If you have been wondering how other small business owners benefit from all the web technologies, but you have been dismissing the subject because you have never used any of them and wouldn’t know even where to start, then this is for you.

You: small shop or independent store owner, free-lance professional, consultant, yoga teacher, business coach, artisan, artist, photographer, flower and event designer, small association founder… Regardless of what you do, you can use Instagram for your business and enjoy all the opportunities for growth that it provides.

What is going to follow isn’t a series of stats and other general considerations. These are facts that any small business owner who uses the platform successfully can confirm to you.  So just forget for a moment all the talks you have been hearing that demonise social media and read on.

1. Social Media platforms are nowadays widely used worldwide as marketing tools in all industries. Big and small businesses alike benefit from them every day. It’s serious business we are talking about and not something to keep bored teenagers occupied.

2. Instagram is a visual platform born to share beautiful images and encourage networking and community and people love to hang in there, being captivated by all the beauty they see. You don’t need to look for people; they are already there.

3. You have access to 1 billion active users as at June 2018 latest count, out of which you can certainly find your niche and ideal clients regardless of what you sell. Regardless. Really. Because out of 1 billion people, you will always find a sufficient number who can keep you in business.

4. Instagram makes your location and the constraints of your premises irrelevant. You don’t need more space to show more of your products, you don’t need to have a better location to have access to the clientele you are dreaming of. You could be sitting in a hut in the middle of nowhere, as long as you have a good internet connection and a good Instagram account, you can reach your audience.

5. You don’t need big budgets to start. There is no designer to pay, no printer or distribution companies to hire to get your message out there. You simply need a smartphone and you are ready to go.

6.  You can be yourself and don’t need to adapt to your market standard because your market can potentially be global (unless you are planning to sell ice-cream or very perishable goods). You can be creative, better said, you have to.

7.  You don’t need special qualifications, skills or certifications to use the platform. Anyone can use it. It is simple, effortless and fun.

8. People are on social media platforms and Instagram in particular for pleasure. Instagram is no market place and they are not logging in with the intention to buy something. How is this good? It isn’t. As a matter of fact it’s great because you access your audience in their best disposition without all defensive mechanisms that automatically come into the picture when people are confronted with an advertisement or a sale transaction of any sort. They are coming to you with the best mindset they can possible have. They are relaxed, having fun, feeling inspired. They listen.

9. Instagram help you to build more than a client base. It helps you create a fans club for yourself and your brand. People buy into you, the idea behind your business, your values and your purpose and once they have done that they will be willing to buy from you almost anything you propose and come back for more again and again. This is mainly because with Instagram you won’t be simply selling them your products or services but you will be communicating your brand, what motivates you, the behind the scene and you will be making them part of your project, active contributors and supporters and that is invaluable.

10.  You can get inspired and learn from your peers and colleagues, see what is going on in your fields miles and miles away from where you live, how they do it in New York or Paris or wherever are the hottest cities leading your industry trends. Instagram allows you to travel and visit your competitors all over the world without leaving your house, pick the latest trends, learn from the best, hear about new communication tools, props, equipment, courses… What you will learn from other accounts is invaluable and entirely free of charge.

11. Be found by potential partners, vendors, collaborators and build a business network. Beautiful partnerships and collaborations are made possible every day by this platform that helps people who share common ideas, values or projects to virtually meet and start talking. From there the step to meet in person and work together is often closer than you might think. Have you ever thought how nice it will be if your ideal suppliers would come knocking at your doorstep instead of you having to visits fair after fair to look for them? How cheaper and more effective would that be? Or if that ideal colleague with whom you dream to share a space or work together on a project would just get in touch through your inbox? What about that service provider you have been looking for and couldn’t find? If he was the one to contact you once you have announced on the platform that you are looking for someone who offers that service and deliver? Here you are not talking to your personal network or going through the yellow pages. You are also not just googling something without really knowing what you will stumble upon. Websites can be misleading but when people get to talk on a social media platform, you have a much higher chance to select the right person for you, check their work, understand their aesthetic, work ethics and values. Instagram creates opportunities, some of which are even beyond your imagination.

12. Be found by your best employees. Recruitment can be a nightmare and often finding the right person for the job can waste hours and hours of your time and still see you settle for the best available. With Instagram you can advertise the position you want to fill, put out a full job description and get talking to people who may come forward because they have been following you and would be honoured to work in your business or alongside you. What better start could you wish for a business working relationship?

Of course you still don’t know how it works and you worry. Do I have the time? Is it going to be difficult to create an account and manage it? What is needed? Can I do it on my own? How does it work? If you are interested in getting the answer to all your questions, click here to download a step by step guide to build an Instagram account in 15 minutes. This guide provides you with all you need to know to open an account, get out the right message and get going in only 15 minutes and all by yourself.

If you have downloaded the guide and want to know how to make Instagram work for you and your business or you are simply interested to get a bit more into it from start, register to my mailing list to be the first to know when the complete e-course on Instagram will launch in January 2019 and access early birds discounts. Happy Instagram!