Instagram and other social media platforms can be powerful tools to promote your small business. But that power lies not so much in what you post, but in what you can encourage others to post about you as part of these social communities. To grow your Instagram audience, you need strategies to encourage this brand-sharing behavior.

User-generated content is what you want.

That’s when others appreciate your brand enough to create content around it. This UGC provides social proof that has the power to turn complete strangers into customers, generate steadfast brand loyalty, and act like a flashing arrow pointing at your brand online.…