Marketing is one of the best ways to bring more people to your product or service, but it’s all a matter of knowing where to go and using the right tactics. For some, social media in general, and Instagram, in particular, are an effective tool for boosting that business. Here are five ways that Instagram for business can help.

It’s Where The “Kids” Are

Target marketing is an important aspect of growth, and Instagram for business helps target younger demographics. If you want the Baby Boomers, you go to Facebook. If you want Generation X, you may go to Facebook or Twitter. For the most part, studies have shown that Millennials are drawn to Instagram, with a consensus that other social media platforms are used by “old people”.

It’s Cost-Effective

The old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” is what Instagram is all about. If you’re trying to avoid a lot of ad copy, and lengthy articles or videos, a few choice photographs, with some appropriate captions, can be just the thing to get your message across. Instagram for business is about using images effectively and making them relevant to your market. If you can do that, you can save a lot of time and money by making a quick, visual impression, rather than writing long, detailed arguments defending your product or service.

It’s About Branding

A brand is an important, consistent element of your business identity, and for many industries Instagram is a key pillar in their branding strategy. By being consistent about your look and feel (your “aesthetic”) when using social media, your company can establish the brand identity you wish to create for yourself – and can then more effectively reach and persuade your target demographic.

You Can Go Local

Even though this social media platform is a global phenomenon, one of the things that Instagram excels at is establishing a local presence. If your business relies on a local market, you can target that local demographic through Instagram. The right focus and targeting of your area can bring in the people from San Diego that you’re looking for if your business is based here. Using the right hashtags insures people who are looking for what you offer, find it quickly on Instagram.

You Can Do More

From live video, to Instagram stories, all the way to managing your geo-tagged content, Instagram has plenty of features to make things fun and creative for marketers. One particularly special feature new to Instagram as of 2018 is IGTV, which allows brands to use the Instagram TV app to create and share videos up to an hour long, just like a TV episode. Remember that Instagram is about telling stories, and make sure to tell one that promotes your business.