next, select your business category and give a name to your Page. Your Page name can be your business name or another name that people may search for to find your business.Upload a profile photo and a cover photo that best represents your business. You can use your logo as your profile photo, or even an image of your store or products. And that’s it! Your business’ Facebook Page is now live! Keep in mind that it’s a good idea to spruce up your Facebook Business Page before you connect it your Instagram business profile. At the very least, you should add a description and call-to-action that directs your Page visitors to do something, like visit your website or call your store. #2: Connect Your Facebook Page to Instagram #2: Connect Your Facebook Page to Instagram In order to switch to a business profile, start by logging into your Instagram account and navigating to your profile. Next, tap the “gear” icon in the top right corner of the screen to access your account settings. Page 9

12. From here, tap “Switch to Business Profile,” and then “Continue” to connect to Facebook. Make sure your profile is set to Public! If your profile is currently set to Private on Instagram, you won’t be able to switch to a business profile. Tap “Continue As” to connect the Facebook Page. If you don’t see your business’ Facebook Page as an option, make sure that you’re listed as an admin in the settings menu. Once the correct Facebook Page appears, select it and tap “Next.” #3: Set Up Your Business Profile on Instagram #3: Set Up Your Business Profile on Instagram Next, you’ll be prompted to add your contact information, including a phone number, physical address, or email so that customers can get in touch. Once everything looks good, tap “Done.” That’s it! Now that you have a business profile on Instagram, you’ll get access to a ton of new features, including the ability to view your Instagram Insights and promote your Instagram posts, all from within the app! Page 10

13. Optimize Your Instagram Profile Optimize Your Instagram Profile With your Instagram business profile set up, it’s time to start thinking about what your Instagram profile looks like. As we’ve said many times before, your Instagram profile is an important reflection of your brand -- which is why businesses today spend more time than ever planning the overall look of their profiles. When someone lands on your profile, you only have a few seconds to convert them into a follower, and this is often decided by a quick glance or scroll of your feed. That’s why it’s so important to curate the look and feel of your Instagram profile! It’s one of the best ways to get more followers. The good news: by scheduling Instagram posts, you can actively plan and design the look of your Instagram feed before you post. Here’s what you should focus on to create a great first impression: CHAPTER 6 | PART 1 Build a Consistent Instagram Aesthetic Build a Consistent Instagram Aesthetic One of the hardest parts of making your Instagram feed look amazing is figuring out how to make all your individual photos look good beside each other. Take a step back from posting one photo, and look at your Instagram feed as a whole: how do all of your photos fit together? Here are five tips: #1: Pick a Color Scheme #1: Pick a Color Scheme It’s important that you have a consistent color scheme for your Instagram feed. What this means is that all the colors in your feed seamlessly go together. This could be a warm and cozy feed, a dark and cool feed, or a bright and colourful feed. Whatever direction you take, having a consistent color palette is a great way to incorporate your branding into your Instagram feed. #2: Focus on Lighting #2: Focus on Lighting Lighting is a key element for curation and aesthetic. Think of an upscale magazine that you love to read. Regardless of the subject matter, what ties it together and makes a theme is the lighting and color choices. The consistency of those choices are the ingredients for your Instagram aesthetic. Page 11

14. #3: Space Out Your Content #3: Space Out Your Content This is probably the hardest part in achieving a gorgeous instagram aesthetic. You need to know where to put each of your photos and how to plan your feed so that it all blends together. The goal is to create a depth of field, similar to how you would in photography. You basically want to space out busy photos with a mix of more clean or minimal photos to achieve a nice balance. #4: Keep Things Consistent #4: Keep Things Consistent To help keep your feed flowing naturally, you need to have a consistent approach to editing your photos. This doesn’t mean you have to choose one filter and one filter only, but limiting yourself to a few will help you stick to your chosen aesthetic. Do you prefer warmer tones? Cooler toned images? Whatever your editing style, make sure it’s consistent so that your posts flow within your feed. Even just adding a touch of the same filter each time you post can make your brand and Instagram feed seem more cohesive. #5: Curate with User-Generated Content (UGC) #5: Curate with User-Generated Content (UGC) While more businesses than ever are investing in original content, there’s still so much to be gained from incorporating user-generated content (UGC) into your Instagram strategy. Keep in mind that when choosing photos to repost to your account, it’s important to stay aligned with your theme and aesthetic. You’ll want to choose photos that are a natural fit and have a similar color scheme and editing style to your own feed. When someone is looking at your Instagram feed, it shouldn’t be too obvious which posts are yours and which photos are UGC that you curated. TIP: TIP: The most important rule for using UGC is to always ask for permission before reposting someone else’s photo to Instagram. And when giving credit, you always want to reference the original photographer in the caption. Simply tagging them in the photo isn’t enough. CHAPTER 6 | PART 2 Introduce Your Brand Through Instagram Stories Introduce Your Brand Through Instagram Stories Highlights Highlights We’re going to get into Instagram Stories in the next chapter, but we’d be amiss not to mention how great Instagram Stories Highlights are for introducing potential followers to what your business is all about. Page 12

15. You can think of Instagram Stories Highlights like a movie trailer for your Instagram feed. They’re a creative way to express yourself, show off products, drive traffic, or market your business! A good strategy is to group your Instagram Stories Highlights together into various categories, events, or topics so that your audience can quickly find content that’s of specific interest to them. Take @anthropologie for example. The fashion and lifestyle brand is constantly updating their Instagram Stories Highlights to draw attention to their latest offerings, such as seasonal collections and new arrivals, or to share sales and other promotions. All in all, using Instagram Stories Highlights is a great way for you to attract new followers. With Highlights, you can quickly showcase what your business does, what you offer, and why someone should follow you. Plus, by optimizing your Instagram Stories Highlights, you can even make sales directly from your profile from people who aren’t even following you! CHAPTER 6 | PART 3 Build an Eye-Catching Instagram Bio: Build an Eye-Catching Instagram Bio: Your Instagram bio is one of the most under-utilized Instagram features, but it’s so important! It can be difficult to come up with the perfect description of what you do and why people should follow you. Here are 6 tips for optimizing your Instagram bio: #1: Your Name #1: Your Name The first step to creating good Instagram bios is making sure that your name is, in fact, your name! (By this, we mean the “name” field in your profile, not your Instagram username). People searching for you on Instagram will likely use your name or your company’s name, and consistency lets people know that the Instagram profile they’re viewing actually belongs to you and not an impostor. This might seem pretty obvious, but there’s actually a bigger reason for it: your name and username are the only fields that Instagram considers in search queries. So it’s really important to make sure that the name you use in your Instagram bio is the one your followers and customers are searching for! Page 13 #2: Your Username & Hashtag Links #2: Your Username & Hashtag Links

16. Thanks to an update in early-2018, you can now turn profile usernames and hashtags within your Instagram bio into clickable hyperlinks. When you include a “#” or “@” in your bio, it will automatically become a clickable link that will lead visitors to a hashtag or another profile. By adding hashtags into your Instagram bio, profile visitors are able to click directly through to view the respective content. Adding branded hashtags or hashtags related to your interests makes your bio much more functional, allowing you to highlight branded content and share more of your interests with profile visitors. NOTE: NOTE: Adding hashtags into your bio does not make your profile searchable within those hashtags, so it’s probably best to stick to using your own branded hashtag in your bio. This way you won’t waste valuable character space in your bio by listing hashtags that won’t actually drive traffic back to you! #3: Your Skills #3: Your Skills A good Instagram bio accurately explains what your business is and what you do. So if you want to stand out for a particular skill, profession, hobby, or interest, you should include these details in your Instagram bio as well! Think about what sets you apart from your competitors. Do you have a unique set of skills or experiences that might be of interest to your followers? Not only will including these in your Instagram bio serve as an introduction to new viewers, but it can also determine whether they’ll follow you. #4: Keywords #4: Keywords Using keywords won’t improve your searchability on Instagram (except, as we mentioned above, your “name” in your Instagram bio) but it will give your account more focus and help you connect with followers who want to engage with your content! When deciding what keywords to include in your Instagram bio, try to think about both your own core values and the core values of your target audience. If you use Instagram for business, spend some time creating a “profile” of your ideal follower. What are their pain points or interests? And what keywords will help you resonate with them most? Page 14

17. Using keywords that target your audience and niche will help users better understand who you are, what you have to offer, and whether or not your account is relevant to them! #5: Your Website Link #5: Your Website Link Unlike other social networks, Instagram is strict on where clickable links can be placed. Currently, Instagram only gives users one clickable link on their profile, and it’s the link in your bio. A lot of businesses use the link to send followers to their homepage or blog, which is great! But for ecommerce businesses that want to send followers to specific product pages, campaigns, or webinars, the lack of hot links is a huge challenge. To get around this restriction, some businesses will frequently update their website link to send followers to their latest products or promotions — and then refer to that link in their Instagram captions. The problem is that Instagram’s photo feed is no longer chronological, so when a business’ post says “link in bio,” that link might not correspond to the actual link in their bio. Since Instagram only gives you one clickable URL, Later created a shoppable Instagram feed called Linkin.bio that makes it easy to drive targeted traffic to your online store. With Linkin.bio, you can now add links to any of the Instagram posts you’ve published through Later, which helps direct your Instagram audience to the right content or products on your site. You can also link to multiple websites and pages, all without changing the link in your bio. When one of your followers clicks on the link in your bio, they’ll be taken to a web and mobile-optimized landing page that resembles your Instagram feed and displays your Instagram posts as clickable images! #6: Your Contact Information #6: Your Contact Information As we mentioned in the previous chapter, when you switch to an Instagram business profile, you can add a “Contact” button near the top of your profile with the option to include directions, a phone number, and/or an email address. This feature is highly beneficial for businesses. It gives your followers an opportunity to reach you outside of Instagram -- or if your business has a physical location, it’s a great way to boost your in-store sales! Page 15 CHAPTER 6 | PART 4

18. Run an Audit on Your Instagram Account Run an Audit on Your Instagram Account Once you’ve covered the above steps, the next thing you should do is take a constructive look at your Instagram profile by performing an Instagram audit. By doing this, you’ll be taking a critical look at everything you’ve done on your profile so far, analyzing it, and then decide if it’s still serving the needs of your business. (Even if you’re just getting started with Instagram marketing, running an audit is a great opportunity to make sure you’re on the right track). Each element of your Instagram profile should feel intentional, including your profile photo, bio, feed, captions, hashtags, and more. Page 16

19. Building an Instagram Content Strategy Building an Instagram Content Strategy While having a great-looking Instagram feed is critical today, it’s important not to overlook your individual posts! Currently, Instagram allows four types of posts: photos, videos, shopping posts, and carousel posts. Here’s a short segmentation of each: Photo posts Photo posts Instagram photo posts continue to be the most popular form of content on Instagram, likely because they’re easy to create and edit, and super versatile. Currently, you can only share photos in landscape, portrait, or square formats. These different formats call for different aspect ratios and dimensions, for example, square photo posts should be 1:1 in aspect ratio (or as close as possible!) and 1080px by 1080px in size. Here’s a breakdown of the optimal size for each: Video posts Video posts Instagram video posts have evolved quite a bit since they were first introduced in 2013. No longer limited to 15 seconds, businesses today can create long-form, high-production videos up to 1 minute long that generate a ton of engagement! And the great thing is that you don’t need a DSLR camera or expensive video production equipment to do it. You can build beautiful branded videos using just your phone’s built-in camera and a few video editing apps! While not quite as popular as photos, video posts on Instagram tend to receive a lot of engagement, so it makes sense to include them in your marketing mix. On top of that, videos tend to be one of the best formats for driving sales, due to their ability to communicate complex stories. That’s why so many businesses are investing in creating promotional video content. In other good news, you can now use Later to schedule videos to Instagram that will automatically publish at their scheduled time! Just upload your video, select a date and time, and your video will automatically publish to Instagram at the scheduled time! Instagram video scheduling is available now on all of Later’s paid Instagram video scheduling is available now on all of Later’s paid plans. plans. Upgrade now Upgrade now to get access! to get access! Page 17

20. Shopping posts Shopping posts While there are lots of different ways for brands (especially ecommerce brands) to weave sales opportunities into their Instagram marketing strategy, having Instagram shopping posts in your feed is a feature you definitely want to take advantage of! In a nutshell, Instagram shopping posts make it easier for people to shop the products they find on Instagram by “tagging” products in posts. When your shoppable post appears in your followers’ feeds, all they have to do is tap the shopping bag icon on an image to reveal more info about the product. If a user taps on the info box, they’ll be directed to a URL where they can shop and purchase the product! For brands and businesses, using Instagram shopping posts is a great way to showcase your products and use your Instagram feed to drive more purchases. Want to learn how to set up and optimize your Instagram shopping posts? Carousel posts Carousel posts While carousel posts were only introduced in mid-2017, they’ve become a favorite for businesses that want to promote new product lines or share event photos and videos. The reason is that, like Instagram videos, carousel posts are more versatile than single photos posts. Plus, you can incorporate both photos and videos into your carousel posts, so they’re a great place to get creative. Carousel posts can be shared in landscape, portrait, or square formats -- but you have to stick to just one photo format. They can include between two and 10 photos or videos. CHAPTER 7 | PART 1 How to Drive Results with Instagram Carousel Posts How to Drive Results with Instagram Carousel Posts Since carousel posts were released last year, businesses of all sizes have picked up on the carousel trend and discovered new and creative ways to incorporate them into their Instagram marketing strategy. Here are three great ways to use carousel posts for your business: Page 18

21. 1. Launch a new product line 1. Launch a new product line Whether you’re launching a new denim line or a skin care business, the ability to share several product photos in a single post is perfect for driving interest and, ultimately, selling. A great strategy for this is to incorporate both photos and videos into your carousel post. For example, you can lead off with a promotional video that shows your product in action, and then follow up with 2-3 photos of your product for more context. 2. Share photos and videos from your events 2. Share photos and videos from your events Regular Instagram users do this all time, but using Instagram carousel posts to show off photos from your events is also a great strategy for businesses! Really, though. The ability to share multiple photos and videos that capture the energy and atmosphere of your events, without having to spam all of your followers with multiple posts, is a huge advantage. For those who attended your event, it’s a great way to tag them in a photo to say thanks and remind them of the fun they had — and for those who missed it, it’s perfect for creating FOMO for your next event. 3. Showcase before-and-after sequences 3. Showcase before-and-after sequences This concept for Instagram carousel posts is a little more obvious, but there are just so many applications for before-and-after sequences! For example, you can share a before-and-after sequence of how your products work in real life. To create before-and-after sequence using Instagram carousel, all you have to do is select your photos and videos in the correct order, write an engaging Instagram caption, and then post to Instagram. You can even share multiple before-and-after sequences in a single carousel post! CHAPTER 7 | PART 2 How to Use Instagram Videos for Business How to Use Instagram Videos for Business There’s really no limit to what you can do with Instagram video posts — that’s why it’s so common to find them on your feed! That being said, it’s a good idea to have a specific goal in mind, whether it’s conveying your brand message, showcasing your products, or introducing your company culture. Here are a few examples of successful video posts: Page 19 Promote Your Products Promote Your Products

22. Because videos have the ability to convey a ton of information in a short amount of time, they’re a huge asset for businesses that sell products or services. Just think about how much more of your products you’ll be able to showcase in a 60-second video compared to just one image! More to that point, according to Hubspot, 64% of consumers are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video of it first. So using Instagram video to show your products in action could be a huge way to increase the ROI of your Instagram marketing! Build Brand Trust Build Brand Trust Sharing Instagram videos that convey your brand message or introduce your company culture are a great way to build trust with your followers and customers. A good example of this comes from @foodora_ca. The meal delivery service often shares loveable video content that’s relevant to their target market and provides value to them. Educate Your Audience Educate Your Audience Have a topic you’d like to educate your audience about? Maybe it’s a makeup tutorial or a delicious recipe? Whatever your focus, using Instagram video posts to share short, snackable content is a great strategy.Check out how @buzzfeedtasty uses highly engaging videos to share fun recipes: Or how @milkmakeup uses Instagram video posts to share makeup tutorials: The point is that if you have a cool topic that you think you audience would enjoy learning about, using Instagram videos to do it is a great strategy. Ready to start scheduling videos to Instagram? With Later, you can schedule Instagram video posts, optimize the success of your videos with analytics, and more! Instagram video scheduling is available now on all of Instagram video scheduling is available now on all of Later’s paid plans plans. Upgrade now to get access! . Upgrade now to get access! Later’s paid Tips for Making Great Instagram Video Posts Tips for Making Great Instagram Video Posts Now that we’ve covered how to share your videos on Instagram, let’s take a minute to talk about how you can optimize your video posts to get more traction. Page 20

23. Pick an Eye-Catching Cover Photo Pick an Eye-Catching Cover Photo In a world where attention is getting more and more scarce, getting your followers to engage with your videos (especially longer ones) can be pretty difficult. But one way to improve your chances is to pick a stellar cover photo. Just like you spend time finding photos that look great in your feed, you need to invest a good amount of time finding a great cover photo for your video. Otherwise, all that hard work you put into actually creating your video will go to waste! When picking a cover photo, try to find one that captures the overall message of your video and has the best chance of stopping viewers from scrolling past your content. Don’t Rely on Sound Don’t Rely on Sound Instagram videos may auto-play in the feed, but they don’t start playing sound automatically. In order to hear sound, viewers have to tap on the video. Since you’re trying to grab people’s attention in the first couple seconds, it’s important to keep in mind that your videos need to be clearly understood even without sound! Because of this, your videos should be as beautiful as the photographs your followers are used to seeing on your feed. Even if your viewer doesn’t get the overall effect, you want them to be able to see the storyline of the Instagram video — even if it’s silent. Focus on the First Few Seconds of Your Video Focus on the First Few Seconds of Your Video With so much else to see on Instagram, it’s important to create video content that captures people’s attention within the first 3-5 seconds. By focusing on the first few seconds of your video and making them amazing, you’re bound to get better completion and engagement rates on your video. Find a Video Length that Works for Your Audience Find a Video Length that Works for Your Audience Just because your Instagram videos can be 60 seconds in length doesn’t mean they should be. Like all things social media, it’s difficult to keep your audience engaged over a longer period. Page 21

24. Try experimenting with different video lengths to find one that works best for your audience. If you notice better metrics on your videos that are under 30 seconds, focus on creating shorter video content. If your longer videos outperform your shorter ones, stick to those. Use a Third-Party App to Edit Your Instagram Video Use a Third-Party App to Edit Your Instagram Video There are tons of apps and software that you can use to not only improve the quality of your videos but also add branding to them, whether it’s your logo, font, or some other design element. Page 22

25. Instagram Stories for Business Instagram Stories for Business This is where things start to get creative. Since they first arrived on the scene in 2017, Instagram Stories have become an essential part of your Instagram marketing strategy. In fact, according to The State of Instagram Marketing 2018, 64% of businesses plan to create more Instagram Stories in 2018. So what explains Instagram Stories’ huge success? Well, it partly has to do with the growing popularity of ephemeral video. More and more businesses are seeing the value in creating short-lived video content, whether it’s fun and lighthearted or more business-focused. Here’s how to use Instagram Stories for business: CHAPTER 8 | PART 1 How Often to Post on Instagram Stories How Often to Post on Instagram Stories Unlike the case for regular Instagram posts, Instagram won’t penalize you for posting too many Instagram Stories -- and it all has to do with the ephemeral nature of Instagram Stories. Because Instagram Stories only live for 24 hours (or forever if you share them as Instagram Stories Highlights), there isn’t much pressure for Instagram to prioritize some posts over others on a users’ feed. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Instagram Stories aren’t impacted by the Instagram algorithm… they definitely are! It’s just that the frequency that you post doesn’t seem to have much of an impact on how many people will see your Instagram Stories. That being said, if you post tons and tons of stories every day, there’s a good chance that at least some of your followers will mute your account. That’s not to say that posting a ton of Instagram Stories is a bad thing. It really comes down to your content and what your followers expect from you! Some accounts can get away with posting 10+ stories a day, while others are better off posting just a few times a week. Take @wework for example. The international shared workspace company often posts 10+ stories each day. And it works for them! People love their rich content and it’s become a part of their brand: While posting multiple times a day works for some accounts, it might not work for you. Page 23

26. It can take a lot of time and management to create 10+ Instagram Stories, so if you think your time is best served elsewhere, it’s probably best to stick to just a few stories per week! Plus, if you consistently post a ton of stories, your followers are going to expect you to continue doing so. At the end of the day, there’s really no “optimal” frequency for stories, but it’s good to have enough throughout the week that people look forward to seeing yours without getting tired of your content. CHAPTER 8 | PART 2 When to Post on Instagram Stories When to Post on Instagram Stories When it comes to regular Instagram posts, it’s very important to post when your followers are most active. But this isn’t the case with Instagram Stories for business. Because Instagram Stories live for a maximum of 24 hours (again, that’s only if they aren’t shared as highlights), when you post a story, your followers have a 24-hour window to see it at the top of their feeds. So even if you post a story at a time when most of your followers are asleep, they’ll still be able to find your story at the top of their feeds when they wake up. In other words, don’t stress out too much about posting your Instagram Stories at optimal times... Unless you’re looking for immediate engagement, in which case posting when your followers are most active will definitely help. CHAPTER 8 | PART 3 What to Post on Instagram Stories What to Post on Instagram Stories Like with regular posts, if you’re using Instagram Stories for business, it’s good to post a mix of informative, fun, and promotional content. Instagram Stories is a pretty relaxed place in general, and the quality standards are a lot lower than they are for regular posts. So don’t be afraid of showing off your goofier side! The great thing about Instagram Stories is that because they’ve created so many cool tools, the world is really your oyster. You can get as creative as you like! And the same is true for promotional content on Instagram Stories. It’s easy to share promotional content that’s also fun and lighthearted. Page 24

27. In any case, it’s super important to keep track of your Instagram Stories analytics to see what types of content your audience best responds to. As we mentioned earlier, when your stories get a lot of views and engagement, this signals to the algorithm that you’re creating high-quality content, so your future Instagram Stories will appear higher up in your followers’ stories queue.So by creating great Instagram Stories content that your followers love, you have a better chance of getting your future stories seen by more people! CHAPTER 8 | PART 4 Instagram Stories Features That Are Perfect for Instagram Stories Features That Are Perfect for Businesses Businesses When it comes to using Instagram Stories for business and Instagram marketing, there are a few features you can make use of to get the most bang for your buck: #1: Location and Hashtag Stickers #1: Location and Hashtag Stickers When Instagram first introduced stickers to Instagram Stories in 2017, they were much more funthan useful. Since that time, Instagram has added a ton of new functionalities to stickers, including the ability to see location-based stories on the Explore page, and, most recently, the ability to search for stories by location and hashtag. These feature have made a huge difference for businesses. Whereas at first you could only share Instagram Stories with your own followers, these new features make it possible for anyone to see your Instagram Stories! For example, if you’re posting a story from a restaurant in Atlanta, you can tag the location with a sticker, and your story might appear in that location’s Instagram Stories.The same is true for hashtag stickers. When a user tags a hashtag in their Instagram Stories, it will appear on the corresponding hashtag page. #2: Clickable Links #2: Clickable Links Instagram recently rolled out the ability to add links to Instagram Stories and it’s a pretty big deal. In fact, it’s the first time ever that users can add a link to Instagram that isn’t the link in their bio! It goes without saying that the ability to send your followers to specific landing pages from your stories is extremely useful for Instagram marketing. Whether it’s a product page or a new blog post, you can use this feature to drive Instagram traffic to all kinds of relevant landing pages! Page 25

28. TIP: TIP: The “See More” call-to-action that appears on stories with clickable links is quite small and can easily go unnoticed, so it’s a good idea to call it out using text, arrows, or some other design feature. #3: Tag Other Accounts #3: Tag Other Accounts We all know how effective Instagram contests are for driving engagement and getting new followers, and with the ability to tag other accounts in Instagram Stories, there’s yet another way to drive traffic to your contests. Tagging other accounts in your stories is also useful if you’re running a takeover or influencer campaign. #4: Tag Businesses in Your Sponsored Instagram Stories #4: Tag Businesses in Your Sponsored Instagram Stories Speaking of influencers, Instagram’s new paid partnership feature makes it super easy to tag businesses in your sponsored Instagram Stories! Only a handful of celebrities, influencers, and businesses have been given access to the feature so far, but a larger-scale rollout is expected in the next few months. #5: Polls & Emoji Sliders #5: Polls & Emoji Sliders Have you ever wanted to survey your Instagram audience about their interests, likes, dislikes, and more? Well, now you can! Instagram recently launched new interactive poll stickers on Instagram Stories which lets you ask questions and see results from your followers as they vote. The great thing about poll stickers is that there are so many business uses! Whether you want to collect feedback on your products, crowdsource ideas, or simply entertain your followers, poll stickers offer an entirely new way to engage with your Instagram audience! Not sure how to use Instagram Stories polls for your business? #6: Question Stickers #6: Question Stickers Unlike poll stickers and emoji sliders, both of which allow users to “vote” on questions that you submit, when you add a question sticker to your Instagram story, others users submit questions for you to answer. Page 26

29. Whether you want to collect feedback on your products or crowdsource ideas, questions stickers offer an entirely new way to engage with your Instagram audience! #7: Countdown Stickers #7: Countdown Stickers Now when you share a story about an upcoming something (like an in- store sale, product launch, or event), you can add a sticker that counts down to a date and time that you set. Your followers can then subscribe to your countdown event, which will send them a reminder when the time is up and your countdown is complete! Whether you’re looking to promote a sale, event, or something else entirely, the ability to share a countdown on your stories that your followers can get reminders about is a great way to generate better results. #8: GIF Stickers #8: GIF Stickers In 2017, Instagram teamed up with GIPHY to build a library of high-quality GIFs on Instagram Stories. Now you can add fun, expressive GIF stickers to any photo or video in your story! Adding GIFs on Instagram Stories is easy — when you tap to add a sticker to a photo or video in stories, you’ll now see a new GIF option. Tap it and you’ll find a library full of hundreds of thousands of moving stickers powered by GIPHY. Using this feature in a consistent way can add a ton of personality to your Instagram Stories and help you build a loyal following. You can get a step- by-step Instagram tutorial about how to add GIFs to Instagram Stories here. #9: Instagram Live Video Replays #9: Instagram Live Video Replays Prior to a recent update, Instagram Live videos could not be replayed or shared after the broadcast. And while this “limited viewing” definitely created a sense of urgency for people to tune-in, there’s a lot of value in being able to share your live videos post-broadcast. In fact, this new feature could make Instagram Live as big as Facebook Live! Once your Instagram Live video ends, you can share a replay of it. But like other photos and videos you share to Instagram Stories, live video replays will disappear after 24 hours. Page 27 #10: Instagram Stories Highlights #10: Instagram Stories Highlights

30. As we discussed in the previous chapter, Instagram Stories Highlights are an extremely valuable addition to an Instagram business profile because they allow brands to easily curate and showcase the content they want users to see first. Unlike regular Instagram Stories that vanish after 24 hours, Instagram Stories Highlights are curated clips that can be grouped by theme or topic and live permanently on your profile until you delete them. They appear directly under your bio and above your Instagram feed and will play as a stand-alone story when someone taps on them. #11: Share IGTV Videos and Instagram Posts #11: Share IGTV Videos and Instagram Posts Did you know you can share IGTV and Instagram posts in stories too? Posts or IGTV videos shared to Instagram Stories will display the original poster’s username, letting users tap it to check out the original post: With more and more users shifting their attention to Instagram Stories, users have been using stories to cross-promote their posts and IGTV videos. Now, instead of including a screenshot of their feed to stories, users can easily share the post with the new re-share feature. CHAPTER 8 | PART 5 How to Use Instagram Stories for Business How to Use Instagram Stories for Business Using Instagram Stories for business is now an essential part of any Instagram marketing strategy, and can help you drive engagement, interact with customers, and show your products in action. That being said, it can be hard to find ideas for Instagram Stories and decide on what to post. Need some inspiration? Here are four ways that businesses are using Instagram Stories for business: #1: Promote Your Products and/or Services #1: Promote Your Products and/or Services The natural “tapping” progression of Instagram Stories makes it a great place to build anticipation around new products and/or services. All you have to do is fill up your story with photos of a single product at every angle, on different people, or in different environments, and then hit your followers with a promo code or call-to-action at the end. If you have the ability to add links to your Instagram Stories, this is a great place to do it. #2: Build a More Engaged Community #2: Build a More Engaged Community Page 28

31. Like with regular posts, if you’re using Instagram Stories for business, it’s good to post a mix of fun, lighthearted content and promotional content. Instagram Stories is a pretty relaxed place, so don’t be afraid of posting something goofy: a short video of your office dog or a picture of your team out for post-work drinks! #3: Run an Instagram Stories Takeover #3: Run an Instagram Stories Takeover An easy way to switch it up on your Instagram Stories is to do an Instagram Stories takeover or invite someone to guest host your story. Having regular guest segments is an awesome way to bring both variety and consistency to using Instagram Stories for business. To try it out with your own business: you can choose someone from your company for a “day-in-the-life” story, or you can partner with other businesses in your industry to swap stories for the day. It will help vary your content and keep your customers coming back for more. How to Plan and Schedule Your Instagram Stories How to Plan and Schedule Your Instagram Stories for Business for Business Posting regularly on Instagram Stories is key to building an audience and increasing your views, and you can plan your stories just like you would plan other social posts in your content calendar. Planning both your regular Instagram feed content along with your Instagram Stories will help you keep things cohesive and clear. A great way to get started is to create a quick storyboard of your Instagram story to make sure it flows. By outlining a beginning, middle, and end to your story, you can make sure to cover all the important points, while still making sure everything flows naturally. How to Schedule Instagram Stories with Later: How to Schedule Instagram Stories with Later: 1. Start by dragging & dropping your stories on to the storyboard tool, and then re-arrange them to fit the order and look that you want. You can also easily crop and resize images to fit Instagram Stories 9:16 ratio. 2. Next, you can add links or captions to your scheduled stories, which will be copied to your phone when it’s time to post. This helps you drive more traffic and sales by taking the time to write compelling captions and CTAs from your desktop.3. Next, schedule your Instagram Stories by selecting the time and date from the drop down menu beside the Save Story button. Page 29

32. 4. When it’s time to post, you’ll receive a notification on your phone. And once you open the notification, your stories will be downloaded to your phone and caption or links copied to your clipboard, making it easy to post Instagram Stories in seconds.Scheduling Instagram Stories is one of the best things you can do to grow your business on Instagram in 2019! But you’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan to schedule stories. Page 30