Instagram is easily one of the most popular social networks with over a billion users worldwide. Of course, you won’t be reaching that many with your rental business, but you can guarantee a large number of people interested in your services will have an Instagram account. So, you need to know how to make the most of Instagram with your rental business.
People would use it to share personal pictures in the early days of Instagram, but it has become an essential marketing tool for your rental business. Its photo-first layout means that you can make a significant impact if you upload the right content, and it’s easier than writing long posts elsewhere. That’s why you must have stunning images that stop people scrolling and draw their attention to your rental business’s Instagram profile.
Whether you primarily serve locals or tourists, you need to have a strong presence on Instagram. Most people planning a trip will look to Instagram for inspiration, and you want your brand to be visible to them. This allows you to engage with them before they’ve even arrived and connect with customers to form a relationship early on.
Creating an attractive profile
If you’re going to wow people who visit your Instagram profile, you need to start with the basics. This starts with your profile picture. Unlike your personal profile, it should be your logo, so people will immediately have your brand imprinted in your mind. Your name on Instagram should your business name followed by your niche, for example, “Bike Sydney - Bike Rentals.”
You should also include a link to your website, preferably your order page, so that people can check out your products with one click. Your Instagram bio is essential as it is where you can sum up your business in just 150 words, so make it count! Finally, adding your phone number and email address as buttons on your profile will give customers options for contacting you.
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Preparing your posting strategy
When you start using Instagram for your rental business, it’s vital to have a clear strategy from the beginning. Like other social networks, you can’t take bookings from your profile, so you need to decide how to raise the awareness of your brand and grab the attention of potential customers. How you achieve this is entirely up to you, but your goals could be to reach a wider audience, improve your reputation or offer guests a closer look at your products and other customer’s experiences.
Each of these goals requires a different kind of imagery, and you may want to focus on a mix of a couple of goals to diversify your content. A strong foundation is essential, so you want to have these goals set in your mind before you even start posting on your account. Remember, it’s always a good strategy to test different ideas to see what sticks with your target audience.
Deciding what content to post
As mentioned previously, Instagram is an image-first platform, so the imagery you use is critical to the success of your marketing. As a rental business, it is crucial to not only focus on the product you offer but it’s also important to share your customer’s experiences. This could include posting photos they have taken on their trip or even reviews left on your Google My Business profile.
It is also essential to choose a theme from the beginning and stick to it, as it can be jarring if your imagery is constantly switching. This could be as simple as using the same filter on all your photos, going with a monochromatic look, or catering towards a more minimalist approach. Finally, remember to schedule your posts ahead of time; the last thing you want is to scramble for content at the last minute.
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Learning Instagram’s tools
As Instagram has evolved, the number of tools at your disposal has increased, and it’s good to use a variety of them in your content strategy.
Of course, regular posts are the easiest to grasp; they’re the ones that will appear on your follower’s newsfeeds. They should be high-quality images that reflect a professional business and grab people’s attention. Your captions should be concise and to the point, while your hashtags should be a mix of popular hashtags and ones related to your niche. You can also tag brands you work with and even customers who are featured and your location.
Stories appear at the top of your follower’s newsfeed, and they’re pretty different from regular posts. First, they only remain on your profile for 24 hours, which means they’re a chance for you to have a bit of fun. Second, they can be less formal and act as a sort of behind-the-scenes look at your business and serve as somewhere to share limited discounts or promotions. So have fun and get creative!
One of the most recent introductions to Instagram is Reels, which are TikTok-style videos that can be used to promote your rental business. They are heavily focused on creativity, and many trends come and go, so it’s good to hop on them as soon as possible. For example, if you’re targeting families or younger audiences, they are perfect for doing so in a fun and unique way.
Finally, there is IGTV for longer videos and Live for broadcasting live videos. These are perfect for sharing events that your rental business is involved in and allow you to create more long-form content without having to create a YouTube channel. This helps keep all of your content in one place and will enable you to focus on a single social channel.
Conclusion
So, that’s how you get started with Instagram for your rental business and some of the ways you can use it to promote your brand. Remember to focus on high-quality images and creativity to get the most out of Instagram. It is also worth spending some time creating hashtag groups and experimenting with them to get the most reach from your posts. Good luck!
