As a manufacturer, you’re likely active on a few social media channels, perhaps LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook, but when it comes to Instagram, you may be thinking “Oh no, another social media channel.” CoSchedule recently published a blog titled “The Ultimate Guide on How to Use Instagram for Business.” In it, you’ll find:
- How to get started with marketing on Instagram
- The types of posts you should be publishing
- How to build your style and brand
- How to grow your audience and engagement
- Best practices
It’s a valuable article that can guide your strategy if you’re looking to start an Instagram account for your company, or it can serve as a reminder of the Instagram best practices you should be following if you already have an established account. Below are eight ideas manufacturers can use to market themselves on Instagram. Use them as inspiration to get started, and then share with us in the comments any other tactics you’ve found to be successful.
1. Culture
Manufacturing is cool, and you should make it known to your followers. Share images of company meetings, outings or team-building activities. Your audience will enjoy getting a glimpse into a day in the life at your company.
2. Equipment
While you may know your company’s equipment like the back of your hand, your customers, prospects and other followers don’t. Give them a peek into your warehouse and show them what equipment you’re using to manufacture your products. Give a brief overview of what each machine does and how it works.
3. Materials
Similarly, share the materials you’re using to create your products. Explain why a certain material is used over another. Not only does this educate your followers, it provides an opportunity to upsell current customers who may not have known you had expertise in certain areas.
4. Production Process Videos
If your followers engage with the images you’re posting, they’re likely to engage with a video even more. Create a video of your production process and share bits and pieces as Instagram posts. Your followers would never get this behind-the-scenes look otherwise.
5. Products
What better way to showcase your products than through images and video? Take it a step further and share interesting information about your products. For example, share how long it takes to make each type of product, what materials are used and where they are shipped from.
6. Introduce the Team
Feature a different team member each week on Instagram. Include their headshot, a short biography and interesting facts. People relate to other people, and being able to tie faces to your brand can give it a personal touch.
7. Remember to Use Hashtags
There are many hashtags used on Instagram regularly, such as #tbt (Throwback Thursday) and #photooftheday. Join the conversation by using these popular hashtags while also keeping the focus on your industry. Why not post an image of the company’s very first logo or warehouse with the hashtag “#tbt”?
8. Careers
Promoting your culture and team provides a good segue to posting about your open career opportunities. Your audience will learn a lot about your company from your Instagram account, making it an appropriate medium to communicate your open positions and encourage people to apply.