Effective Instagram Marketing

[Melanie.]

HI everyone

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with Instagram marketing?

I am new to it and a bit out of the loop. Are there any good programs where you can access videos for reels that have a creative commons license?

Like for example, on Pixabay you can type in a word and it will bring up related stock photos for free? So that, but for short videos?

I want to start creating relevant content to reach a different demographic but I'm worried about the copyright implications of using music and videos that I don't own.

Also, is there much of a small business community on there? Because my business is B2B only but I thought it might help me reach a younger, more tech oriented audience?

Thanks so much,

Melanie

 

[Shopclicks]

I want to start creating relevant content to reach a different demographic but I'm worried about the copyright implications of using music and videos that I don't own.

Why don't you want to make your own videos?

 

[Melanie.]

I'm not sure? Maybe a lack of confidence?

Also, I'd like them to be from the perspective of the customer (warehousing, pick and packing etc) rather than from my side which is more office based. We do have a warehouse I could use, but it's a bit messy!

Maybe I could do like a photo montage instead?

Really I'm a complete beginner I just don't know where to begin and most of the youtube videos have salesy/affiliate undertones so I never know which information to trust.

 

[Shopclicks]

Are you trying to create demand for the products or pick up more B2B clients? Or both?

What action do you want people to take after watching one of your videos? Brand awareness or sales?

You won't get anywhere on Instagram unless you're telling your own story.

 

[Ozzy]

Do you have a budget for someone to come in and help you with this if you're not sure what to do? Basically, a bit of a marketing budget.

Have a look at what some of your competitors are doing, you only need a small area set aside. An example would be to look at these people on TikTok, same principle in my mind : https://www.tiktok.com/@npctoy1

 

[Melanie.]

Are you trying to create demand for the products or pick up more B2B clients? Or both?

What action do you want people to take after watching one of your videos? Brand awareness or sales?

You won't get anywhere on Instagram unless you're telling your own story.

Mostly brand awareness as we've switched up what we're offering to make it more accessible to a wider range of people. I plan to do some case study kind of marketing later down the line where our customers tell their stories.

Mostly I want to make sure people know our software can be used no matter how small your business is as I think there's a general assumption that its only applicable to people who send a minimum volume of parcels or who have a collection through us, but that's not the case.

Our main marketing is based around how we are there for the little guy and we genuinely want to help make your business more efficient (especially in tough times so you can focus on what's important). We want to help small businesses save time and money, and grow with them.

I have a solid understanding of how to communicate this on other platforms; it's just Instagram specifically I'm a bit stuck with.

 

[fisicx]

Are people looking for software like your on instagram?

Are your competitors using instagram? If so, do they get much engagement?

 

[Melanie.]

Thank you - these questions are helpful for me to have a think about.

My budget is 3k per month (or £100 a day which is mostly allocated to PPC advertising) and I just want to try and capitalise on whatever free exposure I can get so I'm trying to build up my social media presence.

 

[Melanie.]

One of the reasons I wanted to use instagram initially is because my competitors (eg - Shipstation) don't utilise it to its full potential and I think they might be missing an opportunity....I thought it would be inspiring for small businesses to see other businesses picking and packing their orders ready for shipment (like on TikTok)....

Maybe I am on the wrong track?

Thanks guys this has been helpful and given me some food for thought.

 

[fisicx]

This is only going to work if people are looking on instagram for the software or services you offer.

Do small businesses spend time on instagram looking at stories about picking and packing? I’d have thought they will be too busy doing their own picking and packing.

 

[Shopclicks]

Have a look at what some of your competitors are doing, you only need a small area set aside. An example would be to look at these people on TikTok, same principle in my mind : https://www.tiktok.com/@npctoy1

@Ozzy 's example is ideal to show how you don't need to show a face or even speak to camera to get your story across.

You don't even need to edit your videos (add sound effects, music, etc.) Raw footage in short form video is fine. You can video your processes and showcase how your software works and who uses it. Of course if you take the time to edit and enhance your videos it may help your reach but there's no rulebook on this.

The reach on reels is generally far greater than standard posts. If you're not using reels, you're not going to get anywhere near the attention you could. I have a client who's just started his SM pages. He has 119 followers on Facebook but his reels can get 2500 views without spending money. All he does is document his day. No face, no voiceover but he's just learned how to add text over.

On Instagram, you need to optimise your bio, posts and reels. For brand awareness, there's really nothing like organic reach on SM and if you have the budget, that reach can be expanded at probably the cheapest advertising rate around.

 

[fisicx]

As an aside @Melanie. after looking at your website I was confused about what you actually do. Initially I thought you were just a courier service but then a collection and delivery interface and then some sort of warehouse integration. Might be worth revisiting the site as you could be losing a load of custom because of confusion.

 

[Shopclicks]

This is only going to work if people are looking on instagram for the software or services you offer.

Everybody except you has an Instagram account G

This is about brand awareness. If you're not showing off what you do, you're not in the mix. It doesn't matter if Joe Bloggs isn't interested in what you do, Mary Bloggs may have just found a solution to problem she's had. And she wouldn't have found it if @Melanie. hadn't posted a reel that showcased the solution.

 

[Melanie.]

As an aside @Melanie. after looking at your website I was confused about what you actually do. Initially I thought you were just a courier service but then a collection and delivery interface and then some sort of warehouse integration. Might be worth revisiting the site as you could be losing a load of custom because of confusion.

The website is really confused - it's being rebuilt as we speak I'm not actively marketing anything until its finished so I'm just trying to get all my ducks in a row ready for launch

 

[Melanie.]

Everybody except you has an Instagram account G

This is about brand awareness. If you're not showing off what you do, you're not in the mix. It doesn't matter if Joe Bloggs isn't interested in what you do, Mary Bloggs may have just found a solution to problem she's had. And she wouldn't have found it if @Melanie. hadn't posted a reel that showcased the solution.

Yeah so a lot of our potential clients are aware they have a problem but they don't know there's a solution available - that's who we're trying to get - the people who are growing faster than they can keep up with. Maybe they started their business on the side and it gained traction and they're on the cusp of being able to do it full time, or maybe Covid propelled them from retail only into e-commerce territory? Just people who assume their business is too small to take advantage of multi channel multi carrier software. Shipstation, Cloud Commerce etc are very corporate - we started from nothing 12 years ago and we've evolved and changed over time, so I really want to capture the essence of that in my marketing efforts.

 

[Melanie.]

@Ozzy 's example is ideal to show how you don't need to show a face or even speak to camera to get your story across.

You don't even need to edit your videos (add sound effects, music, etc.) Raw footage in short form video is fine. You can video your processes and showcase how your software works and who uses it. Of course if you take the time to edit and enhance your videos it may help your reach but there's no rulebook on this.

The reach on reels is generally far greater than standard posts. If you're not using reels, you're not going to get anywhere near the attention you could. I have a client who's just started his SM pages. He has 119 followers on Facebook but his reels can get 2500 views without spending money. All he does is document his day. No face, no voiceover but he's just learned how to add text over.

On Instagram, you need to optimise your bio, posts and reels. For brand awareness, there's really nothing like organic reach on SM and if you have the budget, that reach can be expanded at probably the cheapest advertising rate around.

thanks for the stats that's good to know! I think its largely a confidence issue - I am very shy but I'm proud of what we do here and I want that to shine through.

Documenting my day with text overlay is a good start for me. I could also do one from Sales, Claims, Ops, Customer Service etc so it shows all of our team working together to create a whole.

One of my colleagues is going to do a couple of mini podcasts (but recorded visually) answering questions that small businesses commonly have so I plan to get little snippets of these too, to add into the mix. He has the knack of speaking confidently but authentically to an audience and i think it will boost our engagement.

I'm right at the start of the content creation and it just feels a bit overwhelming because what works for one sm platform sometimes doesn't translate to the other.

It took me a long time to even join these forums but I'm really glad I did as I'm finding all this stuff super helpful.

Thank you.

 

[Melanie.]

This is only going to work if people are looking on instagram for the software or services you offer.

Do small businesses spend time on instagram looking at stories about picking and packing? I’d have thought they will be too busy doing their own picking and packing.

Yeah so this is part of the problem. Our demographic is so busy doing order fulfilment i feel like i'm gonna have to really be omnipresent to reach them because they just don't have the time to scroll social media. But then, I think I'm in the minority, in that I just don't use SM at all... and even those who don't have personal accounts I assume will use it for business so I'm gonna try and engage across all the platforms, see which work best and then concentrate the majority of my efforts on those.

 

[amyjones]

HI everyone

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with Instagram marketing?

I am new to it and a bit out of the loop. Are there any good programs where you can access videos for reels that have a creative commons license?

Like for example, on Pixabay you can type in a word and it will bring up related stock photos for free? So that, but for short videos?

I want to start creating relevant content to reach a different demographic but I'm worried about the copyright implications of using music and videos that I don't own.

Also, is there much of a small business community on there? Because my business is B2B only but I thought it might help me reach a younger, more tech oriented audience?

Thanks so much,

Melanie

So you want templates for making your own videos? There are some great online services out there that provide access to video templates which you can customize and use for various purposes. Many of them have a free version but you can also pay for a premium subscription if you need more features.

If you are looking specifically for videos with a Creative Commons license, then websites such as Youtube, Vimeo, or Flickr should be able to provide you with a selection of videos and music that are free to use. However, it is important to remember that while Creative Commons licensed materials may be free for you to use, there can still be copyright implications attached. Make sure you read the terms and conditions of any material before using it in your own content.

 

[Shopclicks]

Documenting my day with text overlay is a good start for me. I could also do one from Sales, Claims, Ops, Customer Service etc so it shows all of our team working together to create a whole.

Here's what may seem like the daunting part ...

I'll just talk about Instagram as that's what you asked about. Instagram does not show all of your posts to all of your followers. That's how they make money.

People see your posts in their own feed in amongst hundreds of other posts. The key to brand awareness on SM is frequency. If you posted both posts and reels 6 times a day it wouldn't be too many. You don't need followers, you need people to click through to your website.

Posting once a day is a waste of time if you want new people who need what you do to find you. It's very much a commitment to organic reach or pay for Instagram Ads.

Optimising your posts will get them in front of more people but the more you post, the more attention you'll get.

 

[Melanie.]

Here's what may seem like the daunting part ...

I'll just talk about Instagram as that's what you asked about. Instagram does not show all of your posts to all of your followers. That's how they make money.

People see your posts in their own feed in amongst hundreds of other posts. The key to brand awareness on SM is frequency. If you posted both posts and reels 6 times a day it wouldn't be too many. You don't need followers, you need people to click through to your website.

Posting once a day is a waste of time if you want new people who need what you do to find you. It's very much a commitment to organic reach or pay for Instagram Ads.

Optimising your posts will get them in front of more people but the more you post, the more attention you'll get.

That's excellent - thank you so much. I will create each reel as a standalone piece and keep in mind that volume is the key.

Lots of moving parts at the moment but I feel a lot clearer in my head about where I'm going.

 

[Melanie.]

So you want templates for making your own videos? There are some great online services out there that provide access to video templates which you can customize and use for various purposes. Many of them have a free version but you can also pay for a premium subscription if you need more features.

If you are looking specifically for videos with a Creative Commons license, then websites such as Youtube, Vimeo, or Flickr should be able to provide you with a selection of videos and music that are free to use. However, it is important to remember that while Creative Commons licensed materials may be free for you to use, there can still be copyright implications attached. Make sure you read the terms and conditions of any material before using it in your own content.

Thanks @amyjones - this was my original question - I went a bit off track with it

 

[Melanie.]

yes, there are several video websites where you can find creative commons licensed videos for your reels. Here are a few popular options:

• Pixabay
• Pexels
• Videvo
• Artgrid
• StockFootage

You can also find creative commons licensed music on websites like Free Music Archive and Jamendo.

When using creative commons licensed content, be sure to read the license carefully to understand what you are allowed to do with it. For example, some licenses may require you to credit the creator of the content, while others may prohibit you from using the content for commercial purposes.

There is a small business community on Instagram, but it is not as large as the consumer community. However, it is still possible to reach a younger, more tech-oriented audience on Instagram by creating relevant content and using relevant hashtags.

Thank you - I have found some good stuff on Pexels and the licensing rules are very easy to understand.