How to Use Instagram for Networking

Sharon — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 20:53:09 +0000

Are you using Instagram to grow your local business?

Instagram is the perfect platform for networking for your local business. If you have a local business, you have probably attended a few local networking groups such as BNI or your local Chamber of Commerce as a way to connect with other business owners in your community. However, while these groups can be effective, they are not the only way to network with local businesses and turn them into a source of referrals for you.

Instagram is a fantastic, free way to find and connect local businesses in your area that complement your own services. It is a great way to collaborate and to give and receive referrals. But where do you begin? We will show you how to use Instagram for business networking.

1. Who is your target audience?

Every business should know who their target audience is. If you answer the question, “Who is your target audience?” with, “Everyone” you need to take some time to more clearly identify and understand your niche. Defining your target audience is essential for any business. Once you have a clearer idea of who you serve, then it is easier to move onto the next step of finding business who could be a source of referrals for you.

2. Make a list of business types

Now you have your target audience defined, the next step is to make a list of all the types of business that complement yours. Let’s use a nutritionist as an example. The target audience for the nutritionist in our example is women who are trying to conceive. What other business or services could our nutritionist collaborate with?

Fertility clinics
Fertility Doctors
Health Food Stores
Yoga teachers (in particular ones who work with women both pre- and postnatal)
Personal Trainers (ones who work with women during their pregnancy or postnatal)

That is a good place to start. Now move onto Step 3.

Step 3. Reach out and connect

After you have made your list, search for these types of business on Google. Use “near me” in your search or search using zip codes. Find the website of these different kinds of services and look for their social media profiles to find their Instagram accounts. Follow them on Instagram. And then reach out to them. It starts with liking and commenting on their posts (and make sure they are genuine comments, not just a bunch of emojis). As you start to do that, you will see these businesses follow you back. Continue to interact with them. Share their posts in your IG stories, tag them in your posts. And then you can start a conversation with them. Send them a DM (direct message) and ask more information about their services. In our example, the nutritionist for women trying to conceive could reach out to a yoga teacher and say that they want to know more about their services so that they can recommend them. Perhaps ask them to create a short video for your IG Stories where they offer a health tip.

Creating these online local connections is a great way to boost your followers and pave the way for potential referrals and collaborations. It is a win-win situation.

The post How to Use Instagram for Networking appeared first on Kastor Digital .

Four reasons why creating new content is essential

Sharon — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 10:31:26 +0000

Four Reasons Why Creating New Content is Essential

Would you rather go to the dentist than write a blog post? Do you add “write new blog” to your to-do list every week but never get around to crossing it off your list? I get it. Unless your business IS about making content, most business owners don’t have the time to create new content for their website and social media on a regular basis. As a business owner, your skills lie elsewhere. However, unless you are paying for expensive ad campaigns, generating new content is the only way to build your business and generate new clients practically for free. Why do you need to keep adding new content to your website? Think of it from Google’s point of view. Google wants to provide the most relevant answers to search queries. If your content hasn’t been dusted off from the time your first created your website, chances are that it won’t rank very highly. Adding a continuous stream of content to your website, lets Google know that you are alive and working in or on your business. Which means that your content is up-to-date and relevant to what someone is searching for. Here are the four reasons why creating new content is essential:

You improve your search engine rankings and placement in organic searches
It helps drive traffic to your website
Your social media following grows because by creating new content you are giving people a REASON to follow you
New content can lead to new leads for your business.

As a smart business owner, you know that content is still the single most important way to build a list and generate new clients. If you are ready to invest in scaling your business, let’s talk.

The post Four reasons why creating new content is essential appeared first on Kastor Digital .