Instagram for the home business owner

Today we have a perfect example of how our guest bloggers add so much value to the blog.

Entrepreneur George Meszaros shares some tips on how the home business owner can get the most out of Instagram.

It’s a subject that’s very timely for me (as you can see from this photo!) and I hope you’ll find it useful too.

One of the most overlooked marketing avenues for the home business owner is Instagram. It may seem that a photo sharing site that forbids hot-linking would be a dead end but Instagram is actually a powerful new way to connect with customers.

Business is built on relationships and there are not many better ways to build a relationship than through photos. Here are some guidelines for using Instagram to build your customer base:

Don’t be pushy
Everyone expects to see marketing messages on social networks, but that doesn’t mean you should go overboard. If you are constantly posting nothing but not-so-cleverly disguised ads, your follower list will stay empty

Be sincere
Most Instagram users are far more interested in seeing your kids or your dog than your new product line. Instagram is about making your customers see the human side of your business.

Your photos should portray an enthusiastic home business owner who wants to share his life and love with the world. It shouldn’t portray a slick salesman with a fake smile who is always trying to sell you something.

Beef up your profile
If I had a dollar for every home business owner’s profile page that was as barren as the Mojave, I could retire in style. The profile page is what sets the good guys apart from the spammers and backlink builders. Interesting and honest information on your profile will prove that you are a legitimate user of the service.

Be active
You don’t have to post a new photo every twenty minutes like a teenager, but you should strive to update your account at least 3 times a week. The more pictures you post on Instagram, the more opportunities there are for people to find you. Once you have their interest and they take a peek at your well-written profile, you just might have a new customer.

Don’t be offensive
Save the political rants for someplace else. While you certainly have the right to voice your opinions anywhere you please, every person you offend is another lost customer. Unless you are marketing edgy material to a particular type of audience, try to be non-partisan on Instagram.

Be original
Reposting and sharing other people’s photos is the lazy man’s way to Instagram. Post only original stuff that you created. It’s okay to doctor it up or add a funny or informative caption. Ideally, people will see your stuff and share it instead of the other way around.

Be creative
Instagram has millions of users logging on every single day. They don’t want to see snapshots, unfocused portraits, or poorly framed pictures. The great thing about digital cameras is that you can take as many pictures as you want with no extra cost.

Take a lot of pictures until you get one that is just right. Experiment with different lighting and angles. Moving a camera a few inches to the left or right, front or back, can make a world of difference.

Instagram is an interesting and fun place. By creating an active account that portrays you as a real person first and home business owner second, you can open up a whole new marketing channel that can bring in new customers from all over the world.

George Meszaros is a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of Success Harbor, which documents the entrepreneurial journey through interviews, original research, and unique content. He is also co-founder of Webene, a web design and marketing firm.