I’m going to let you in on a little secret – social media can be difficult. Not as hard as say, hunting on high-pressured public land, but it is difficult to pull off when your business is being dragged in multiple directions. And COVID-19 is not helping matters. I’ve been chatting with folks who operate single storefronts on how to manage their social media. The first question they ask me is usually, “Do we need to be on X, Y and Z social platform?” I always answer, “No.” You don’t HAVE to be on every social platform. You don’t have to learn TikTok, or even Instagram’s new Reels. You don’t have to do videos. But you should try to learn as much as you can about ONE thing and master that one thing before moving on to another platform.
That “one thing” I tell people to learn the most about is Instagram. I find it is the one platform with the most potential for our industry. It offers a variety of methods to post – from video to live events to multiple photos to stories. In fact, you can connect your Instagram account to your Facebook account and everything you post on Instagram will automatically post on Facebook. (This works if you have a Business Account with Instagram, which everyone reading this definitely should have a Business Account.)
Instagram is the platform I spend the most time on learning about and trying new methods for my clients. I get the most ROI from my time spend on Instagram, versus the other platforms. With that said, I recently attended an online class on Instagram growth methods and a few things resonated with me that I’d like to share with you all.
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I’ve heard of the Instagram name (not your Instagram username, but your name right under your photo) is searchable, but didn’t pay too much attention to it since all my clients use their real names for handles and bios. But this growth webinar gave me pause to consider options. For one, if your handle is already Bob’s Archery Shop, then consider having your name be what people are searching for you in your area – such as “Indiana’s Number One Archery Store & Lessons” or “Rapid City’s Best Archery Indoor Range, Pro Shop.” In both examples, you have the location and keywords utilized that people could be searching for on Instagram.
Right above your Instagram name is your photo. Is it a brand/company logo? Or is it of you? How close of a photo is it? Too far away of a shot and people can’t tell who it is. Keep a nice background and take a close up shot of you, your team or your store. And if you can, add a pop of color to the background to catch the attention of potential followers.
Now we can get into your bio. According to this webinar, they said people take seven seconds to look at your bio and decide if they want to follow you. I’m not sure where they got that data – but it makes sense to what actions I personally take when looking at accounts. Take a hard look at your bio – what are you telling people? What are you offering? What do you help with/what problems do you solve? What expertise do you have? For example “Offers full line of XYZ products (maybe a specific bow name here?), indoor range, leagues, store, lessons for all levels. Award winning sales team. See link for hours, directions”
A quick review of archery stores on Instagram and I’m seeing a lot of misses when it comes to the bio. Some are posting their store address when Instagram automatically lists it for them anyway – so that double entry is eating up precious text in the bio they could be using to sell to a follower. Some stores are vague on what they offer, which is then asking the user to click on the website to learn more. Will they click on the link to dive deeper if you aren’t offering UP FRONT what they need? Highly unlikely. Don’t make people work to follow you. Make it easy.
Most misses on Instagram stem from not putting in the time and effort to utilize what is already there for the taking. What I’m sharing with you is not rocket science and it didn’t cost you any money. Will you follow through? So with that said, here’s your homework:
1. Identify who you want to help. This requires you getting VERY specific. Niche it down. (too many peoples on Instagram think they are good at everything. You aren't. I'm sorry)
2. Clarify your message to followers on your bio.
3. Change to a business account if not already.
4. If you have multiple links, use https://linktr.ee They offer a free and a paid version.
5. Work on your profile photo.
6. Maximize the name field.
If you want me to review your name/bio on your Instagram account (complimentary), feel free to reach out michelle (at) bulletproofcomm (dot) comm.
-- Michelle Scheuermann, editor, Archery Wire