Young Entrepreneurs And Instagram

2021 brought a lot of changes for everyone. Being stuck at home gave people the opportunity to do things they have always thought about but never had the time to do like – starting your own business. One way this was possible was Instagram. Instagram is a photograph and video sharing app introduced in 2010 and acquired by Facebook in 2012. The app allows users to create a profile and upload pictures and videos and allow them to use hashtags and geotagging. They either be viewed by the public by having a public account or a list of user-approved viewers by changing the settings to a private account. Users can browse through other users’ content by the hashtags and locations. They can like, share, comment, and save others' content.

In 2014, Instagram launched the business account type to differentiate between regular users and those using Instagram to gain profits.
Instagram gave small businesses a platform to reach their target audiences and advertise with minimum investment. It removed the middle man by giving the small business owners full control over how and when they wish to market their business. Hence bringing down the cost of marketing for them also.

As of 2018, Instagram has 1 billion monthly users and since the customer is already there, it makes sense for the businesses to be where their target base is. Instagram stories where the content disappears after 24 hours, was a great pull for business and gave the business to create a connection with the clients and make the financial transaction feel more personal rather than corporate.

Since Instagram is a visual app, businesses that deal with the aesthetically pleasing color palette and visual merchandise and services have a greater reach like @plosh.in for gift hampers and @colourgate for hand-crafted products. It is also a great way for up-and-coming designers to showcase and sell their products like @theradstory, a jewelry designer based out of Gurgaon.

Thanks to Instagram, businesses are not restricted to their locality or city to get the name out. Due to its popularity and reach, people have started their ventures out of the comfort of their own homes but selling at a Pan-India or even at a worldwide level.

Instagram also has a built-in analytics feature for business to track their progress and help them make business decisions. Since most of these small businesses are owned and operated by individuals who may not have field knowledge of how to market, this is a great way to make sure that the content reaches the right audience.

By: Deeksha Goyal

Content: https://www.socialreport.com/insights/article/360024986752-Instagram-Goes-Local-How-Small-Businesses-Can-Embrace-Instagram-in-2019