Let’s talk Instagram. You’re posting all the right content, sharing on all your networks, and following all the proper etiquette. You’re even gaining followers – they’re just not the right ones. It’s time to take the initiative, and start pursuing your ideal client yourself.
But how do you find them?
INDUSTRY HASHTAGS
What does your ideal client do for a living? There are hashtags for nearly everything you can think of, including specific industries. Find an industry leader and see what they’re using, or just try plugging in a few broad guesses.
For example, if I was searching for weddings planners, I would try these off the top of my head: #weddingplannerstucson, #arizonawedding, #weddingplanner, #prettyweddings, #weddingseason
LIFESTYLE HASHTAGS
Okay, I made this term up but bear with me. Think about your ideal client’s lifestyle. What do they do for fun? What do they spend their money on? Let’s say they are really into backpacking and traveling.
You might try looking up these hashtags: #wanderlust, #socality, #goexplore, #travelbug
Once you find a few users that fit your profile, see what other hashtags they’re using. Keep a list of the ones that are the most popular amongst your newly-discovered potential clients!
GEOGRAPHIC HASHTAGS
Last one on hashtags. If you are looking for users in a very specific state or city, there’s a hashtag for that. Usually, the standard #losangeles or #chicago hashtag is overrun with tourists, so go a bit deeper. Nearly every city or state has an Instagram group that uses this formula: #instagramAZ, #igers_AZ, or #igerstucson.
Take advantage of special events that are only happening in your desired local! For instance, if you’re going for Washington DC, try #DCfireworks around the Fourth of July.
GEOTAGS
Where does your ideal client hangout? Downtown coffee shops, upscale brunch spots, the local library? Find a picture that is tagged at one of your ideal client’s favorite places, then follow it to the other users that have tagged photos there.
I usually find the first picture by looking up the location as a hashtag, then going through until I find a picture that is geotagged there as well. For example: if I’m searching for people that hang out at Cartel (an Arizona coffee shop with a few locations), I would look up #cartelcoffee first.
This works best for retailers or places with fewer than ten total locations. If you start trying #subway, or #burgerking, you’re going to end up wading through a whole lot of people, and pictures, you aren’t looking for.
FAVORITE BRANDS
Where does your ideal client shop? What magazines do they read? Whose website do they visit every day? Go to those profiles and see who likes and comments on the photos regularly. These users are engaged and interested, they’re not just following along. Isn’t that who you want following you?
Think outside the box. Brands aren’t just big retailers or shops – think industry leaders, media, bloggers, websites, models, non-profits, the whole shebang.
I’m bringing up hashtags again. Many of these brands have regular hashtags, or special promotional hashtags they use every once in a while. Find the hashtag, find your market. Boom.
For example, Target. I know, everyone loves Target, but they are a good example because they have a specific #targetstyle hashtag that people love using.
Another good example, and one of my favorite hashtags, is for the magazine Darling. They promote the hashtags #thatsdarling and #darlingweekend, and yield amazing results from their fans.
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