Top 10 Ways to Grow Your Small Business With Instagram

Develop a cohesive aesthetic that mirrors your brand’s personality. Think of brands like Aesop Skincare or Glossier, which use consistent colors and photo styles to stand out. For example, Aesop uses minimalistic designs and muted colors that reinforce their sophisticated, high-quality brand.

High-quality visuals are non-negotiable. If you’re a bakery, let your gooey brownies or delicate macarons shine with natural lighting and creative angles. Magnolia Bakery in New York is a prime example, posting high-resolution images of their cupcakes that make them irresistible.

Share the story behind your business to connect with your audience. For example, a local coffee shop could post about the journey of their beans from farm to cup, like how Stumptown Coffee tells their story through posts about the farmers they work with.

Choose a username that’s simple and easy to remember, like @TheSucculentShop. A clean, concise username helps people easily find you.

Your bio should act as a mini billboard, clearly stating what you offer. For instance: “Handmade candles with a modern twist 🕯️.” Don’t forget to include an emoji or two to make it more personable.

Don’t forget a clickable CTA link—tools like Linktree let you share multiple links in one place. For example, @Soma uses Linktree to offer links to product pages, blog posts, and sales.

Mix it up with photos, videos, Reels, and Stories. Brands like Nike excel at balancing polished campaigns with raw, authentic moments. For example, Nike’s Reels featuring athletes showcasing their gear tend to perform well and engage their audience.

Hop on trending content formats like Reels. A florist, for example, can post quick snippets of bouquet arrangements paired with soothing music, just like Floret Flowers does to showcase their beautiful floral arrangements.

Offer value through your posts. A skincare brand could share tips like “How to Build a Morning Routine for Glowing Skin” or, like The Ordinary, explain the benefits of certain ingredients.

Research smartly. For example, a boutique could combine popular hashtags like #OOTD with niche-specific tags like #EthicalFashion. Toms Shoes uses hashtags effectively to promote their shoes and charitable causes, reaching both broad and specific audiences.

Create a branded hashtag for your business, like #JohnsBakeryBites, to build a sense of community around your brand.

Use a mix of hashtags without going overboard—think quality over quantity. Too many hashtags can look spammy. Stick to around 10–15 that are relevant to your brand.

Respond to comments and DMs promptly to show your followers they matter. Brands like JetPens are known for interacting with their customers in real time, making them feel valued.

Spark conversations by asking questions in your captions. For instance, a travel agency could post, “What’s the most memorable trip you’ve ever taken?”

Collaborate with influencers or other businesses in your niche. A yoga studio, for example, could team up with a local juice bar for a joint event or giveaway, just as GoPro collaborates with adventure influencers to promote their cameras.

Define your goals before running ads—whether it’s driving sales, increasing website traffic, or growing your follower base. Drizly, an alcohol delivery service, does this excellently by running targeted ads aimed at young adults in major cities.

Experiment with formats like carousel ads to showcase multiple products or Stories ads to grab attention with bold visuals. Warby Parker uses carousel ads to show their different eyeglass styles.

Target your ideal audience. For example, a baby clothing store could focus on young parents in urban areas using Instagram’s powerful targeting options.

Tag products in posts and Stories to make it easy for users to shop. A jewelry store, for instance, can tag a necklace in a photo, directing users straight to the product. ASOS has a shoppable Instagram feed with tagged items for easy purchasing.

Set up a shoppable feed that keeps your products front and center. Brands like H&M and Zara do this effectively, helping customers shop right from their Instagram feed.

Use Instagram Highlights to showcase collections, seasonal offers, or gift guides, like Sephora does to highlight beauty collections.

Jump on trending sounds and challenges to create engaging videos. A bakery could share a Reel of a cake being frosted to the beat of a popular song. Chobani uses Reels to show how their yogurt is incorporated into fun recipes.

Show your personality. A pet store could share funny pet moments or quick training tips, much like BarkBox uses Reels to show hilarious unboxings of their pet subscription boxes.

Collaborate with influencers or creators to expand your reach. A fashion brand like Fashion Nova has mastered this, partnering with influencers to expand their audience base.

Make it simple for participants. For instance, a spa could run a contest asking users to “Follow, like this post, and tag two friends for a chance to win a free facial.” Glossier frequently runs giveaways with specific rules that drive engagement.

Offer prizes that resonate with your audience. A bookstore could give away a signed copy of a bestselling novel.

Partner with complementary brands for more exposure. A coffee shop and a bakery could team up for a breakfast-themed giveaway.

Track key metrics like impressions, reach, and engagement rates to understand what works best. Coca-Cola uses insights to tailor content to their audience’s interests and boost engagement.

Identify patterns in your top-performing content and double down on those strategies.

Continuously tweak your approach based on data-driven insights to stay ahead of the curve.

Show Your Brand: Post content that reflects your style and business vibe. Keep it consistent!

Share Great Content: Share high-quality photos and videos that show your products. People love seeing real, authentic moments.

Use Hashtags: Pick hashtags that match your business so more people can find you.

Talk to Your Followers: Reply to comments and messages. It shows you care!

Use Instagram Ads: Ads help you reach new people outside your followers.

Post Often: Aim for regular posts. Stay active!

Engage with Others: Like and comment on other posts. It gets you noticed.

Run Contests: Give away a prize and ask people to tag friends.

Team Up with Influencers: Work with influencers to reach more people.

Use Hashtags: Add hashtags to make your posts easier to find.

Content: Post fun, useful stuff that fits your business.

Community: Respond to comments and connect with your followers.

Consistency: Post often and stay active.

Post at the Right Time: Share your posts when your audience is online.

Use Stories and Reels: These features help you get noticed.

Partner with Others: Team up with influencers to reach new people.

Ask for User Content: Encourage followers to tag you and share their experiences.

Try Ads: Instagram ads target specific people who might love your business.

Challenge: A small bakery wanted to attract more local customers but wasn’t getting noticed on Instagram.

Optimized their Instagram profile to make it eye-catching and easy to navigate.

Posted behind-the-scenes baking content and daily specials to create excitement.

Ran targeted Instagram ads focused on their local community.

Used popular food and local hashtags to get in front of more people.

Challenge: A boutique struggled to convert Instagram followers into sales.

Set up Instagram Shopping so people could easily shop directly from posts.

Partnered with local influencers to reach more people and gain credibility.

Shared photos of new collections, tagging products and using trending hashtags.

Instagram helps you build strong relationships with your audience.

The right strategies can boost your visibility and engagement.

Be consistent and creative to stand out and grow your following.

Gaining trust from your followers can lead to more sales and growth.