Instagram is an immensely popular social network, and with its focus on visual content and striking imagery it can be a very important tool to leverage in your social media marketing campaigns. But, as is the case with every social network, you have to know how to use it. Brands and people don't use social networks the same way, and Instagram is no exception. You need to know what brands should and shouldn't utilize Instagram before considering whether to maximize the network's potential for your business.

Who Should Use Instagram?

It's important to recognize that Instagram doesn't work for every brand. If you don't have a compelling and consistent visual element on which you can build posts, your efforts will come across as forced and contrived. Relax. In the process of building out your social media, you do not have to be omnipresent on every single social network. Choose those that make the most sense for what you're selling to help build your brand identity.

Goals & Management

As with any social network, you need to frame your goals for Instagram in order to develop an effective strategy. Are you just looking for an influx of followers, or do you want to drive engagement and retention? And who will manage the account? Do you have an in-house social media manager, or will you outsource the job? If you do outsource, will you be able to provide the third party with the access and materials they need to effectively manage your account? Finally, make sure that your Instagram account will be linked to your brand's other social media pages to expand the reach of your postings.

Content Strategy

The first step in producing interesting, creative posts is to know your audience. Can you be funny or artsy in your posts? Can you throw in some pop culture references, or is this a more serious crowd you're after? Are you appealing to a large demographic or a more exclusive/specific interest group? Think about what those target groups are passionate about when posting photos to Instagram. Develop a theme and aesthetic appeal to your posts to make them visually stimulating. You don't necessarily have to be a brilliant photographer to use Instagram effectively; the network's built-in filters will make your photos look much better than they should. The trick is to focus on WHAT you're presenting to your fans, and HOW you're presenting it. Any images that give your fans a behind-the-scenes view or a sneak peak will tend to do very well in driving engagement. Give your fans a sense that what you show them on Instagram can't be seen anywhere else.

Hashtags

Create hash tag themes that allow you and your followers to categorize photos and link them to a broader audience. The theme of your hash tag should be something that relates to your business and your followers' interests, and at the same time something that can be applied broadly. For example, if you own a Mexican restaurant, you could use the hash tag #tacotuesday to post photos of your food and promote specials. Be careful not to overuse hash tags in individual posts; 1 - 3 hash tags per post should suffice.

Consistency in Postings

Don't over-post. As a brand, you don't want to use Instagram the same way a person does, i.e. posting several photos over the course of a day. Stick to a regular time of day for posting (research and analytics on the best times to post to your target audience is helpful if you have access to it), and only post once or twice a day. Conversely, posting only once or twice a week will not prove effective. You have to be present to build a presence! Post regularly, talk to people, make comments, "Like" photos, and engage your followers.

Contests

Like other social networks, Instagram is great for leveraging contests and incentives to boost the involvement of your fans. You may even want to invite users to post photos with a corresponding hash tag, choose a winner yourself, or have other fans vote by "Liking," and award a prize or give special recognition to the winning fan.

Get fans to Generate Content for You

Develop campaigns and contests that ask your Instagram fans to post their own photos related to your products or services. Create hash tags for fans to use in these posts and encourage them to tag/geo-tag you in all photos. This is an easy way to simultaneously boost engagement, elevate brand awareness, and create a stockpile of user-generated content.

As you can see, there are many ways for Instagram to play an integral part in your social media marketing success.