I’m thoroughly convinced: Instagram is one of the greatest inventions of the past ten years. 

They’ve not only managed to create a platform that can change people’s lives through beautiful photography, but the connectedness between individuals makes us more accessible than ever before! 

The platform has changed so much in today’s world, and it’s literally rewritten the rules on how content is being consumed by people all around the world. 

The content is easier to consume because it is mostly visual.  This allows you to quickly scroll through and digest tons of content, without having to read a bunch of text which can strain your eyes, and start to make your head spin.

We spend so much time staring at screens all day for work, that having the power of the entire world in our pocket is a pretty amazing power. 

So how many people are using Instagram, exactly?

At the end of 2017, there were nearly 800 million Instagram users!  

So the next time you feel like you just can’t find leads in your business, or that you are stumped on finding new people to network with, remember that number above! 

Everyone is on IG these days and it makes it an insanely powerful tool for business purposes.

Here’s why.

You Can Find Anyone you Want to Network With 350

Users on Instagram are able to have access to any of the users on IG.  This means that you can search for anyone from past acquaintances, to future potential business partners.  

Think about the opportunities that Instagram has opened up for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and freelancers! 

When you can network with new people scrolling with your thumbs, the possibilities are endless.  This is one of the reasons that Instagram has become such a success. By making it possible to connect people who otherwise, may never connect in person–this platform makes it easy to grow your business, and to follow some cool people!  

It’s Not Just Your Friends, It’s Who Your Friends Know 

One of the old maxims is that it’s not who you know, it’s who they know.  This couldn’t be truer for a massive platform like IG.  The more people you have in your corner, the more people you can have access to for networking purposes.  

Outreach is simple online.  It’s an easy way to stay connected and to send a casual friend request.

While some users will have their profiles set to ‘request to follow’ the majority of people are able to follow by anyone with a pulse (or a bot).  That means that you can follow them and see what they are up to in the digital space, and it makes it easy to send a casual DM cold intro–which is way less intimidating than an email or a cold call! 

Celebrities and Influencers Are Only a Few Clicks Away

One of the biggest trends that I think we are going to see in 2018, is influencer marketing.  

What is influencer marketing?  This is one of the biggest ways that I think Instagram is changing the face of the online business landscape.  Their platform is perfect for not just following celebrities and major influencers, but for also getting them to do business with you as well based on the content that you share. 

Instagram makes it easy to package your brand in a way that is conducive to showing what you can do for others, and putting your best foot forward.  

It’s easy to reach out to big influencers because it’s noninvasive.  Since they are already on their phone when seeing your message, it takes just as long to delete your DM as it does to send a quick message.  This increases your chances of getting a response, as opposed to cluttering their Trash folder like with a cold email.

Direct to Consumer Ads Can Crush

I don’t know if you’ve noticed it or not, but Instagram has the best direct to consumer ads in the game. 

The more that you are able to realize how to target your ideal customer base, the easier it will be to see an ROI using social media marketing. 

The fastest route to see an uptick in sales is through pushing your direct to consumer marketing channels hard!  

This means finding out what brands, influencers, and other types of content your audience follows on Instagram, and making content and ads that align with that.

Striking a chord with your audience is really easy on Instagram because the platform is designed for beautiful content–which showcases your brand in the brightest light possible!  (But don’t forget to add a filter!) 

Conclusion 

Instagram is crushing it right now, and it’s in no small part to the ease of finding influencers and the ubiquity with which they are found online.  The more that you are able to find people that align with your brand, the easier it will be to close larger deals and get more traction with your online products. 

If you need some additional help learning how to use Instagram to its fullest, check out my Influencer Marketing Course that will show you all the tools that you need to succeed.  I’ve even included my exact templates that I use to grow my personal care and grooming company, Glyder, using the same tactics I teach in the course.