Five ways to grow a business account on Instagram

It may have only been a few short months since Saasha Burns and Samuel Leetham co-founded BEAR, but the bespoke essential daily vitamins range is already gaining much market attention. Picking up a major stockist in MECCA and featured in publications such as Vogue, Russh, and Grazia, the brand has made quick work of becoming one to watch in the growing demand for feeding beauty from the inside.

And while all the above is incredibly impressive, what’s equally as notable is the fact that BEAR is also notching up its Instagram follower count at an alarming rate. Already sitting pretty on 22K followers in six months – you only need take one look at the BEAR IG account to know Saasha and Samuel are pretty on the money when it comes to curating an enviable feed.

Here, we sit down with the two to discover their top five tips to have you well on your way to growing a business account on Instagram.

BEAR Journal — Image credit: @oraclefox | @bearjournal

1. Develop a clear vision
Before you can develop a strong social strategy, you need to be clear on your vision as a brand. Are you using social media to sell a product, create brand awareness, to tell a story, to educate or to simply inspire others? By defining your vision, your target audience are more likely to understand your unique message and actively engage with your brand.

2. Understand your audience
When you have a singular, strong vision it allows you to actively define your target audience and develop the right tone of voice. Once you understand who you are talking to, you can craft each post accordingly and develop an organic relationship with your audience.

3. Create original and engaging content
Creating content that is relevant, original and highly engaging is no easy task. Often this is something that brands can actively outsource, especially if you have a strong vision and clear aesthetic. Most people spend less than a few seconds on each image, as they scroll through their Instagram feed. Content needs to be easily identifiable and consistent to your brand. Quality content leads to high engagement, which is often more valuable to a brand than the specific amount of followers.

4. Craft conversations
There’s no better way to gain real insights as a brand than by starting organic conversations with your audience in real time on social media. Instagram is such an incredible platform to build authentic relationships, communicate your vision and share your story with like-minded people. Be open to new ideas, responsive to change, and stay curious.

5. Invest in social media
It’s important as a brand to invest the time and resources to developing a strong presence on social media. It is often the first point of contact for your brand, even before your website, and it needs to leave a strong first impression. People should be able to gain a true understanding of your brand by the first twelve tiles in your feed and the short description to your bio. The more you invest your time in social media, the better. It’s never too late.