Looking from the outside, Instagram might seem like a platform perfect only for those businesses that have physical products to sell.

But guess what?

Even a service-based business can sell on Instagram. So, if you're a service-based business owner, I'm happy to announce to you that there is a place for you on Instagram. And with over 1 billion monthly users, you simply cannot afford to turn down this offer.

The only question is: how will you showcase your business - without a physical item - to the Instagram audience?

The answer: You need an Instagram content strategy that's different from the conventional one that most product-based businesses use.

Luckily for you, we have that in this Stormlikes FAQ guide. Read on to learn about the content strategy you can use for your service-based business on Instagram.

Content strategy for service-based businesses

Show your expertise:

Even though you don't have a physical product to showcase, you can still show people the skills and reputation you've got. This can be in the form of videos or photos of you at work, seminars, industry-related events, and lots more.

For example, let's say you're a dental practitioner, you can share videos of yourself working on patients (if the patient permits). You can even go as far as detailing the procedures you employ in your profession. Or perhaps you're a handyman; you can share videos of you handling various sorts of jobs.

By and large, whatever it is you're doing, take a snap or video of it and share it with your Instagram audience.

Enlighten your audience

Another content strategy you can adopt for your service-based business on Instagram is the idea of sharing tips, hacks, guides, and shortcuts with your audience so as to keep them longing for more. Regardless of the industry you find yourself; there's got to be an opportunity for you to enlighten your audience. This opportunity is what you want to take advantage of.

The opportunity for enlightenment could be in the form of teaching, informing, or sensitizing. Just find out what it is that the people in your industry are doing wrong or have a wrong perspective about and correct them.

Share industry-related statistics

People love to think that they know enough about a given subject until you convince them otherwise. And the best way to do that is to show them what the numbers say.

For example, let's say you're in the fashion industry and the people in your industry still believe that natural ingredients like aloe vera works for stretch marks. You can share research-based statistics in the form of videos, photos, or infographics to prove that aloe vera doesn't really work for such conditions.

The idea is not to humiliate anyone but to educate people on the things they've been doing wrongly and why your service is the better alternative.

However, when sharing statistics-based content, be sure that your source is not only genuine but also relatable with the people in your industry.

Advert-related content

Another interesting Instagram content idea for service-based businesses is the display of ads and promo offers. From time to time, you can publish photos or videos that simply talk about your business and what you do.

However, try not to sound too salesy about it. Instead of making the ad seem more like "come and hire my service," you can make it sound like you're offering something huge in return for nothing. Examples of this could be advert display announcing discount offers, free consultation hours, referral bonuses for clients referred, etc.

Post feedback and reviews

Instagram can also be a great place to show people how your clients are enjoying their time in your office. Perhaps you've received some nice comments, feedback, and reviews from clients on other platforms like Whatsapp, Facebook, or Twitter, you can screenshot them and post on your IG page.

This is a very nice content strategy to boost your reputation on Instagram.

Post industry-relevant quotes

People love quotes. And they're extremely common on Instagram. As such, you can share some niche-specific ones with your audience to speak to their inner selves. It is not a coincidence that quotes generate more engagements than most regular posts on IG.

It could be a random quote from a popular figure in the industry, a motivational quote to remind your audience why they need the service you render, or an inspirational quote to spark a sense of life in them.

To make them fascinating and appealing to the eyes, you can create them using some nice text-editors. Or hire a graphic designer to help you out.