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7.0 Instagram 7.1 Introduction Instagramhasdevelopedintooneofthemosteffectivebrand-buildingtoolsofourtime,notedas“thesinglemostimportantsocialnetwork”amongAmericanteens(LePage,2015).HavingastrongInstagrampresencecangreatlypromoteyourbusinessthroughcreativeandinnovativewaysthatreachabroadaudience.AccordingtoElliot(2015),Instagramisthemosteffectivesocialnetworkindeliveringclientengagement,withaper-followerengagementrateof2.26%fortopbrands.Inotherwords,Instagramdeliveredthesetopbrands10timesmoreper-followerengagementthanFacebook,and83timesmoreengagementthanTwitter(Elliot,2015).7.1.1 Developing an Instagram Strategy Clearly,Instagramhasbecomeapowerplayerinthesocialnetworkinggame,andtakingadvantageofthebrandingopportunitiesithastooffercanprovetobeaworthwhileendeavorforanybusiness.So,nowwegettothequestionofhowtobestapproachInstagramtohelppromoteandexpandyourbusiness.Whiledifferentbusinesseseachhaveuniquewaysofengagingwiththeirfollowers,therearesomegeneralguidelinestofollow.IncreatingyourInstagramstrategy,LePage(2015)suggestsestablishingasetofgoalsthatmayinclude:

• Increasingproductsales• Increasingconsumertraffictoyourcompanywebsite• Increasingbrandawareness

Onceyouhaveidentifiedwhichgoalsaremostimportanttothevitalityofyourbusiness,developamissionstatementthatwillguideyouinaccomplishingthesegoals(LePage,2015).Amissionstatementforyourbusinessmaybe:

• “WewilluseInstagramtoincreasebrandawarenessinordertoboostsaleswithinouryoungerclientelebase.”

Havinglaidthefoundationofyourstrategy,youcannowfocusonthetechnicalities,suchasfiguringouthowoftentopost,whattimeofdaytopost,andwhichgeneralthemesyouwanttoestablish(LePage,2015).Itisimportanttorememberthatasabusiness,youdonotwanttobeobtrusiveinyourpostings.Bombardingyourfollowerswithmultiplepostsadaymaycauseyoutolosefollowers,ultimatelydamagingyourcompanyimage.Werecommendthatyoupostnomorethan3timesaday.Posting4-5timesthroughouttheweekwouldmaintainaregularpostingschedulethatdoesnotoverlyintrudeinyourfollowers’newsfeed.Inregardstowhenyoushouldpost,thismostlydependsonyouraudience(LePage,2015).IfyouaretryingtoreachtheyoungerstudentpopulationofUCSantaBarbara,forexample,idealpostingtimesmaybearoundnoonwhen

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studentsaregettinglunch(giveortakeanhour),after3:15PM,whenmanystudentshavea2-hourgapbeforeeveningclasses,andbetween7-8PM,whenmoststudentsaregenerallydonewiththeirschoolday.Again,knowingwhattimeofdaytopostlargelydependsonyouraudience,andthebestwayoffiguringoutwhichtimesworkbestisthroughexperimentation(LePage,2015).Playaroundwithdifferentpostingtimes,keepingtrackofwhichtimesgeneratethemostlikes.Section7.3outlinesapossiblepostingschedulethatreflectsthisstrategy.7.1.2 Branding Your Business CreatingabrandidentityisacrucialcomponentofcreatinganeffectiveInstagramstrategy.Bythiswemeancreatingaconsistentandunmistakableidentitythatresonatesamongyourfollowerseverytimetheycomeacrossoneofyourposts.Chooseaspecificfilter,orsetoffilters,thatyouwouldliketouseforamajorityofyourphotosinordertocreateconsistencyinyourposts(LePage,2015).Thiswillestablishavisualthemetoyourpagethatwillhelpviewersretainasenseofyourbusinessidentity.Youcanuseotherfreemobileapplicationstoedityourpictures,suchasVSCOCamandSquareready,tofurtherexploredifferentstylesofediting.Establishingbrandedhashtagsisanothergreatwayofbrandingyourbusinessinawaythatresonateswithclientsandretainstheirattention.LePage(2015)recommendsthatyoudonotsimplyuseyourcompanynameasahashtag,buttogoastepfurtheranddevelophashtagsthatembodyyourcompanyimageandvalues.Developasetofbrandedhashtagsthatyouuseonmost,ifnotallofyourposts.Thisdoesnotmeanthatyoucannotuseotherpost-specifichashtags,buthavinganestablishedsetofconsistenttagswillhelpyoucreateacohesivebrandimagethatfollowersrecognize.Suchhashtagsmayinclude:#ShopSBGiftBaskets,#ShopSantaBarbara,and#SBGiftIt.Whentalkingaboutaproduct,holiday,orstoreevent,hashtagthecorrespondingnameinthecaption,andthenusethesetofbrandedhashtagsattheveryend.AMother’sDaypost,forexample,mayincludethefollowingcaption:

• Whygothroughthehassleofmakingreservationsanddealingwithlongwaittimesatrestaurants?Takeyourmomoutforafamily,beachsidepicnicthis#MothersDaywithour#SantaBarbaraWineryChardonnayTote.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

NOTE:Whencreatinghashtagsdonotuseapostrophes(i.e.#Mother’sDay);thiswillrenderthehashtaguseless.Yourprofilepictureshouldmatchthatofyourothersocialnetworkingaccounts.Whileyourcompanylogowouldbethemostidealimagetouse,itisnotabsolutelyrequired.Usingthesameprofileimageacrossyourdifferentaccounts,however,isimportantincreatingthatcohesive,recognizablebusinessidentitydiscussedabove.WhenpostingonInstagram,youshouldalwayscross-postyourimagesonFacebook,Twitter,andanyofyourothersocialnetworkingaccounts.PeoplewhofollowyouonFacebookorTwittermaynotbeawarethatyouhaveanInstagramaccount.Bycross-postingyourInstagramimages,youwillgivetheseusersanopportunitytofurtherexploreyourcompany.Finally,donotforgettoaddtheaddressofyourbrickandmortar

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locationtoyourposts!Thisisagreatwaytosparkfurthercuriosityinyourlocalfollowers,whomightbeinterestedinvisitingyourstoreforahands-onexperience.7.1.3 Promotional Campaigns PromotionalcampaignsonInstagramareagreatwayofmarketingyourbusinessandexpandingyourclientelebase.Promotionalcampaigns,suchas2-for-1dealsorofferingacertainpercentageoffofanitemorservice,areeffectivestrategiesforreachingouttoanuntappedconsumerpopulation.Therestofthissectionwillfocusonhowtoimplementpromotionalcampaignsinwaysthatmaximizebenefitsforbothyouandyourclients.2-for-1Deal:Whodoesn’tlovegettingdoubleforthepriceofone?2-for-1dealsareagreatwayofutilizingyourexistingcustomerbasetobringinnewclients.ImplementingthesedealsthroughInstagramwillhelpyounotonlybringinnewclients,butalsopromoteyourbusinessinawaythatrewardsyourexistingnetworkofcustomers.Youcancreatean“instructions”cardthatisincludedineverygiftbasketyoumake(besidesthoseintendedforcorporateclientsduetothehighvolumeoforders)thatinstructsrecipientstodothefollowing:

• TakeapictureofyourselfwithyourgiftbasketandpostitonyourInstagrampage.• TagSBGiftBaskets(@sbgiftbaskets)inthecaptionsection,alongwithtwofriendswho

mightbeinterestedinourproducts/services.• Iflocal,bringinyourphoneandshowusyourposttoreceivea2-for-1dealon(insert

deal)!IflocatedoutsidetheSantaBarbaraarea,simplyemailascreenshotofyourposttoSantaBarbaraGiftBaskets@hotmail.comtoreceivea2-for-1promotionalcodethatcanbeusedonourwebshopforselecteditems.

20-30%OffDeals:Thesametypeofideacanbeappliedtodiscountdeals.Thecardsentoutinthegiftbasketswouldread:

• TakeapictureofyourselfwithyourgiftbasketandpostitonyourInstagrampage.• TagSBGiftBaskets(@sbgiftbaskets)inthecaptionsection,alongwithtwofriendswho

mightbeinterestedinourproducts/services,• Iflocal,bringinyourphoneandshowusyourposttoreceivea(insertdiscount

percentage)discountonyournextpurchase!IflocatedoutsidetheSantaBarbaraarea,simplyemailascreenshotofyourposttoSantaBarbaraGiftBaskets@hotmail.comtoreceiveapromotionalcodethatcanbeusedonourwebshopforselecteditems.

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Youshouldexperimentwithdifferenttypesofpromotionalcampaignstogaugewhichonesaremosteffectiveinhelpingexpandyourcustomerbase.Takenoteoftheamountoffollowersyouhavebeforeimplementingeachcampaigninordertocomparehowthisnumberhaschangedduetothepromotion.Thiswillallowyoutogainageneralsenseofwhichdealsaremosteffectiveincreatingfollowerengagement.7.1.4 Captions DuetothehighlyvisualaspectofcontentonInstagram,captionsareoftenoverlookedwhencreatingposts.Itisimportanttorealizethatcaptionsprovidecontextforyourposts,andcanhelpyouexpandoncertainpointsofemphasis.Whileapicturewillinitiallygrabyourfollowers’attention,aclevercaptioncanhelpcementyourproducts/servicesinthemindsofthesefollowers.Donotbeafraidtoexperimentwithhumorousorwittycaptionsthatmayincludetheuseofemojis.AsstatedbyLePage(2015),“tellastorywithyourcaption.”7.1.5 Follower Engagement EngagingwithyourfollowersonInstagramisanimportantpartofshowingyourwillingnesstointeractwithyourcustomersonamorepersonallevel.Replytocommentsasquicklyandasbestyoucan,likepicturesthatarerelevanttoyourbusiness,andfollowuserswithwhomyoushareasimilaraestheticofprofessionalism.Itimportantthatyouenablepushnotificationsfromeveryoneforlikesandcomments,newfollowers,and“picturesofyou.”Todoso,simplygotoyourprofilepage,hitthesettingsiconintheupperrighthandcorner,scrolldownto“PushNotificationSettings,”andmakesurethat“FromEveryone”isselectedforeachcategory.Whenpostingindividualproductsthatgointothegiftbaskets,tagthemanufacturerinthecaptionofthephoto.Showingappreciationtowardsthoseyoudobusinesswithwillraiseawarenessofyourproductsandservicesamongtheircustomerbase,aswellashelpfostermutualrespectbetweenyouandyoursuppliers.IfthemanufacturerdoesnothaveanInstagramaccount,simplyhashtagtheirnameinthecaption. 7.2 Posts ThefollowingpostshavebeencreatedforyoutouseduringthethreeweeksleadinguptoMother’sDay.Nofiltershavebeenusedontheimages,asthisisapersonalpreferencethatyoumustdecideonwhenchoosingathemeforyourpage.NOTE:Theseimageswereselectedtopresentageneralideaofthetypesofpicturesthatwouldbestcorrespondwiththefollowingcaptions.Usingnewphotos,asopposedtotheonespresentedhere,isstronglyrecommended.Ifyoudecidetousesomeofthesephotos,takeintoaccountthat

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thesearethumbnailsoftheoriginalpicture,andshouldnotbeusedfortheactualpost–thefull-sizedimageshouldbeused.

1. It’snevertooearlytostartshoppingforallthesuper-heromomsoutherethatdosomuchforus.The#SantaBarbaraChardonnayFloweringPlantBasketisaperfectgifttoshowyourappreciation!Stopbyourbrickandmortarlocation,orvisitouronlineshoptoviewmoreofourproducts.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt#MothersDay

2. Whygothroughthehassleofmakingreservationsanddealingwithlongwaittimesat

restaurants?Takeyourmomoutforafamily,beachsidepicnicthis#MothersDaywithour#SantaBarbaraWineryChardonnayTote.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

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3. HavingtroublefindingtherightgiftforMomthis#MothersDay?Stopbyour#GiftBasketDesignClasson(insertdayoftheweek),(insertdate),from(inserttime),tomakeahandmadegiftfromtheheart.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

4. Momsalwaysmakethebesttreats.This#MothersDayitsyourturntotreatherwiththis

delicious#HabaneroJellyfrom@Ojaijelly!Stopbyourbrickandmortarlocation,orvisitouronlineshoptopurchasethistastyproduct.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

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5. Momsdeservetohavefuntoo!Customizea#MothersDaygiftbasketwithoneofthese@Summerlandwinebottles,eitherin-storeoronourwebshop.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

6. NotsurewhichofourproductsMomwouldlikebestfor#Mothersday?Lethersplurgewiththis#SBGiftBasketsgiftcard!Stopbyourshoptopickoneup.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

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7. Stockedandreadyfortheupcomingrush!Don’tmissoutthis#MothersDay.Createathoughtfulgiftaheadoftimeforthewomanthatgaveyoubirth!It’stheleastyoucando…#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

8. GoBIGthis#MothersDaywithacustomgiftbasketthatshowsjusthowmuchyoucare.

Visitusin-storeorcheckoutourwebpageforadditionalinformation.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

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9. Anelegantgiftforanelegantlady.TreatMomthis#Mothersdaywithour#PaliPinotNoirandChardonnayBasket,becausenothing’severtoofancyfortheladieswelove.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

10. Forallthosemomswholovetogetdowninthekitchen,our#IlventosItalianBasketisthe

perfect#MothersDaygift.Stopbyourstore,ororderthisbasketonlineforthegiftthatkeepsongiving.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

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11. #MothersDayisjustaroundthecorner!LetMomknowhowspecialsheiswithoneofourcustom#FloweringPlantBasketarrangements.#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

12. #HappyMothersDay,Mom!Abigthankyoutoalltherockstarmomsouttherethatworksohardeveryday.Youareappreciated!#ShopSBGiftBaskets#ShopSantaBarbara#SBGiftIt

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7.3 Scheduling Calendar

Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun April11

12

13

14Post1@12:30pm

15

16 Post2@3:30pm

17

18 Post3@12:30pm

19

20 Post4@5:30pm

21

22Post5@12:00pm

23

24 Post6@1:00pm

25

26 Post7@12:30pm

27

28Post8@3:30pm

29

30 Post9@3:00pm

May1

2 Post10@2:00pm

3

4 Post11@7:45am

5

6

7

8Post12@11:00am

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Appendices A. Works Cited LePage,E.(2015).HowtouseInstagramforbusiness:Abeginner’sguide.HootsuiteBlogs. RetrievedonFebruary26,2016,fromhttps://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-use-instagram for-business/Elliot,N.(2015).Instagramisthekingofsocialengagement.ForresterBlogs.Retrievedon February26,2016,fromhttp://blogs.forrester.com/nate_elliott/14-04-29 instagram_is_the_king_of_social_engagement