Service Based Businesses, raise your hand because this one is for you.
At The Social Cue, we often get asked "If I don't have a product to sell, then what do I use for content on Instagram?" Good question As a Service Provider, we completely understand the disadvantage when talking about developing content for Instagram, a social media platform with a key emphasis on aesthetics and the quality of your photo and video content. How do you possibly capture Family Law in a single image? What about Accountants, surely they've run out of stock imagery of Calculators by now, right? Without a tangible product to sell or a fresh new Insta-worthy Cocktail to showcase, sourcing imagery for Instagram to effectively market your Service Based business on Instagram can be challenging
HERE ARE OUR TOP TIPS FOR USING INSTAGRAM TO MARKET YOUR SERVICE BASED BUSINESS
1. Plan your content strategy
Well obviously, but what exactly does this mean?
At The Social Cue, we first map out our strategy before we create the content. Not only will this guide your content creation, but it will also save you time (which means more time to go out and sample those Insta-worthy cocktails we saw on our feed, #amirite)
An example of this would be what we do for our own clients, for example;
On Monday we "Promote"
On Tuesdays we "Add Value/Educate"
On Wednesdays "We Connect"
On Thursdays "We Inspire"
and so on and so forth.
Once you have established what each day will look like, you can then begin to develop content based on that message, for example;
On Monday "We Promote by sharing a Service, a Sale, a Special Offer"
On Tuesday "We Add Value/Educate by honing in on own expertise and sharing something valuable that relates to your business and helps your audience"
On Wednesdays "We Connect by sharing something about our team, or by putting a face to the brand to begin building relationships"
On Thursdays "We Inspire by sharing a fabulous quote or message that will give your audience all the good vibes"
2. Instagram Stories
Use Instagram Stories to market your Service Based Business. With more people swiping through stories each day than the entire user-base of SnapChat combined, it's safe to say that Instagram Stories have now become a fundamental part of your marketing strategy.
Instagram stories can be used to quickly jump on and connect with your audience and share some real, raw and in the moment content. Share what your desk looks like, talk about how your day is going and how great your last meeting was, introduce the members of your team in a quick little "Hello", give us a tour of your work space. The possibilities are endless but the best part is, easy AF content that will connect with your audience.
3. Your Captions are VITAL
Yep, this is one of our disadvantages when using Instagram to market a Service Based business. If you can't sell your service with a single image (Bookkeepers, Lawyers, Social Media Managers - We're talking to you) then you have to make up for it with engaging captions.
That does not mean that you can slack off on the quality of you're imagery. In a see of content, your imagery and content needs to be appealing enough for your audience to stop the scroll and read on. Use attractive images with captions that ADD VALUE.
In your captions, there is oh so much that you can discuss. It's your business after all and that means that to some degree you know what you're talking about so you should never run out of things to say.
- Talk about you SERVICES
- Talk about YOURSELF and your TEAM
- Be open and honest, to CONNECT and RESONATE with your audience
- Talk about what you have been WORKING ON
- Talk about your CLIENTS and what you have done that has worked for them
- Introduce your OFFICE DOG (We love dogs)
- Discuss CURRENT AFFAIRS
- ASK opinions. Give your audience a voice and let them have a say
The list goes on!
4. Educate, Educate, Educate
The best way to gain authority in your field is to KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. The best way to convey the message that you are in fact one savvy groover and know your Sh*t is to hit them with some know-how and educate.
Don’t be afraid to give away your best advice or specialised knowledge for fear that it will hurt your business. People will need additional context for their own unique circumstances, which is where your business opportunities lie.
Also, people love free stuff, they'll be more inclined stick around on your Instagram.
5. BE REAL
Without needing to blast social media with a flurry of "New Arrivals" and "Don't Miss Out On 20% Off all Shoes" Posts, you have some wiggle room to develop content based around your own personal flavour. You have a real opportunity to be more authentic, more real and more relatable.
A good example of this is to entertain with humor. If it fits your brand, entertain your audience by injecting humorr into your content. This tactic can be incredibly effective for businesses that might otherwise be considered boring and that don’t have an obvious visual element to them.
Let's be honest, a Tax Accountant doesn't really fit the bill for most entertaining platform to visit but perhaps paired with some humor, people would be more inclined to follow, if just for the LOLs.
6. Invest in your Imagery
So, we have covered just about all accept for the all important question "If I don't have a product to showcase, what images do I use?"
We hear ya! When we first began The Social Cue we had the exact same thought process and found that our Instagram Feed was merely a Quotes board with a few re-grammed snaps from other brands we loved.
It was then that we decided to really invest time into developing a look of our own. Although we don't have something tangible to sell, we do have a team! So we arranged a fabulous photographer to snap our gals in action, working away, sipping coffee and giving our audience an insight into who we are.
We also use design programs such as Canva to showcase our work that we have completed on behalf of our clients. You'll find images of our resident office pooch Nala, lounging about as well as cute office snaps that we have captured.
Then of course, you have access to countless quality images from FREE Stock Photography Sites. We absolutely love the imagery on Unsplash. You will find images to suit each and every industry, even the Service Based biz!
We hope this shed some light on how Instagram can totally work for Service Based Brands! If you have any questions on how the gram can help you, contact our team.
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye