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Instagram is used by 500 million people every month, which makes your hardwood flooring business account a tiny needle in a huge haystack. Aside from paid, targeted advertising, how do you begin to connect with potential clients in your local area? Here's a simple process that can give you a solid start: Search for and follow users who have uploaded photos taken near your business. First I'll tell you why, then I'll tell you how.
Why follow them?
If your feed is maintained and populated with interesting images, the user is likely to follow you back. You want to follow users who were near your location, because they will probably return to that location. Now that you follow them and they enjoy the content on your Instagram feed enough to remember your name, perhaps they'll stop by next time they are in the area and see your storefront, even if it's just to look around. Congrats, you've just improved your brand awareness.
How to follow them?
In the Instagram phone app, click the magnifying glass icon to open up the search. Touch the search bar, then "Places" and, if you're at work, select "Near Current Location." A list of popular nearby places and businesses will pop up. Choose one that your target demographic might enjoy (i.e., if it screams teenager, not your best option). Now you'll see photos from the users who have been in the area. Unless the place was a tourist destination, most of the users will be locals. Follow any accounts that hint at home improvement potential. According to Harvard University, that means the user is between 25–55, has a middle- to upper-class lifestyle or is married.
Use this process to begin engaging and building your brand on Instagram with locals, and foot traffic should follow.
