Instagram for Your Etsy Business

I know that Instagram has been around for a couple of years now, but for me, it’s a brand new phenomena. I started noticing the textures and effects Instagram had to offer while I was still living in New Zealand, but I had no plans of owning a smart phone while on that tour.

About six months before I moved to the United States, I started fantasizing about what I would do with my new iPhone and Instagram account! I ordered the phone the day before I left New Zealand, and picked it up at my local Apple store on my first day home in Virginia. By the time I got to my car, I was downloading the Instagram app. (If you’re looking to connect, iamlisajacobs :).)

To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t sure what to do with Instagram when I first got the account. I wasn’t working; I was busy moving between continents. I took pictures of all my lovely babies (still do), my groceries, my first candle in my new home, and the pet hamster (it’s “adorabubble”). And then I started to explore my new area a bit. I began to see the potential in where I live and what it has to offer, and what I’m going to create.

I’m So Excited

Maybe it’s Instagram, maybe it’s Old Town Warrenton or the Peach and Apple orchards that surround me, maybe there’s something in the water … but it seems to me that this world is getting more and more creative. Instagram is the lens through which you can watch the magic happen. I love it, and as you can see in the picture above, I am learning how to rock it out in both personal and business use.

How to Use Instagram for Business

Create an account. My creative business has two sides to it: Marketing Creativity and the Energy Shop. Therefore, I like to Instagram under my personal name and promote them both. You can choose to make your personal profile public in the same way, or you can create an account in your business’ name.

Edit your pictures. Before you post on Instagram, you’ll want a website or watermark and possibly some text or graphics. I like to do this all on my iPhone, so I use a few apps to create my desired look. Here are my favorites:

• Overgram
• Over
• A Beautiful Mess

Hashtag like mad. Seriously. It results in a lot of “likes” for your photos. Before I post a promotional photo, I search “Instagram popular tags” or “Instagram hashtags.” Then, I pull relevant tags from that list. Here’s an example resource.

Leave a link in the comments. Your website should be displayed in the photo, but go that extra mile and leave an actual link to the product you showcased in the picture. Easy peasy!

Let’s Connect

Share a link to your Instagram account in the comments! Until next time and all the best~