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Business
The meteoric rise of Zionfelix, GhKwaku, RonnieIsEverywhere, thousands of Instagram shops and tens of thousands of social media influencers are products of millions of Ghanaians running to the internet when the pandemic started. During the lockdown, the internet was inescapable.

The impact of this on retailers in the short term has been divided. Those offering essential items such as food and cleaning products experienced high demand. But non-essential retailers such as those selling clothes and clothing accessories were forced to close stores or experienced a steep decline in sales.

A year ago in May 2020, the Communications and Digitalisation Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, shut down certain offices for not adhering to proper COVID protocols. Since then, the Government and other stakeholders have been consistent with their message for retailers to have sufficient hygiene measures in place in stores all over the country.

So for me, I expected the focus of the ensuing 12 months to be on clean shopping, contactless technology and improved hygiene measures becoming the norm, especially after witnessing some pretty significant pent-up demand for regular outdoor activities.

To a large extent, Ghana did not disappoint. The rise of Zeepay and other local tech companies, twitter choosing Ghana for its first African base, Mobile Money integration everywhere and the steady embrace of venture capitalism all send the right signals.

However, within an election year in a developing economy, COVID protocols gets trickier to enforce, plus the pandemic keeps having a toll on the economy.

For an industry like that of Fashion, all these mean that customers will remain cautious about buying, whether indoors or outdoors. I think people will continue to be cautious and also value-conscious for the time being about anything fashion.

Here’s why.

Within the short time that Ghanaians were forced into lockdown, many of us spent more time online buying essential items such as groceries to avoid long lines at the supermarkets and to avoid the possibility of contracting the virus through contact with others.

Other companies selling non-essential items, like clothing, also saw an upturn in sales through online channels but this was not enough to mitigate the decline as consumers began prioritizing and limiting their spending in the medium term.

Online sales has since continued to grow but to a large extent the focus will remain on essential items. During this pandemic, people have either lost their jobs and there are many that have fears about the future. So don’t let the trending Instagram photos mislead you into thinking that people are not limiting their expenditure.

Many brands in Ghana are shifting their focus either solely or more predominantly to e-commerce innovation and these technology advances will make online shopping experiences more exciting.

For the local fashion industry, the immediate goal has been to provide competitive prices and a quick, efficient delivery for consumers. Beyond that, they need to think about how best to translate the in-store experience online and provide more forms of convenience such as contactless delivery and curbside pickups.

Curbside pickup can be as simple as its name implies: your customers pick up their orders from a convenient location somewhere else other than inside the store, like the literal curb or a warehouse closeby. As innovative as that sounds, I am aware that it won’t be as easy to leave your customers orders on the curb for them to pick up later.

But isn’t that why we have these discussions weekly? Is it not to deliberate and brainstorm and talk through our ideas towards creating meaningful change however we can and wherever we find ourselves? It is. And if it’s about trailblazing in fashion, one person I know that’s done that is Susie Bubble.

Susanna Lau, also known as Susie Bubble, is a writer and editor living and working in London. Susie started her fashion blog, ‘Style Bubble’ in March 2006, and is now one of the most prolifically read blogs of its type.

Style Bubble consists of Susie’s thoughts, personal experiences and observations on fashion with a focus on spotlighting young and unknown talent. Previously, Susie was editor of Dazed Digital, the website of Dazed & Confused magazine, from 2008-2010.

She now works full-time on freelance content creation for brands such as Prada and Gucci and also writes regularly for publications such as Elle, Grazia and Guardian. She also sits on the experts panel for the LVMH Prize.

Recently she has been actively involved in the #StopAsianHate campaign, getting involved with spreading awareness online together with other prominent Asian American designers and fashion professionals.

She is currently working on a project to support ESEA women in the UK. During the lockdown, she has also co-founded a bubble tea and bubble waffle shop called Dot Dot in Stoke Newington in North London to explore her Hong Kong roots.

The following is authored by Susie Bubble.

On how important one’s fashion is to entrepreneurial success.

My own style has been pretty important to establishing both my USP in writing and I guess in terms of personal branding projects. I love young designers and experimental design and I’m not scared of colour and print. I think my style is open-minded and that in turn translates to the projects I do and the type of writing I do for publications. I’ve always wanted to promote fashion as a medium for self-expression on your own terms – not to please other people – but to please yourself!

On where one can find and follow trending business wear.

I don’t have a prescriptive notion of “business wear”. Those days of dress codes are definitely eroding and particularly post pandemic. I think it’s more important to feel comfortable in your own style and skin, whatever that may be. I feel most “powerful” when I’m wearing things that feel the most me – vintage Comme des Garcons pieces, Simone Rocha or Molly Goddard dresses. They’re not typical business attire but that’s the beauty of working for yourself – there is no dress code!

On giving some tips on how to dress for that power meeting.

Like I said above, dress for yourself and not for others. You should convey the essence of who you are. If you’re not into wearing suits or typical power dressing attire, then wearing them would make you feel like an imposter. Not that I’m saying dress as casual as possible. I guess I think idiosyncratic style is more important that a jacket with power shoulders.

On quitting her job for full-time blogging/influencer work and excelling at it. Also on clear signs someone should look out for if they ever wonder “is the fashion business for me”.

Are you eternally curious? Are you someone that thrives on creativity? This business is very tough and longevity is also a tricky thing to maintain. The main thing is keeping up your enthusiasm and love for the industry – whether you’re a designer, photographer, stylist, writer or anyone else – and do the machinations of an industry that is always in flux stimulate you. The day you lose interest, and your curiosity begins to wane, then you’ll know it’s not for you.

On her view on influencer work and how one becomes an influencer.

I don’t think there’s one hard and fast way of “becoming” an influencer and even that term has a lot of variations of what it means. The more important thing is to find out exactly what you want to project on Instagram – is it great imagery, great tastemaking, writing, photography, art direction, video content? What is your niche? What is your POV? It’s more important to hone those things before then setting out to embark on monetisation. Hone in on content first before trying to sell your voice.

On the benefits of the fast-fashion business model and how businesspeople can make the most out of it like the big corporations in fashion do.

The fast fashion model needs to be revisited in terms of who it is uplifting. If you can produce quantity, responsibly, then there’s nothing inherently wrong with fast fashion. The problem is the lines of “responsible production” are very vague. And if you are thinking of profit above responsibility then I’m not sure that’s a good angle to go with. Maybe it is about creating/producing ad hoc and not ordering huge quantities in advance but instead meeting the demands of the market in that instance. Maybe it’s about onshoring production with local factories that can still provide quantity. There are a lot of ways of approaching the business model but I think we can all agree that it doesn’t work currently!

On corporate dress code for women.

Persona/personality is so important in your attire, whatever field you work in. I understand there are work places that require very formal dress codes but I really think the pandemic has changed all of that.

On fashion dropshipping and advice for Ghana’s fashion entrepreneurs.

It’s a business model that I think works really well with smaller and independent designers as long as you have a good wholesaler/supplier that can fulfil ad hoc orders. It’s not something I’m super familiar with as I don’t work on the design side but if you can make it work for your brand or online ecommerce, then I would say just make sure you have good contracts and agreements with your suppliers. Also it’s a great way of testing out what works for your audience so there’s more room for creativity.

On casual work fashion and how it’s done.

You’re speaking to the wrong person as I don’t really believe in tracksuits. I’m not a fan of this WFH [work from home] attire. I’m very comfortable in dresses and ornate fabrics. For me, I love a contrast. Trainers and tomboy shoes with dressy girly things. As long as my feet are comfortable, I’m comfortable!

On collaborating with Ghana’s High Fashion advocates like Nana Akua Addo and promising talents like Lharley Lartey and Cindy Lita Adio.

I would love to learn about the work of Ghanaian fashion creatives for sure! I wish there were more opportunities to go physically as that is my experience of going to globalised fashion weeks to see what’s actually going on in the ground. Hopefully post pandemic!

On how to connect with her.

You can of course follow me on Instagram @susiebubble – or sometimes I pop up in Clubhouse on a lot of the fashion related chats.

Author: Maxwell Ampong

Maxwell Ampong is an Agro-Commodities Trader and the CEO of Maxwell Investments Group. He is also the Official Business Advisor to Ghana’s General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of TUC Ghana, the largest agricultural trade union in Ghana. He writes about trending and relevant economic topics, and general perspective pieces.

LinkedIn:/in/thisisthemax   Clubhouse:@thisisthemax   Instagram:@thisisthemax   Twitter:@thisisthemax   Facebook:@thisisthemax   Website: www.maxwellinvestmentsgroup.com   Email: maxwell@maxwellinvestmentsgroup.com    Podcast: www.anchor.fm/einu   Mobile: 0249993319

The post The Business of Fashion, the Internet & Corporate Style – with UK’s Susie Bubble appeared first on Ghana Talks Business.

Ghana Talks Business

The post The Business of Fashion, the Internet & Corporate Style – with UK’s Susie Bubble appeared first on African Media Agency.

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

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Business

Healthcare workers in Malawi are concerned that misinformation about COVID-19 is preventing patients in dire need of medical attention not related to the virus, from seeking what could be live-saving treatment.

NEW YORK, USA, May 04, 2021,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/-When Eunice Marorongwe, a senior nurse at a rural hospital in Malawi, received a child patient with a serious leg infection, she was shocked at how her parents could keep her at home for a month, without getting treatment to save her life.

“It was at lunchtime at the end of last year when the 14-year-old girl came to the clinic with her right leg in a very bad state”, she says.

The leg could not stretch and, from the foot to the knee, it was very bad. It had turned into a green colour and was producing a very bad smell.

A tree branch pierced through the girl’s right leg, but her parents stayed put at home; not because they saw no need to rush to the hospital for treatment but because of fears and myths surrounding COVID-19.

Festering wound

“By the time they brought her to the hospital, the leg could not stretch and, from the foot to the knee, it was very bad. It had turned into a green colour and was producing a very bad smell”, says Ms. Marorongwe, who works at Mangochi District Hospital, about 250 kilometres southeast of Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe.

The girl was admitted after her parents were convinced the hospital could safely treat her.

“I am happy that we helped her, but I am worried that more people don’t come to the hospital for treatment. The situation worsened with COVID-19 as some are scared of being tested for COVID-19, while others are misinformed that they would get COVID-19 and die at the hospital”, says the nurse.

Limited access to health services in rural Malawi

© UNICEFA health worker checks a patient’s temperature at one of the screening sites set up in Mangochi with UN support.

Many people in rural Malawi fail to access health services due to a lack of facilities.

In Mangochi, where Eunice Marorongwe nurses, some patients walk for more than 10 kilometres to the nearest hospital. High transport costs for journeys taking over one hour, also hinder many.

“My work is very difficult when patients come very late. For every 10 patients I assist, three are in a very bad condition because they have delayed coming to hospital”, says Ms. Marorongwe.

Saving lives of the rural poor during COVID-19

Last year, she assumed greater responsibility for providing healthcare to COVID-19 patients at the hospital’s emergency treatment centre, which was set up with United Nations support.WFP/Badre BahajiThe UN has supported information campaigns about COVID-19 in rural areas.

Similar centres were established at several rural hospitals across Malawi’s 28 districts, bringing COVID-19 healthcare closer to rural people who constitute 80 per cent of the population.

Despite Malawi recording some 34,000 COVID-19 cases and around 1,150 deaths since the start of the pandemic, Ms. Marorongwe believes many lives have been saved by the emergency treatment centres, where the UN also provided critical supplies, including medicines and oxygen concentrators.

Some of the 32,000 people who have recovered from COVID-19 in Malawi, were treated at these centres.

Our emergency treatment centre is a life saver. I am happy to see patients getting better and returning home. That makes me feel good.

“Our emergency treatment centre is a life saver. I am happy to see patients getting better and returning home. That makes me feel good”, she says.

To strengthen the rural health facilities, the UN also equipped 1,800 health workers with COVID-19 training and personal protective equipment (PPE). It has been regularly reaching over 14 million people with messages encouraging prevention and access to treatment for those who do not feel well.

A network of volunteers from over 300 community-based organisations – together with community radio stations, community leaders, a toll free line, and mobile phone messages sent through a dedicated platform – are used to communicate with people in remote parts of Malawi about the dangers of COVID-19 and the benefits of vaccination.

According to the UN Resident Coordinator, Maria Jose Torres, the most senior UN official in Malawi, without the support, the situation could have been dire for the disadvantaged groups.

Leave no-one behind

“When it comes to access to health care, nobody should be left behind”, says Ms. Torres. “Our interventions have ensured that those with disabilities, the youth, the elderly, the poor and children are able to access health care during the pandemic.

Mobile clinics and health surveillance assistants have been bringing health services to those living in the most remote parts of the country”.

Malawi’s Minister of Health, Khumbize Chiponda, says that with support from the UN and partners, “the Ministry of Health continues to send COVID-19 prevention and control messages to communities. Our laboratory testing and disease surveillance capacity has been increased to test more cases across the country.”© UNICEF/Thoko ChikondiA senior commander in the Malawi Defence Forces is vaccinated against COVID-19.

Beyond the health response, Malawi has also been mitigating the pandemic’s socio-economic impact in rural areas.

With UN support, the country sustained learning for 2.6 million children through radio education programmes when schools were closed; maintained essential food and nutrition services for 1.1 million children to prevent and treat malnutrition; provided cash transfers to more than 450,000 ultra-poor people, and rescued 720 girls from early child marriages.

COVID-19 vaccines supplied by the World Health Organization (WHO)-backed COVAX Facility have also now reached Malawi, a development which should in time make Eunice Marorongwe’s job slightly easier.

Find up-to-date figures here about the spread of the virus and the vaccination campaign in Malawi.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of UN News.

The post Overcoming COVID myths and fears in Malawi appeared first on African Media Agency.

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

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Business
The meteoric rise of Zionfelix, GhKwaku, RonnieIsEverywhere, thousands of Instagram shops and tens of thousands of social media influencers are products of millions of Ghanaians running to the internet when the pandemic started. During the lockdown, the internet was inescapable.

The impact of this on retailers in the short term has been divided. Those offering essential items such as food and cleaning products experienced high demand. But non-essential retailers such as those selling clothes and clothing accessories were forced to close stores or experienced a steep decline in sales.

A year ago in May 2020, the Communications and Digitalisation Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, shut down certain offices for not adhering to proper COVID protocols. Since then, the Government and other stakeholders have been consistent with their message for retailers to have sufficient hygiene measures in place in stores all over the country.

So for me, I expected the focus of the ensuing 12 months to be on clean shopping, contactless technology and improved hygiene measures becoming the norm, especially after witnessing some pretty significant pent-up demand for regular outdoor activities.

To a large extent, Ghana did not disappoint. The rise of Zeepay and other local tech companies, twitter choosing Ghana for its first African base, Mobile Money integration everywhere and the steady embrace of venture capitalism all send the right signals.

However, within an election year in a developing economy, COVID protocols gets trickier to enforce, plus the pandemic keeps having a toll on the economy.

For an industry like that of Fashion, all these mean that customers will remain cautious about buying, whether indoors or outdoors. I think people will continue to be cautious and also value-conscious for the time being about anything fashion.

Here’s why.

Within the short time that Ghanaians were forced into lockdown, many of us spent more time online buying essential items such as groceries to avoid long lines at the supermarkets and to avoid the possibility of contracting the virus through contact with others.

Other companies selling non-essential items, like clothing, also saw an upturn in sales through online channels but this was not enough to mitigate the decline as consumers began prioritizing and limiting their spending in the medium term.

Online sales has since continued to grow but to a large extent the focus will remain on essential items. During this pandemic, people have either lost their jobs and there are many that have fears about the future. So don’t let the trending Instagram photos mislead you into thinking that people are not limiting their expenditure.

Many brands in Ghana are shifting their focus either solely or more predominantly to e-commerce innovation and these technology advances will make online shopping experiences more exciting.

For the local fashion industry, the immediate goal has been to provide competitive prices and a quick, efficient delivery for consumers. Beyond that, they need to think about how best to translate the in-store experience online and provide more forms of convenience such as contactless delivery and curbside pickups.

Curbside pickup can be as simple as its name implies: your customers pick up their orders from a convenient location somewhere else other than inside the store, like the literal curb or a warehouse closeby. As innovative as that sounds, I am aware that it won’t be as easy to leave your customers orders on the curb for them to pick up later.

But isn’t that why we have these discussions weekly? Is it not to deliberate and brainstorm and talk through our ideas towards creating meaningful change however we can and wherever we find ourselves? It is. And if it’s about trailblazing in fashion, one person I know that’s done that is Susie Bubble.

Susanna Lau, also known as Susie Bubble, is a writer and editor living and working in London. Susie started her fashion blog, ‘Style Bubble’ in March 2006, and is now one of the most prolifically read blogs of its type.

Style Bubble consists of Susie’s thoughts, personal experiences and observations on fashion with a focus on spotlighting young and unknown talent. Previously, Susie was editor of Dazed Digital, the website of Dazed & Confused magazine, from 2008-2010.

She now works full-time on freelance content creation for brands such as Prada and Gucci and also writes regularly for publications such as Elle, Grazia and Guardian. She also sits on the experts panel for the LVMH Prize.

Recently she has been actively involved in the #StopAsianHate campaign, getting involved with spreading awareness online together with other prominent Asian American designers and fashion professionals.

She is currently working on a project to support ESEA women in the UK. During the lockdown, she has also co-founded a bubble tea and bubble waffle shop called Dot Dot in Stoke Newington in North London to explore her Hong Kong roots.

The following is authored by Susie Bubble.

On how important one’s fashion is to entrepreneurial success.

My own style has been pretty important to establishing both my USP in writing and I guess in terms of personal branding projects. I love young designers and experimental design and I’m not scared of colour and print. I think my style is open-minded and that in turn translates to the projects I do and the type of writing I do for publications. I’ve always wanted to promote fashion as a medium for self-expression on your own terms – not to please other people – but to please yourself!

On where one can find and follow trending business wear.

I don’t have a prescriptive notion of “business wear”. Those days of dress codes are definitely eroding and particularly post pandemic. I think it’s more important to feel comfortable in your own style and skin, whatever that may be. I feel most “powerful” when I’m wearing things that feel the most me – vintage Comme des Garcons pieces, Simone Rocha or Molly Goddard dresses. They’re not typical business attire but that’s the beauty of working for yourself – there is no dress code!

On giving some tips on how to dress for that power meeting.

Like I said above, dress for yourself and not for others. You should convey the essence of who you are. If you’re not into wearing suits or typical power dressing attire, then wearing them would make you feel like an imposter. Not that I’m saying dress as casual as possible. I guess I think idiosyncratic style is more important that a jacket with power shoulders.

On quitting her job for full-time blogging/influencer work and excelling at it. Also on clear signs someone should look out for if they ever wonder “is the fashion business for me”.

Are you eternally curious? Are you someone that thrives on creativity? This business is very tough and longevity is also a tricky thing to maintain. The main thing is keeping up your enthusiasm and love for the industry – whether you’re a designer, photographer, stylist, writer or anyone else – and do the machinations of an industry that is always in flux stimulate you. The day you lose interest, and your curiosity begins to wane, then you’ll know it’s not for you.

On her view on influencer work and how one becomes an influencer.

I don’t think there’s one hard and fast way of “becoming” an influencer and even that term has a lot of variations of what it means. The more important thing is to find out exactly what you want to project on Instagram – is it great imagery, great tastemaking, writing, photography, art direction, video content? What is your niche? What is your POV? It’s more important to hone those things before then setting out to embark on monetisation. Hone in on content first before trying to sell your voice.

On the benefits of the fast-fashion business model and how businesspeople can make the most out of it like the big corporations in fashion do.

The fast fashion model needs to be revisited in terms of who it is uplifting. If you can produce quantity, responsibly, then there’s nothing inherently wrong with fast fashion. The problem is the lines of “responsible production” are very vague. And if you are thinking of profit above responsibility then I’m not sure that’s a good angle to go with. Maybe it is about creating/producing ad hoc and not ordering huge quantities in advance but instead meeting the demands of the market in that instance. Maybe it’s about onshoring production with local factories that can still provide quantity. There are a lot of ways of approaching the business model but I think we can all agree that it doesn’t work currently!

On corporate dress code for women.

Persona/personality is so important in your attire, whatever field you work in. I understand there are work places that require very formal dress codes but I really think the pandemic has changed all of that.

On fashion dropshipping and advice for Ghana’s fashion entrepreneurs.

It’s a business model that I think works really well with smaller and independent designers as long as you have a good wholesaler/supplier that can fulfil ad hoc orders. It’s not something I’m super familiar with as I don’t work on the design side but if you can make it work for your brand or online ecommerce, then I would say just make sure you have good contracts and agreements with your suppliers. Also it’s a great way of testing out what works for your audience so there’s more room for creativity.

On casual work fashion and how it’s done.

You’re speaking to the wrong person as I don’t really believe in tracksuits. I’m not a fan of this WFH [work from home] attire. I’m very comfortable in dresses and ornate fabrics. For me, I love a contrast. Trainers and tomboy shoes with dressy girly things. As long as my feet are comfortable, I’m comfortable!

On collaborating with Ghana’s High Fashion advocates like Nana Akua Addo and promising talents like Lharley Lartey and Cindy Lita Adio.

I would love to learn about the work of Ghanaian fashion creatives for sure! I wish there were more opportunities to go physically as that is my experience of going to globalised fashion weeks to see what’s actually going on in the ground. Hopefully post pandemic!

On how to connect with her.

You can of course follow me on Instagram @susiebubble – or sometimes I pop up in Clubhouse on a lot of the fashion related chats.

Author: Maxwell Ampong

Maxwell Ampong is an Agro-Commodities Trader and the CEO of Maxwell Investments Group. He is also the Official Business Advisor to Ghana’s General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of TUC Ghana, the largest agricultural trade union in Ghana. He writes about trending and relevant economic topics, and general perspective pieces.

LinkedIn:/in/thisisthemax   Clubhouse:@thisisthemax   Instagram:@thisisthemax   Twitter:@thisisthemax   Facebook:@thisisthemax   Website: www.maxwellinvestmentsgroup.com   Email: maxwell@maxwellinvestmentsgroup.com    Podcast: www.anchor.fm/einu   Mobile: 0249993319

The post The Business of Fashion, the Internet & Corporate Style – with UK’s Susie Bubble appeared first on Ghana Talks Business.

Ghana Talks Business

The post The Business of Fashion, the Internet & Corporate Style – with UK’s Susie Bubble appeared first on African Media Agency.

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Business

Additionally, Instagram API allows users to share photos and videos to an Instagram business account using a third-party platform, which makes brands take advantage of all the Instagram offers.

Many businesses don’t know how to use Instagram to improve their business. Here are some effective ways to use Instagram for your business and engage with your followers and get social media marketing results. 

1. Find Your Ideal Customers

Before starting marketing on Instagram, you should analyze your audience. For that, you need to see the accounts that are following business accounts similar to your accounts. If those people are following them, then they are definitely interested in your business.

How can you learn about your audience?. You can try some Instagram insights to find over audience interest. This include:

  • Impression: Total number of times your content is viewed 
  • Reach: how many unique accounts that view your content
  • Video views: how often your videos have been viewed
  • Website clicks: How many links click your business account has received
  • Saves: How many people saved your post

Through this insight, you can see the age and gender of your followers, and also, you can see where your audience comes from. If you are trying to get new followers to your account, you should know how to attract them.

2. Create Content That Attracts Your Audience

Now you know how to find your audience, but you don’t know what kind of content will make your followers engage with your brand. Create visually compelling content which can easily attract your followers.

Do the research and look at your competitor account and see what type of content they are sharing and which kind of their photos gets more engagement. You need to steal those same content, but you can get some effective ideas to create your own content.

Are you wondering what type of content to post on Instagram to grow your business? Here are a few tips:

  • Product sneak peeks
  • Products arrangement
  • Blog post images
  • Inspirational videos
  • Behind the scene videos

You can try these ideas and see which content gets more engagement, and then you can arrange your posting strategy based on your audience’s interest.

3.  Post High-quality Photos

Sharing great quality content will help you to get user attention. To take quality photos, you don’t need a big camera. You can use your mobile phones to make attractive images. Always unique and quality content can help you to stand out from the crowd.

You can use these DIY photography tips to improve your photo quality:

  • Use natural light: when you are shooting, try to take photos in the late afternoon. 
  • Don’t use the front camera: Taking photos using the back camera on your mobile phones will give high-resolution photos. 
  • Edit your photos: You can add some filters to your post or download the photo editing app to make your photos more attractive.

Creating high-quality photos will boost your Instagram marketing strategy. 

4. Use IGTV

Instagram IGTV is a feature that allows users to upload long-form videos on the platform. IGTV offers great opportunities for marketers to create fun and engaging long video content about brands.

Here are some useful tips that boost IGTV video views of your brand. IGTV differentiates itself from the typical Instagram videos in a few different ways.

  • IGTV can be 60 seconds to one hour long and offers plenty of opportunities to creators.
  • The “following tap” on IGTV allows your user to access your new content
  • IGTV acts as a platform to showcase your brands.
  • You can post one-minute preview IGTV videos in your feed to increase your visibility
  • IGTV allows users to comment on videos that are visible to other users.

You can use your business in these long-term videos to increase your brand popularity.

5. Try Instagram Stories

Stories are one of the most important parts of your Instagram Marketing strategy. Stories have a slide show format, and that only appears 24 hours. Additionally, you can add your stories to your profile as Instagram highlights, and it will be live even after your stories disappear.

Benefits of using Instagram stories for your business:

  • Stories are appearing at the top of the screen just under your Instagram logo
  • You can share behind the scene videos in your stories to get more engagement
  • Use influencer marketing in your stories
  • Add filters, stickers, and emojis to create attractive content about your brand
  • Use your business hashtags and location tags to make your product discoverable.
  • Add CTA and links to your stories to get more traffic to your website.

Stories are only created on mobile phones, but you can share them with your stories and direct message(DM).

6. Expand Your Reach With Hashtags

You can use hashtags to increase your brand reach with a wider audience. Create hashtags with your brand name, e.g. (#yourbrandname) you can share across Instagram, Linkedin, and your Twitter account. It makes it very easy for people to find your content.

You can use 3 to 5 hashtags in a post or add a minimum of 30 hashtags per post. Use your own and most popular hashtags because it is a great way to increase your brand discoverability.

Additionally, you can add hashtags in your profile, stories, and comment section to improve your engagement. Adding a hashtag for your brand will definitely help you to enhance your business on Instagram.

7. Create Instagram Reels

Reels are one of the new trending Instagram features that allow users to create and upload 15-second videos. Reels offers a great way for businesses to market their product on Instagram. You can use Instagram reels to grow your business on Instagram.

Use reels to create behind the scene videos to show how your products are manufactured. Every follower loves to see behind the scenes, so try reels to showcase your products and share how your brand is delivered.

Create funny and entertaining reels to attract your follower’s attention because funny videos make users connect with you and your brand. Share educational videos about your brand with the customers. Reels are very new, so try reels to boost your business on Instagram.

8. Collaborate And Mention Others

Instagram is a popular social media platform to share your success stories and collaborate with influencers. If you are trying to build your Instagram community and make more sales on the platform, you can use influencer marketing to reach your business goals.

Before collaborating with them, you need to identify the rights influencer for your brand. The good influencers have:

  • Have massive followers
  • Be visible and vocal in your industry
  • Responsible and consistent

You can use “shout-outs” and unpaid shout-outs to help you partner with other brands, and it will increase your exposure. You can also use paid shout-outs. It helps you collaborate with large influencers to promote your brand and services. Tagging another account will increase your business growth on Instagram.

9. Advertise On Instagram

Many brands are using Instagram advertisements to optimize their business. More than 2.2.% of Instagram users interact with an advertisement. It is the top social media network when compared with Facebook. 

Additionally, more than 4.5 million mobile ads are generated by Instagram by the year 2020. If you want to increase your business on Instagram, you should add advantages to ads.

Instagram ads can help you to increase your brand awareness, conversion rate and reach your target audience. There are many types of ads on Instagram:

  • Stories ads
  • Carousel ads
  • Video ads
  • Post ads

These are some ads you can use to enhance your business, but you should learn the platform before posting ads. 

10. Analyze Your Success

One of the best effective Instagram marketing strategies is to track your metrics on Instagram. Instagram analytical tools allow you to access your insights to check your post-performance.

Always have a good practice to measure your follower’s engagement, count, and clicks. These all will help you to improve your marketing strategy. By using Instagram insights, you can track your single post’s performance, best hashtags, and also, you can see which posts get more engagement.

Tracking your metric helps you create future content based on your interest, and it will help you grow your business on Instagram.

Conclusion:

Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform at present. Instagram is a perfect place for businesses to market their products to a massive audience. Follow these 10 tactics to get the best result for your business on Instagram in 2021.

AUTHOR BIO:

Caterina Taylor is an experienced social media marketer and writer who works at PlanYourGram.com. She loves to work on content creation for social media blogs and has the potential to deliver engaging content on various platforms and networks.

The post Top 10 Ideal Ways To Improve Your Business on Instagram appeared first on Ghana Talks Business.

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The post Top 10 Ideal Ways To Improve Your Business on Instagram appeared first on African Media Agency.

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