Instagram knife marketing

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Brian.Evans

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Aug 20, 2011
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Can someone help me figure out how to use Instagram for knife marketing. I know it can be big, but I have no idea what I'm doing. Yeah, I grew up in the 90s, but Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and all that crap just seem like a big time waste......unless they can help me make money. Facebook I get. Twitter, no thanks. Instagram seems like it would be a boon, but I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do with it. Help!
 
ScottyE said:
Follow knife people, use popular hashtags, post often, take good pictures.
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Pretty much.

If you post good pictures, people will follow.

You can never have enough #hashtags

Also, give all the big knife pages a follow.

And I hate to say it, but if you do a giveaway...they will follow.
 
What Scotty said. There is actually a lot of info geared toward marketing on Instagram that you can find on the web. I plan on starting soon as well. You should concentrate on good photos, popular and trending #s, and interacting with your customers and other knife people by commenting and sharing their photos if they allow. You have to be active.
 
I just started using Instagram to post my work, and I'm still figuring it out but ScottyE pretty much summed it up, Instagram is better for knife sales than Facebook IMO. Since you need to follow as many knife makers and industry related people as possible :) I'm ARctc_Knives on Instagram ��
 
I wish I understood what you guys just said. :D This stuff is getting to be more important every day especially in light of the fact that we lost one of the major knife magazines, Tactical Knives, a few months back.
 
Gaining followers is the key to Instagram; the more you have the larger your marketing audience. Posting interesting photos frequently is crucial. Getting your stuff shared by someone with a huge following can be really benificial. I get likes from @theknifeclub and @dailybadass but I have yet to get a share from either. These are posters with 20k+ followers and it seems to me getting some help from these guys will really accelerate your sales if your work is good. I've not done a giveaway on Instagram yet but, they do appear to be very effective in boosting your following. Once you have a large following and are selling all your knives fairly easily, you can use Instagram for lotteries and auctions as well.

Bob
 
Find all of your favorite makers,
click on their posts,
like their posts,
click on the people who like your posts and or comment on your posts,
see who they are following and who's following them,
click on the hashtags and see what they are all about (what their content is)
start posting your pics with some of the hashtags that your favorite makers or picture takers use,
talk to people, if they like a few of your pics, go ahead and like a few of theirs,
if they comment, be courteous and answer back,
little by little you will build up your following and by all means post often!

I'm at dcmartin2001

Oh and 1 last thing, the desktop version of Instagram is completely different from the phone and tablet version.
The phone and tablet version is much more robust, use that one.
 
Yep, I already have like 30 followers. Does that mean I win?<--kidding However,I still have no idea what I'm doing. Lol.
 
@starkknives here! I agree with all that has been said. I did a giveaway on Nov. 21 at like 1200 followers and in a couple weeks, was close to 2000. Let me know if you have any questions! :)

EDIT:

One quick thing, I looked through your page and wanted to give you one tip. When someones comments on your photo and you respond to them, make sure you put their name (also called tagging) in your response so that they get a notification that you responded. For example, let's say I (@starkknives) comment: "Hey looks great!" You would respond: "Thanks! @starkknives" If you didn't tag me, I wouldn't be able to see your comment unless I went back to your pic.
 
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jdm61 said:
I wish I understood what you guys just said. :D This stuff is getting to be more important every day especially in light of the fact that we lost one of the major knife magazines, Tactical Knives, a few months back.
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I am with JMForge here. Didn't understand a thing.
Is there an instagram for dummies web page somewhere?
 
I only have around 300 followers currently but have made about half a dozen sales on there. I'm sure I could do far more but I have not been keeping up with it like I should.
 
Brian.Evans said:
Yep, I already have like 30 followers. Does that mean I win?<--kidding However,I still have no idea what I'm doing. Lol.
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Brian, I have the same feeling. I'm on there but I'm kinda running around aimlessly trying to figure it out. Im following you and a few others on here. Im dukeharleyorigionals on

Jay
 
Before you get too many followers I would add your first name as part of the title/account. You are one of seven knifemakers I know with the last name Evans. Adding your first name will eliminate potential confusion with collectors.

There is nothing more important in marketing and branding yourself than your name.

Chuck
 
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