B2B Instagram – boosting visual impact

When I look at a lot of B2B Instagram channels, it makes me feel a little sad.

Here we have this amazing opportunity to showcase the personality and culture of a business and yet so many B2B Instagram channels are either untapped or, worse still, doing nothing to present themselves in a way that is going to encourage anyone to use their services.

I should stress I’m looking at this very firmly with a visual impact in mind.

I realise there are other important facets to B2B Instagram that also contribute to success, but I genuinely think there are some simple steps a business can take to set up a more effective presence there.

Not every business can afford to spend lots of money on creating original, high quality content. Those that can’t tend to use stock imagery (yawn), default to generic graphics (which can have some merit) or leave the photography in the hands of a someone who’s keen, if not skilled at the art.

This latter point is where the opportunity exists.

Consistency is a key element to Instagram success and by setting out some simple guidelines you can start to have more visual impact.

Pick a filter

And stick with it. There are numerous ones available out of the box so to speak, but then you can customise them further still. Like Hefe but want to ramp up the brightness or saturation? Set in stone to what level you want images to be tweaked in post-production on the app.

Think about framing

Do you always centre the image? Do you crop in close, or view from a distance? These visual calling cards can help to draw users in when they’re executed consistently and effectively.

What’s your theme?

What’s the thing that brings your product of service to light? Box shots are unlikely to be the answer. What subject gives you context and how can you bring that to life visually?

Allow for movement

Your static shots might be sharp, but you should also account for guidelines around video to capture movement on the channel too. Framing, filters, etc. all come into play here.

Branding

Think carefully about where the logo, or any brand signifier might sit in your content. Is it a subtle watermark? Or is it the consistent use of a brand palette? People are on the platform for visual stimulation, so getting this balance right is really important.

Document these in your brand guidelines and make sure everyone who needs to understand them is briefed. Then prepare yourself to be able to sit back in a couple of months and look at a B2B Instagram feed that is starting to do your brand more justice!