Instagram is currently testing a new “Map Search” feature in Australia and New Zealand that will allow users to discover new businesses and places nearby via a map directly accessible from the application.
What is Map Search?
The “Map Search” feature will be accessible from the “Explore” tab on Instagram via a map icon. When a user clicks on it, they will be taken to a map where they will be able to see the establishments around them, such as cafés, restaurants, shops and museums. They will also be able to search locally by location (e.g. “restaurant Lille”) or by browsing the map.
Then the user will be able to click on an establishment and access all the information they need, such as opening hours, address, prices, Instagram profile of the establishment as well as a preview of photos posted by users and tagged at that location.
The user can also search for a specific service, such as #Delivery, and discover all the establishments associated with that hashtag.
Why is this important?
This feature will allow you to:
- Be found by more people; Instagram has 32 million unique visitors per month in France
- Create a new channel of communication with your customers to make it easier for them to interact with you and capitalise on the content they create
- To make your establishment go up on Google, Instagram benefits from a domain authority of 100 / 100 (What is the Domain Authority?)
How to take advantage of it?
Instagram has not yet communicated on the launch of this feature in France but it should be tested in more and more countries in the coming months.
If you want to take advantage of this new feature, you will need to:
- Retrieve and update your Facebook pages. This can be complicated if you manage several establishments, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.
- Create a “Business” Instagram account
Here are the steps to follow to create an Instagram Business account:
- From your Instagram profile, open the “Settings” window
- Select “Account”.
- Click on “Switch to a business account” (NB: Your establishment must have a Facebook page and you must be an administrator in order to switch your Instagram account to “Business”. If not, Instagram will create this Facebook page automatically for you).
- Set up your business profile (category, contacts, address and business information)
- That’s it!
Don’t hesitate to contact us to help you manage your online presence and reputation!
