Instagram for brick-and-mortar businesses: Attracting foot traffic
Today, Instagram has more than 1 billion users and continues to grow. This is a vast pool of potential customers that you just can’t afford to miss. But how do you turn your online followers into walk-in customers for your store? From geotagging to doing local campaigns, there are various ways to bring more people into your brick-and-mortar business. The advantage of these online campaigns is that they don’t just bring in more customers but also increase your page following. So whether you want to get 50 free Instagram followers or increase them by a thousand, read on as we analyze some of the potential strategies you can use.
Mention the location in your bio
The first step to getting any customer through the door is making sure they can find you. Your address should be included in your Instagram bio in addition to the other details, such as your website and services. Moreover, these details should include your opening hours and days so clients know when to drop by. Finally, make things easier for your potential customers by hyperlinking the listed address to lead customers to Google Maps so they can use it to navigate to your location.
Geotag your Instagram feed and use local hashtags
Tagging your reels and posts with your business location is a great way to remind people that your business is located nearby. Additionally, it allows Instagram to show your location pages in search results, making it easier for customers to find you.
You will also need to research and find out some of the local hashtags people type when searching for content related to your business. Adding these hashtags to your posts or ads will make them visible and allow more customers to see you even when searching for entertainment content. Remember, the more they see you in search results, the likelier they will follow your page or save a post for future reference if they need those services.
Collaborate with local influencers
Influencers, especially nano- and micro-influencers, are great for promoting localized content. Nano influencers have 1k-10k followers, while micro-influencers are those whose followers range between 10k-100k. Your local influencers can get your products or services seen and popularize them by showcasing themselves using them.
This type of brand promotion works best when the influencers are seen visiting your location to enjoy what you sell or offer. You can take it a notch higher by advertising days when they will appear in your store so people show up that day for a meet and greet.
Give in-store offers and discounts
This strategy has been used for as long as ads have existed, and guess what? It still works! People love feeling like they are saving on a purchase or are getting a freebie in return for buying something. You can get more traffic to your business by having exclusive discounts for in-person purchases. Ensure you mention this in your promotion posts and include it in your profile bio.
Have a CTA button
Instagram allows you to set an action button that can give your potential clients the option of booking an appointment, setting a reservation, and ordering a delivery, among others. An action button gives customers the chance to take the first step towards completing a sale, which increases the chances of them completing the process of booking a service from you or buying something.
In conclusion, marketing your brick-and-mortar business on Instagram is about getting it seen by posting high-quality content and ensuring your customers know where it’s located by including the address. At the end of the day, content is king, so don’t compromise on the quality of your posts.
