This social media platform recently boasted 200 million users and continues to see tremendous growth year over year. Is your organization using Instagram to connect with audiences and getting the most from those fun images everyone likes to share?

As with all social media platforms, it’s not enough to simply sign up for an account and post a cover photo. To use this as an effective marketing tool that your audience will find relevant and allow you to garner attention from potential new contacts, you have to employ a strategy. Here are some tips to help with this:

Profile. Use it to explain clearly who you are in a concise and engaging manner.

Photos. Post images that will speak to your audience in a useful or emotional way. I’m of the mindset that for this platform less is more – post with some regularity but don’t become a burden to those who follow your feed. Instagram is a great platform to build your brand by showcasing your services, but you can also use it to give a behind-the-scenes, sneak peak at your organization.

Videos. Try out the video feature once in a while to give your audience something different. As will pictures, though, just make it relevant.

Hashtags. This is probably the most important element of Instagram marketing – use them wisely and purposefully. Take advantage of existing popular hashtags but make sure they are relevant for your business. Also consider using hashtags for promotional contests; you can ask your followers to use a particular hashtag on their own photos.

Mentions. Get others to follow along with you, and more importantly share your pics, by following them first. A great way to do this is to ask your audience to share photos with a specific hashtag that promotes your organization, products or features.

Integrate. Since Facebook now owns Instagram, photo sharing is becoming an incredibly powerful way for companies to engage audiences. Leverage any photo you use on Instagram among other platforms as well.

If you’re not on Instagram yet, there’s no better time than now! What better way to show everyone your raved-about Thanksgiving potluck dish or what the fall foliage looks like in your city?