You’ve probably got a few social media accounts feel like this is a waste of time and how on earth can anyone make a living being “social”. The landscape of marketing changed and now social media is the best way to interact with customers, get discovered by new prospects and showcase your business.

Social media has given small businesses, the potential visibility that was once reserved for big brands. In other words, it has made marketing more democratic. The challenge for most business owners is turning all that effort from engagement into dollars. The eMarketer.com reported that Instagram is particularly strong amongst Millenials and “this year there will be 48.2 million millennial Instagram users in the US” alone! Here are five ways to attract more ideal customers on Instagram.

#1 Follow Ideal Hashtags

Your customers are already on Instagram and using or following popular hashtags relevant to their interest. Do some hashtag research to find out which hashtags your ideal customers are using. Use those hashtags when you post on Instagram. Like and comment on other posts under those hashtags. Using relevant hashtags is a great way to get more visibility on Instagram and attract ideal clients to your profile. If they love the content you are offering, they may want to learn more and visit your website.

#2 Launch new products

These days Instagram allows you to post short video content. You can use this feature to launch your new products and invite people to visit your website to learn more. While in general social media is meant to be a place to get social, people are always happy to learn about new products or services that can enhance their life. Don’t be too serious, have fun and get creative with how you create your videos.

#3 Inspire and give value

People love inspiring content that leaves them with a nugget of wisdom for their day. Share inspiring content, add value to your followers by providing educational bits. Make it visual, easy to read and easy to share. Try not to over brand your content. This will encourage people to share or repost it on their profile.

#4 Call To Action

When you share content on Instagram, you can let people know that they can access more information or view more by clicking the link in your bio. This will help you direct traffic to your website or landing page. It is important that you website is mobile responsive so that it’s easy for your followers to navigate and access whatever you are offering.

#5 Use the Tagging Feature

If there are other people or brands connected to the image or video you have posted. This shows your followers who you are aligned with. This is a great way of positioning your brand by showing alignment or connection with other known brands.