Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms around the world, so using it as a brand portfolio is an excellent way to publicize and promote products or services and thereby stimulate the emotional side of users.
Useful content according to your theme
For example, people who own a fashion store should have different outfits to promote. Content must be useful for the user so it is recommended to keep that in mind when developing ideas for their brand porfotlio posts.
That same fashion store can publish outfit ideas, tips to combine the clothes with accessories, or season colors that go well with different skin tones.
Another example should be a higher education institution focused on raising awareness and attracting new students that could use competitions, alumni stories, and campus life as its main content topics.
Quality photographs with a unique style
Instagram is all about visual effects, as all images must be consistent with the content ideas previously defined and should take into account those points to communicate a message to the user.
A social media report from WebDAM found that 60 percent of top Instagram brands use the same filter for each post. Using the same filters over and over can set a style that will become recognizable to the followers. This method is useful since the goal is to get Instagram users to stop scrolling once they see the brand’s post.
Uber Eats is a good example, because they always use the same color palette and have a clearly defined style. This makes users unconsciously associate the images with characteristics of the brand.
Editing apps like VSCOcam can provide additional filters or editing options to help brands to find their style and export it directly on Instagram.
Another very useful application is Planoly, which allows for accommodating and even scheduling photos before publishing them. This will help you get an idea of how the whole profile will look with all the photos published.
A caption with a message consistent with the photograph
A brand or personal brand should always have a unique voice that goes according to its personality.
Copy is very useful, as it is the final step to put an appropriate message in the content. Before publishing, brands should ask themselves: Is the language formal or informal? Do I need to use emojis? What do I want to suggest? What hashtags I should use?
Frequent publications
Posting a brands portfolio have to maintain a regular publication schedule, knowing the hours when they have more traffic on their site.
The smartest way to find out what works best for their business is testing messages at different times, and then tracking the results. Once the best cadence has been discovered, a shared content calendar is the best way to track what is going to be published and when.
Commitment guidelines
These guidelines should cover how and when the business interacts with other Instagram accounts.
They must be very clear with the image the brand wants to project, so before interacting on other people’s photos, they must consider if it goes according to their personality.
Photos and videos for a brand portfolio
You can add up to 10 photos and videos in a single Instagram post for your brand portfolio, giving users the opportunity to swipe through and see each piece of content. These options offer companies a way to combine them to tell stories and convey information in a very attractive way.
Creative stories
Stories have quickly accumulated 250 million daily users, and there is no shortage of companies to use them.
Disappearing content and features of live broadcasting turn Instagram stories into the perfect vehicle for companies to take creative risks and create photos and videos. It is an opportunity to show more about company work.
Collaborate with influential people
It is important to identify influential people on Instagram that are relevant to the brand or industry and then start building a relationship with them.
Some brands give them control of their account for a day or a short period of time and even sponsor some content in their own account. This could have big results as they expose the brand to their large Instagram community which will generate value to the work of the portfolio.
Drive business results with Instagram ads
Only if it’s necessary. Social media ads have proven to be an effective way to generate new business, and Instagram ads are no exception.
Whether if the goal is to create attention to your brand portfolio, get more visits to your website or increase downloads of your mobile application, Instagram ads can help you to access a huge committed audience.