Instagram Deep Dive with Elicia Crook ABMP Podcast
On the 15TH JUNE 2021 ABMP launched a podcast with Elicia Crook as a Guest talking all things Instagram. Part of Elicia’s story was that she really ‘didn't want to do instagram’.
After a challenge from a friend - she started to look into it more.
So why Instagram?
Instagram is considered the Porsche or Ferrari of all social media platforms. It’s slick and unlike Facebook or Twitter, your posts need a bit more planning and strategy in order for you to drive it well.
But why do you need to put your business on Instagram when you already have a Facebook page? The answer is simple - Statistics!
Over 1 Billion people are now on Instagram and 50% of the demographic follow at least 1 business for information. 35% of these users browse through the platform several times a day which gives small businesses the opportunity and the option to get our message out to people who can potentially be our clients.
What are the components of Instagram?
Instagram has a handful of components that you will find useful in connecting to your target audiences, namely your bio, feed, hashtags, IG stories and IG reels.
Bio
Your bio is basically a 150-word space under your name where you can tell users about you. You can do it in paragraph form or you can use bullets to let people know who you are and what you do.
You can be personal. You want to be able to convey who you are and why people should follow you. Will you give them health tips? What will they find on your page when you come up in their search? Just share out of the abundance of what you would share with your clients.
Don’t forget to include a call-to-action!
You can include a link to your website in your bio which users can click to find out more about your business and the services you offer.
Feed
The 9 tiles or photos that you see when you go into a business page is what you call your feed. This is essentially where all the pictures and videos you upload will go and the main bit that people are going to see when they go on Instagram.
Unlike Facebook where you can just chuck anything in, you need to put a little more care into what goes into your Instagram feed. Each upload must be curated carefully and thought of thoroughly.
Hashtags
“Hashtags” is basically how people will find you when they search Instagram for these keywords or click on them. These are keywords that you add to your captions using the symbol “#.”
Using hashtags is how you can be part of a bigger conversation where you are potentially speaking to anyone who searched the hashtags, not just your followers.
IG Stories
While your feed is mostly pictures and videos about your business, IG Stories is where you can post more personal photos and vids. Through IG Stories, you can show users bits and pieces of your life that reflect how you live the values you share on your feed.
You can be as creative as you can and even use filters as you show people who you are as a business owner.
You can also take advantage of the highlight feature in IG stories and use it as some kind of a brochure for potential clients. You can include client testimonials or show your audience the different modalities you do to give them a bit more understanding of what you offer and who you are as a practitioner.
IG Reels
Reels is Instagram’s answer to TikTok. These are 15-sec vids that you can create that’s public.
You can do a time-lapse video of you rolling your towels or linens or show your life as a massage therapist.
Reels are meant to be fun so you won’t leave Instagram, but massage therapists can also harness it to educate and teach users.
How do you start a page on Instagram?
Instagram is an app that you can download on your device. So download it and install it, fix your bio and upload your business logo or photo, then start posting away.
Then invite your family, your friends and relatives to follow you on Instagram to get the word out.
Your first photo can be a selfie of you with a caption that introduces who you are and what you do.
How to attract clients on Instagram
1. Follow at least 10 businesses from the same niche and industry daily and see what’s out there, what they do that works and what doesn’t.
2. Invite people to follow you on IG. Aside from your friends and relatives, you can invite old teachers, old colleagues, former and current clients.
3. Through your posts, share the story of your journey into massage and why people should follow you.
4. Choose your branding whether you post 1 story a day or 1 image a day and observe how it will go from there.
5. Include a call-to-action in your posts. For example, “Book now, link in bio!”
6. Be consistent
How do you know your Instagram marketing is effective?
Instagram has its own analytics where you can see how many users engaged your posts and the number of reach your post has gained. Reach is how many of your posts are getting out to the people. It is often qualified by your hashtags.
Don’t be distracted if people unfollow you, it’s just how Instagram users are. Just continue using the components so that more and more people will discover you. The more parts of the platform you use, the more Instagram will reward you by showing that to more people.
Did someone share your post? Did someone comment on it? Did they save it? Did they send it as a direct message to a friend?
Most importantly, did your post get them to get in touch with you and book your services? This is why the link in your bio is a great way to start!
Social Media Marketing is part of what we teach our clients in our programs which are designed to help therapists grow their businesses online. If you need help in this area, send us a message through our Instagram or Facebook pages and we’ll see if or how we can help!
PS: Whenever you're ready... here are 4 ways I can help you grow your massage business:
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