How it Can Help Build a Community Around Your Brand and Improve Your Marketing Efforts
Instagram has been adding a ton of new features to their platform lately to improve engagement. They are also beta testing an exciting new feature that is giving Facebook-Group-energy vibes!
The newest feature that Insta is beta testing is Group Profiles. This hot new feature was designed to build stronger communities on the platform around brands and creators. It’s pretty similar to Facebook Groups, where users are able to collaborate with the brand or creator and share content to one Instagram profile.
Let’s take a deeper dive into this fun, new feature and what it can mean for building community and your marketing efforts.
Instagram Group Profile Basics
Essentially, Instagram Group Profiles is a single place where members of the group can share Stories, feed posts, or Reels with other group members. Groups allow people with similar interests to connect in a dedicated space.
While this does put a fun spin on the aspect of community building, it does create more responsibility for creators and brands if they choose to administer safeguards and rules for the group.
At the moment, Group Profiles can only be accessed in Canada as it is in beta testing. However, we expect that this feature will be rolling out to users worldwide. So start planning your strategies now so that you can implement a group as soon as it becomes available to you.
Why Instagram Group Profiles can Boost Your Marketing
Marketers and creators are always adjusting their strategies to hit that perfect target audience. But imagine if you had an audience that you knew was already highly invested in your brand or interested in what you have to offer and you had a dedicated space to easily and specifically reach those people.
That is what a Group Profile does! A Group Profile on Instagram can give you incredible reach all while targeting users who specifically care about your niche, brand, or what you have to say. Because these people are all in one place, you don’t have to worry about finding the perfect hashtag to use on your posts in order to reach them.
These target audiences are also hot leads. They are invested and ready to engage with you and your brand. This helps boost your engagement levels in a way that truly promotes meaningful conversations. Further, these meaningful conversations build trust and credibility between you and your target audience, helping to form a solid, loyal consumer base.
Setting Up an Instagram Group Profile
Bookmark this post now so that when you have access to this amazing new feature, you’ll know how to set it up.
To set up a Group Profile, head over to your Insta profile and tap the plus button in the top right corner. Then select Group Profile. You’ll automatically become an Admin of the group and will be prompted to fill in the Group’s details including the group username, description, website, and privacy settings. You can also choose to approve posts by tapping the toggle button to On, allowing you to review all posts before they are posted live to the group.
Admins have the ability to invite users to join the Group Profile. Simply tap “Invite” on the Group Profile and you’ll be prompted to search and select the users you’d like to invite. Once a user has accepted the invite, you can then invite them to become an Admin. Users can request to join a group by visiting the Group Profile and clicking the “Join” button. Users can also invite others to join a group and that person will receive a DM invitation.
From there, creating posts is exactly the same as it is with a regular individual profile.
Ideas for Using Insta Group Profiles for Building Community Around Your Brand
Here are a few ideas for brands and creators to better utilize Insta Group Profiles. These ideas are meant to get you thinking about what might work best for a group built around your brand and to help you develop strategies that will work for you. Remember, every brand is different so what works for one brand, may not work for another. While you are waiting for access to this new feature, think about what strategies and ideas might really help boost your brand and your community.
- Use it to build thought leadership by sharing valuable, rich content. This can include sharing ideas, tutorials, educational information, and much more.
- Ask your group a question to boost engagement and initiate a conversation. These followers are your super fans, and can give you valuable insight that can help you market to your larger audiences. Ask them questions about what they would like to see you share about next. This can help you create more engaging posts on your regular profile. Bonus tip: Doubly boost the engagement on this group post by making it a Reel with a poll or question sticker.
- Build a VIP space. Like Instagram Subscriptions, you can use Instagram Group Profiles to create a space for your most valued and loyal customers or followers. Offer up rich content that they can only find on your Group Profile!
Don’t Forget About Facebook and LinkedIn Groups!
Don’t forget about social platforms that already have the ability to create groups! Facebook, parent company of Instagram, and LinkedIn already have the ability to create groups that allow users with similar interests to share ideas and have conversations. If you already have a group on one of these platforms around your brand, great! If not, you might consider starting one. This can give you an opportunity to test out tactics and strategies that might also be able to translate to Instagram Group Profiles. Or it can at least get you in the habit of sharing to a group profile and learning what works for these types of communities on social platforms.
Need Assistance? Call in the Pros!
Do you need help developing a marketing strategy that builds community around your brand? Tintero helps you develop innovative ways to succeed in the digital space by empowering brands to be active in the story they tell and building a community that lasts. Learn more about how we can help you achieve your goals in the ever-changing digital landscape by visiting our website today!