This past June my debut young adult novel “Genesis Girl” was published by Month9Books. The sequel “Damaged Goods” comes out next year. Along the way, I’ve learned a ton about marketing. This month I’ll share that experience as part of Sno-Isle Library’s “Write Now” program which is free to the public. My presentation is “Book Marketing from your Couch,” and you can find me at the Freeland Library on Whidbey Island on Nov. 14 and at the Monroe Library on Nov. 15.
It occurred to me while crafting my presentation that some of the tips I’ve learned don’t only apply to authors, but could also be useful in promoting a small business. Instagram is a great example. You don’t need to hire a full-time social media maven to reach new customers on Instagram. All you need to know are my down and dirty Instagram tricks.
Let’s take the fictitious example of “Happy Grind Coffee Shop in Marysville.” If I were the owner of Happy Grind Coffee, my goal would be to interact with local consumers and have as many of them follow me on Instagram as possible. I’d want those customers to feel like they had a personal relationship with my business.
Step one would be to take a bunch of high-quality coffee photos. Hiring a photographer would be great if I had the cash, but the camera on my phone would work fine too. I’d download the app Afterlight to make every photo pop.
Posting one new photo a day is all it takes to build up a quality Instagram feed. I would tag my location in every picture so people in Marysville could find Happy Grind. I’d also use as many hashtags as possible because these are keys to conversations: #Coffee #BooksandCoffee #LatteLove #CoffeeShop #PumpkinSpice and more.
Step two would be to use the spy glass on Instagram to search for other people tagging Marysville in their photos. Bingo! Potential customers found! My new daily habit would be to “heart” every photo that was location-tagged Marysville.
Step three would be to spend a few weeks following all those accounts that tagged Marysville in their photos.
Following an account is like tapping that person on the shoulder. “Happy Grind Coffee Shop says hi!” When someone follows your profile back, it’s important to give their account lots of hearts and a couple of comments. That establishes a relationship between you and your potential customer.
Instagram lets you follow 7,500 accounts. Use that to your advantage, but don’t let your brand get bogged down by following people who don’t follow you back. After a week or two, use an app like Crowdfire to find your non-followers. Unfollow those accounts that aren’t interested in you, and then start the whole process over. If everything I shared sounds like gibberish, ask a teenager for a basic Instagram tutorial. But I promise, Instagram isn’t that hard to learn. All you need is your phone and persistence.
Find Jennifer Bardsley online on Instagram @the_ya_gal, Twitter @jennbardsley or at teachingmybabytoread.com.
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