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In many ways, Instagram is built for branding. It rewards stylistic visuals, encourages interaction and suits a variety of niches, making it accessible to most business types. Most of all, with over 2 billion users, people love using it, so your Instagram branding campaigns will have a captive audience.
Instagram users are generally receptive to businesses—as long as your content appeals, they will likely follow you and support your business. Just look at these internal Instagram statistics:
- 90% of Instagram users follow a business account
- 2 out of 3 users agree that Instagram helps them talk to brands
- 50% of users become more interested in a brand if they see it in an Instagram ad
If you’re new to branding on Instagram, things may not seem so smooth initially. There’s a learning curve and the most effective choices aren’t always obvious. So to help you get your brand name out there, here’s our Instagram branding guide with 10 tips on how to use Instagram for branding.
- Instagram’s features make it ideal for branding. With its focus on visuals and engagement, Instagram is a powerful platform for businesses to reach a broad audience.
- Consistency in branding is crucial. Maintaining a cohesive visual theme, including brand colors and voice, helps create a strong and recognizable brand presence on the social platform.
- Instagram’s tools and features like Stories, Reels, Highlights and Insights can help businesses connect with their target audience, enhance engagement and refine their content strategy for maximum impact.
- Using relevant hashtags and collaborating with influencers in your niche can help expand your audience and attract new, like-minded followers that convert into loyal customers.
1. Optimize your Instagram profile
Your profile is your home base for Instagram branding and most people interested in your brand will pass through it. The main components are your username, handle and profile picture, but your link, address and bio are also important.
When choosing usernames and pictures, always favor being clear over being clever. A good default picture is your company logo, although it can work to change it up with special backgrounds for events or holiday marketing. Using your logo as a profile picture strengthens associations between your customers and your brand.
You get one outgoing link in your Instagram profile, so use it wisely. Your bio description is great for introducing yourself, but the downside is that it’s only 150 characters. You definitely want to include your primary and secondary hashtags in your bio. For example, Wix says everything it needs to say in its bio, including the hashtag it’s currently promoting.
Wix’s Instagram bio. Source: via Instagram
2. Choose a theme that fits your branding goals
Instagram is a broad platform, so don’t bother trying to please everyone. Instead, find your target audience and post content intended for and directed to them. For example, Starface uses the same yellow for most of their posts, because it’s their brand color, found in their logo and other branding materials.
Starface’s Instagram profile. Source: via Instagram
This strategy works best when you pick a theme and stick to it. For example, if you’re a fashion brand, your theme could be candid photos of people wearing clothes in everyday settings or glamor shots of accessories. What brands shouldn’t do is mix themes, such as a fashion brand posting cat videos. Stay in your lane!
Use our free Instagram post templates to design effective Instagram branding.
Themes also apply to your visual style, including filters, color schemes and shot compositions. If your audience likes gritty black-and-white photos, give them a lot of it. You can use analytics tools to see which themes and styles get the most likes and comments, then alter your social media strategy accordingly.
Don’t forget to keep your Instagram branding consistent with your branding on other channels. Stick to the same visual identity to avoid mixed messaging. On that note, include Instagram in all your other marketing campaigns, such as video ads or contests.
To make sure your branding is consistent across channels, read our articles on how to create a brand style guide and a social media style guide.
3. Set realistic KPIs
It’s difficult to measure success on social media and it’s tempting to use likes and follows as a type of “scoreboard.” It’s best to set key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure your performance and highlight problematic areas. For Instagram branding, KPIs are often targeted toward the amount of likes a post gets, comments, follower numbers or hashtag uses—but to be effective, they must be realistic and attainable.
You’ll see brands on Instagram with over a million followers, but that doesn’t mean getting a thousand isn’t a success story. Performance numbers depend on the industry, company and target audience, so try basing your goals on the numbers of similar brands to yours. Look to brands in your industry of a similar size that appeal to your target customer. This doesn’t necessarily need to be your competitors, especially if they have a bigger marketing budget.
Also, pay close attention to growth rates. Having a hundred followers may not be considered a success in itself, but gaining a hundred followers in one day might mean a particular post or campaign was exceptionally successful. You can then figure out why that is and try to replicate it.
4. Use popular types of content
One of the most common questions when branding on Instagram is “What do I post?” Different types of brands will find different types of content successful, depending on their unique style, goals and customers.
Lush Cosmetics’s content is bright and attention-grabbing. Source: via Instagram
That said, there are common types of content that seem to perform well, no matter what style or industry they’re used for.
Artistic photos
Instagram was built for posting aesthetically pleasing photographs and they still generate plenty of likes and interactions. Artistic photos are not a standalone theme, but rather a visual style that can be applied to any industry or content strategy.
Comic strips
Comics can be a great way to showcase a humorous brand voice and work well as multi-image posts for extra engagement. Comics made by your followers do two jobs in one.
Quotes and text
Single-line quotes do well when people agree with the sentiment. For example, motivational quotes work great for a fitness brand, especially when paired with athletic photos.
Gymshark Instagram post using a motivational quote. Source: via Instagram
Make sure the text you use fits your overall Instagram branding—funny one-liners won’t work if your brand is aiming for sentimentality or vice versa.
User-generated content
Posting the work of your followers (with credit, of course) helps develop relationships with your customers and incentivizes them to post more about your brand. For example, to fit its traveling theme, Expedia reposted a user video of their adventures with their dog.
User-generated content by Expedia. Source: via Instagram
If you’re having trouble getting your name out, you can run a contest to award people who post the best content about you. But don’t forget to use a special hashtag for the contest.
Videos
Instagram Stories and Reels allow video content on the platform, which can open up new doors. Videography and editing skills are always welcome but don’t feel limited by inexperience.
Try experimenting with different types of videos to see what resonates with your target audience. You’ll find your Insights analytics especially useful in determining which performed best.
5. Integrate videos with Stories and Reels
If your target audience likes video content, your best choices on Instagram are Stories and Reels. Both are great for building brand awareness and boosting brand engagement. Just like your other content, it’s best to experiment to see what works.
Instagram Stories are like video blogs, where the user typically films themselves doing something or discussing the benefits of a product. They allow businesses to share temporary, engaging content like promotions, polls or quick updates. Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours.
Teva uses Instagram Stories to ask its followers a question. Source: via Instagram
Instagram Reels are a string of short clips created in response to TikTok’s popularity. Reels involve more production like filters, sound effects, text, stickers and editing options.
Instagram Stories and Reels are an ideal opportunity to put a live-action face to your name, so make sure they represent your brand and are consistent with your tone of voice.
6. Pay attention to captions and hashtags
Captions are great for adding context to your photos. Although Instagram allows captions to be 2,200 characters, only the first three lines are visible without tapping “more.” That’s why it’s best to say the most important information in the first two sentences and save the rest for the details and hashtags.
Choosing hashtags is an important Instagram branding decision because they help determine who sees your posts. People often scroll based on hashtags, so using the right ones means people who don’t follow you but share the same values and interests as you see your posts. Therefore hashtags help to attract new, like-minded followers and customers who might have never heard of your brand.
How do you know which hashtags are best for you? Do some trial-and-error searches on Instagram to see what pops up for each hashtag. Don’t just look at how popular each hashtag is but also what kinds of content are used with it.
7. Engage with fans
All social media is a two-way street, which is partly why it’s so useful for businesses. Instagram branding isn’t just about people seeing your content—it’s also about engaging with your followers, audience and customers.
Above all, this means responding to comments. Usually, people will compliment your brand or express interest. Occasionally, they’ll ask a question about your business, giving you a good opportunity to answer publicly.
Away responds to every comment on Instagram. Source: via Instagram
Dealing with criticism and complaints is also important for Instagram branding. Even your supporters will pay close attention to how you deal with trolls, so be sure to handle them smartly and in keeping with your brand identity. Always respond politely vs. retorting with something even more offensive.
8. Work with influencers in your field
You can get a lot of new followers by “piggy-backing” on other more successful accounts, especially when you’re just starting out. Influencer marketing gives you access to thousands of new, like-minded users and a vote of confidence from a trusted source. After all, part of the reason people follow influencers is for their expert recommendations.
Don’t feel intimidated reaching out to influencers—just remember they’re small businesses too. Typically, brands offer influencers a free product or sample and, if they like it, they discuss it on their feed. Remember, influencers are constantly searching for new and undiscovered things to post about, so you could be helping them out.
If you don’t want to invest too much in influencer marketing, try going after smaller or middle-tier influencers. They’ll be more appreciative of free samples and you’ll still get access to new followers.
9. Post at the right times
Like all social media, Instagram has its peak hours and dry times. The best times to post depend on when your type of user is active, not to mention other factors like different time zones and work shifts.
To see which works best for you, experiment by posting at different times, using universal guidelines as a starting point. Hootsuite states the best time to post on Instagram is 11am PST on Wednesday, while Hubspot says 7am to 8am on weekdays. You can find more detailed data online broken down into industries and types of content etc.
10. Consider Instagram ads
If your marketing budget can stretch to it, Instagram ads help boost brand awareness and attract more followers. You can buy Instagram ads in a variety of forms: image ads, video ads, carousel ads and Instagram Stories ads. Instagram ads can work for a variety of different goals, such as general brand awareness, tunneling traffic to a website or even encouraging users to download an app.
One of the best features of Instagram advertising is the ability to hone in on your target audience. Instagram ads let you filter who sees your ads by location, interests, behaviors and demographics. This helps to tailor intricate and focused ad campaigns, making every penny of your ad spend count.
How to set up an Instagram business account
A standard account is fine for personal use, but if you’re using Instagram for branding your business, we recommend switching to a business account.
How to set up an Instagram business account. Source: via Instagram Business
For one thing, a business account makes it easier to buy ads, but there are other benefits as well—a business account helps you reach more people and lets users message you directly. You also get access to Instagram Insights, a useful internal analytics tool that reveals what content works for you.
Luckily, starting an Instagram business account is both easy and free. If you already have a personal Instagram account, just follow these steps:
- Go to your profile.
- Tap on the menu icon. This is your “Settings and activity” menu
- Scroll to the “For professionals” section
- Tap on “Account type and tools”
- Tap on “Switch to professional account”
- Choose the category that best describes your business and click “Done”
- Select “Business” when it asks if you are a creator
- Set up your professional account by growing your audience and showcasing your brand
You can switch back to a personal account at any time by tapping “Switch account type” in the “Business tools and controls” settings.
Instagram branding is all about visuals
Instagram branding success depends on the quality of your content. Consider using design services or professional templates to help create posts that effectively engage your followers.
Instagram branding FAQs
What is Instagram branding and why is it important for small businesses?
Instagram branding involves creating a consistent and recognizable presence on Instagram that reflects your business’s values, voice and visual identity. Branding on Instagram is important for small businesses because it attracts and engages followers, helping convert them into loyal customers.
How can small businesses build their Instagram brand?
Start by finding your target audience and defining your brand identity, including brand colors and tone of voice. Consistently posting quality content, using relevant hashtags and engaging with followers are key steps to building a strong Instagram brand.
What type of content works best for Instagram branding?
High-quality photos, reels and carousel posts perform well on Instagram. Focus on content that aligns with your brand, such as behind-the-scenes glimpses, product highlights and user-generated content to encourage engagement.
How do you use Instagram Stories and Highlights for branding?
Instagram Stories allow businesses to share temporary, engaging content like promotions, polls and updates, while Highlights organizes past stories into permanent categories. Both tools help reinforce branding and provide followers with easy access to important information.
How often should small businesses post on Instagram?
Consistency is more important than frequency. Small businesses should aim to post at least 3-5 times per week, depending on their resources and audience preferences. Using tools like Instagram Insights can help determine the best posting schedule.
