Using Instagram for Your Veteran-Owned Business
As a veteran entrepreneur, you know the value of careful strategy and smart tactics. Instagram offers a massive opportunity to directly engage your target audience – if you approach it the right way.
This guide will cover how to optimize your Instagram presence, specifically as a veteran-owned business, to attract followers, drive leads, and boost sales.
Craft Your Instagram Bio for Impact
Your bio is valuable real estate – make it count.
Include:
- Your company name, mission, and VA verification status (if applicable) Highlight your veteran roots prominently.
- A memorable call-to-action. “Book a discovery call now to grow your business 10x.”
- Link to your website to drive traffic.
Post Content That Highlights Your Veteran Expertise
Viewers want to see your unique veteran perspective and experience.
Share content that brings value:
- Behind-the-scenes looks at your veteran-owned business
- Educational tips and advice based on lessons learned in the military
- User-generated content showing you helping veteran clients.
- Relevant hashtags like #veteranownedbusiness, #supportveterans, #vetrepreneur.
Tell Your Brand Story
Leverage Instagram to tell your brand’s origin story in a compelling way.
- Share photos of your journey. From deployment to transition to starting your business
- Open up via Stories. Let your personality shine through.
- Go live occasionally to engage your audience in real time.
- Educate on how your military experience informs your business mission.
Partner with Veteran Influencers
Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand’s mission and values.
- Co-create content together focused on veteran entrepreneurship.
- Give them an exclusive product to feature and review.
- Sponsor their content and have them promote your product/service.
Run Paid Ads to Ride the Algorithm
Drive growth with paid promotions to existing and new audiences.
- Use video views objective to get content in front of more eyes.
- Run lead generation ads with a discount promo and email capture.
- Retarget engaged visitors across devices and platforms.
Optimize Your Instagram Shop
Drive sales directly by showcasing products prominently.
- Enable shoppable posts so customers can easily purchase items you showcase.
- Share new arrivals, behind-the-scenes production, and styling tips.
- Link to specific products in your Stories and feed posts.
- Offer limited-time promo codes for followers.
Measure Performance and Engagement
Analyze key metrics religiously to inform your strategy.
- Track follower growth, engagement rate, clicks, and conversions.
- See which types of content get the most traction.
- Monitor peak times for your audience.
- Continuously test and optimize based on data signals.
Execute Consistently
Post consistently, engage with your audience, listen to feedback. With the right strategy tailored to veteran entrepreneurs, Instagram can help take your business to the next level. What key metrics or campaign ideas will you focus on first? Let’s connect to build your Instagram playbook.