How to use Instagram to promote your business.

For the past 2 months I've had an online business selling tee shirts. I've had a lot of fun designing shirts. It's almost a way for me to remember those "a ha" moments and put them on a tee shirt. I've had some success promoting the business on Instagram and I wanted to mention some of the things I'm learning, what's working and what's not working. The first is the power of the # hashtag. Hashtags are a powerful tool to reach not just the masses, but you also have the ability to focus on your niche audience. I've had a lot of success with the hashtag, not just in business but also with attracting other entrepreneurs. I can now network with them and see what their struggles and successes are. I've also learned the importance of keeping my niche audience engaged. When I post a product I try to encourage discussion by leaving a thoughtful, purposeful comment to encourage discussion. I want to engage the customer to try to connect with them. It's important to me to try and find a common ground with them so I can cater my products to their needs and desires. If there are any other things you guys are currently doing with Instagram, please let me know. Even though I have more friends on my facebook, Instagram seems to be a better platform to do business. Let me know, and while your at it, happy blogging.