2 Ways Instagram Can Work for Your Agency

Do you know enough about Instagram to know if your insurance agency should be using it? With 150 million people around the world (40% of them in the U.S.) and 25% of the Fortune 500 using Instagram, it’s worth your time to make an educated decision about how your agency can benefit.

Instagram is an app on your smartphone that lets you take pictures with your phone, add interesting effects to the photo, and share it with people.  You can take any photo and make it look like you took it in 1976 or that you used a professional camera.  The ease of sharing the photo lets people give their friends – and often people around the world – small glimpses into their experiences.

Why would you want a glimpse into someone’s life? It may be for entertainment – you can follow LeBron James (@KingJames) and see things from his perspective.  It may be for inspiration – from your favorite author, business leader or motivational speaker. It might simply be to follow your daughter’s pictures of your new grandson.  Whatever the reason, Instagram has become mainstream, with media outlets and brands jumping in to share and view.

Instagram matters to your business because it matters for many of your customers and prospects.  At a minimum, understand that this is a popular way for people of all ages to tell other people about their lives. You also have the opportunity to put Instagram to work for your agency.

2 Ways Instagram Can Work for Your Agency:

1. Showing Your Agency’s Story.  Visuals – especially real photos – are more engaging than other types of content shared on the web. Capturing and sharing a photo lets you show people what you’re thinking, doing or saying, rather than simply telling them in words. Instagram makes this easy, by allowing you to turn photos you capture on your smartphone into content you can share quickly.  Share images of your team, your office and your community activities. Post a picture that goes along with a tip your customers need. 
2. Connecting with Your Audience.  Are your customers using Instagram? What about prospective customers, especially those in your community? If you have a client who owns a local pizza shop, they may already be using Instagram to run promotions and entice people with mouth-watering pictures of their pizzas. If your agency uses Instagram, you can be part of this, helping to spread the word and show your support for a client. 

If you think Instagram may be right for your agency, take a look at the resources below.

5 Ways to Conquer Instagram for Your Small Business from Social Media Today

26 Tips for Using Instagram for Business from Social Media Examiner