Instagram has become one of the most powerful social media platforms for businesses to showcase their products and services.
The reason is that many Instagrammers are not just using the platform to connect with others but also to discover new brands.
However, creating engaging and valuable content on Instagram for your social media campaigns can be challenging, especially for service-based businesses.
Since Instagram is a visual platform, product-based businesses can maintain their online presence by posting images and videos of their products.
Service-based companies need to find creative ways of showcasing their intangible offerings. This article explores unique and effective Instagram content ideas suited explicitly for service businesses.
From showcasing behind-the-scenes moments to sharing client success stories, these content ideas will help you leverage Instagram to boost brand engagement, reach new audiences, and get more clients.
So, whether you're a consultant, coach, or agency, read on to learn how to create engaging Instagram content and stand out in a crowded digital marketplace.
What Should I Post on Instagram for Service-Based Business?
Below are the top ideas on what to publish on Instagram as a services business to boost your client base.
- Behind-the-scenes look
- Client success stories
- Tips and tricks
- Infographics
- Inspirational quotes
- Promotions and deals
- User-generated content
- Memes
1. Behind-the-scenes look
As a service-based business, one of the best ways to market yourself, showcase your brand personality, and build a connection with your audience is to share behind-the-scenes moments.
Behind-the-scenes content can include images or videos involving you and your team, the processes you follow, the business tools you use, and any other elements that make your business unique.
Here are some examples of behind-the-scenes content you can share on Instagram:
- Office or workspace tour: If you have a physical office or workspace, you can showcase it virtually and include things like equipment and workstations.
- Work in progress: You can show footage of you or other team members working on a project or offering a service to a client. This approach gives your potential clients an idea of what to expect when they work with you.
- Team activities: Share images or videos of team activities, such as team lunches or team-building exercises. If you work alone, you can instead show what you do to stay motivated and improve your performance.
Sharing behind-the-scenes content enables you to give your followers a glimpse into the real people and processes behind your brand.
It can help to humanize your business and make it more relatable. The result of it is increased engagement and loyalty to your business.
2. Client success stories
Another powerful Instagram content marketing idea to showcase the value of your offerings is sharing client success stories.
Sharing these stories highlights the effectiveness of your services and provides social proof to your potential clients. It gives them confidence in your ability to deliver results.
Here are some ways to share client success stories on Instagram:
- Testimonials: You can write them or use video testimonials from clients highlighting the results they achieved and your services' impact on their business or life.
- Case studies: Publish detailed case studies of your clients, outlining the challenge they faced, the solution you provided to them, and the achieved results.
- Client success quotes: You can also ask for quotes from satisfied clients and share them on your Instagram page. They should create a picture in the viewer’s mind about the value your services can give.
- Before-and-after: Another idea is to share before-and-after photos or footage of successful clients using your service, whereby you highlight their transformation.
If you share client success stories on Instagram, you demonstrate the effectiveness of your services and create a sense of community and trustworthiness with your audience.
Followers will see that you have a proven track record of delivering results, making them more inclined to choose your services in the future.
3. Tips and tricks
You likely have a wealth of knowledge and skills in your industry, and that’s why you can offer your services to others.
As a service seller on Instagram, sharing valuable tips and tricks with your followers can help demonstrate your expertise and provide value to your audience.
You can do it by recording yourself or packaging the information as images or videos. Here are some tips and tricks you can share on Instagram:
- How-to guides: In a pictorial form, share step-by-step guides on accomplishing a task or achieving a specific goal related to your niche.
- Best practices: Give out the best practices and strategies your audience can use to improve their businesses or personal lives.
- FAQs: Answer some frequently asked questions that most clients in your industry usually have.
- Quick tips: Share simple tips your audience can quickly implement in their daily lives or businesses.
If you share valuable tips and tricks on Instagram, you can establish yourself as an authority in your industry and boost your reputation.
When your audience sees that you’re knowledgeable and helpful, they’re likelier to turn to you for guidance and even hire you.
4. Infographics
Infographics are powerful and engaging marketing tools that allow you to present complex information visually appealingly.
If you’re a service-based business on Instagram, you can use infographics to showcase your expertise, educate your followers, and build brand awareness. Here are some tips for making infographics for Instagram:
- Choose a topic: Before creating your infographic, choose a topic relevant to your brand and your followers. It can be a frequently asked question, a process you use in your service, or a statistic related to your industry.
- Gather information: Once you have a topic, gather the information you need to create your infographic. It can include data, statistics, or critical points you want to convey to your audience.
- Design your infographic: Use a tool like Canva to create your infographic. All you do is pick a visually appealing template and customize it to match your brand's colors and style.
Remember to keep it simple. Infographics should be easy to read and understand, so you need to avoid clutter. Straightforwardly explain your points and use visual elements like icons and images to help illustrate your message.
5. Inspirational quotes
Inspirational quotes can be a meaningful way for service businesses to connect with their audience on Instagram.
Whether you're a life coach, a wellness expert, or a business consultant, sharing motivational messages can help you inspire your followers — even make you viral— and build your brand.
Here are some tips for using inspirational quotes as Instagram content ideas for your service business:
- Choose quotes that resonate with your audience: When selecting quotes to share, it's wise to keep your target audience in mind. Consider their interests, challenges, and goals, and choose quotes that speak to them. For instance, if you're a fitness trainer, you could post quotes about perseverance, discipline, and self-care.
- Be consistent: To keep your followers engaged, post inspirational quotes regularly. You can post one quote per day or post them on specific days of the week (e.g., #MondayMotivation, #TuesdayQuotes, or #FeelGoodFriday).
- Add your commentary: Quotes speak for themselves and can be influential. But adding your commentary can help you connect with your audience more deeply. So, include your personal experiences, tips, or insights related to the quote, and even encourage your followers to give their thoughts in the comments.
When it comes to posting quotes, feel free to get creative. While traditional quote posts can be compelling, you can experiment with different formats.
For example, you might create quote graphics with animations or use videos to share longer quotes or messages.
6. Promotions and deals
Promotions and deals are a perfect way for service businesses to attract new customers and reward their loyal followers on Instagram.
Offering exclusive discounts, special offers, and limited-time deals encourages your followers to try your services while the prices are more friendly.
If you do, you need to make sure you're active on Instagram, reply to Instagram messages properly, and can provide good support in case customers have any questions.
Here are some tips for using promotions and deals as Instagram content ideas for service businesses:
- Choose a specific service to promote: Instead of offering discounts on all of your services, just pick a specific one to promote. It will help you create a targeted promotion more likely to resonate with your audience.
- Use clear and concise captions: In your caption, clearly explain the details of your promotion, including any requirements or restrictions. Use clear and concise language to ensure your followers understand your deal's value. Or simply use an AI-enabled caption generator for creating captivating captions effortlessly.
- Include hashtags and geotags: Add relevant hashtags and geotags to promotional posts to reach a wider audience. It will help your post appear in Instagram search results and make it easier for people to know about your promotion.
Setting a deadline is one trick to get the most out of this Instagram content idea. Your audience will want to take action immediately when there's a sense of urgency.
And clearly communicate the deadline in your caption and graphics for people to see.
7. User-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is another idea for services businesses to engage with their followers on Instagram and authentically showcase their offerings.
UGC refers to any content your followers create and share about your brand, such as photos, videos, reviews, or testimonials.
Featuring UGC on your Instagram page allows you to build social proof, strengthen your relationship with your followers, and attract new customers.
To generate UGC, you must actively encourage your followers to share content about your brand. It can be as simple as asking them to tag your brand in their photos or using a branded hashtag in their posts. Once you have some UGC, you can feature it on your Instagram page.
Also, when your past clients share UGC online, engage with them by liking, commenting, or reposting their content. It will help you establish a stronger bond with them and encourage more UGC in the coming days.
8. Memes
Yes, that’s right. Memes are typically humorous images or videos with captions often relatable to a specific audience. Businesses can use them to engage followers and inject humor into the content.
To get started, you just need to know your audience and what type of humor they enjoy. The memes should relate to the niche you’re in.
Take note of the popular memes among your followers and use that as inspiration for your own memes.
Also, watch trending topics and incorporate them into your memes when appropriate. It can include holidays, viral videos, or popular memes.
Memes are meant to be humorous and light-hearted. So, make sure to keep your memes on-brand and in good taste. Steer clear of controversial or offensive content that could alienate your audience.
Tips for Creating Instagram Content
Having discovered some new Instagram content ideas, use these tips to implement your plan.
- Create a content strategy: Develop a plan for the type of content, themes, or topics you want to focus on and how often you want to post.
- Try out different types of Instagram posts: Publish photos, videos, reels, and stories for the content ideas you’ve chosen. It will help you maximize your social engagement since different users prefer viewing various types of posts.
- Only include high-quality visuals: Instagram is a visual platform, so it's essential to use high-quality images and videos that are visually appealing and on-brand. You can even use an AI image enhancer to improve a photo’s resolution and other elements.
- Use captions strategically: Captions are essential to your Instagram content and can help provide context, personality, and value to your followers.
- Incorporate hashtags: Hashtags can help your content get discovered by new followers and increase engagement rate. Use relevant and targeted hashtags in your posts and stories.
Conclusion
Instagram is a powerful platform for service businesses to connect with their audience and promote their brand. By using a variety of content ideas, such as infographics, promotions and deals, and memes, you can capture the attention of potential clients on Instagram.
The key is to know your audience, set goals, and develop a content strategy that is consistent, visually appealing, and on-brand.
If you implement these ideas and tips, your service business can have a strong presence on Instagram, and you’ll be able to achieve your business goals with lesser effort.
Author Bio
Mike Stuzzi is an online entrepreneur who blogs at MikeStuzzi.com. He publishes helpful guides on starting online businesses, the best business and AI tools to enhance productivity, and his personal experiences on the site.