3 Reasons Why Your Brand Should Be On Instagram

Instagram has won over hearts since 2010, but it’s not just all about selfies and food pics… Here are three simple reasons why your brand should join!

  1. It’s not all about promoting products

It’s common to presume that Instagram is simply used to promote product-based businesses. But those with slightly less ‘sexy’ products or services should not disregard this platform! According to Davoult (2016) “it should be seen as an incentive to get even more creative”. Whether your business is a tangible product or not there are still many things you can promote via Instagram in order to create a brand image.

Here are some ways you can promote your company:

  • Outside of work – This could be charity projects, sponsorships or even company days out! King Power is a travel retail group but often tweet about their link, Leicester city.
  • Behind the scenes! – It’s not all about products being photographed in great lighting and posted with the perfect filter. Why not try sharing how products are made? Asos.com often post their models getting ready for shoots, which gives an element of consumer involvement.
  • Put a face to your company – Employees and office environments can be a great way to do this. Company events or even national holidays can be the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how your brand does things their way. Virgin Atlantic definitely uses this one well. There are only a certain number of aeroplanes one can post, so airhostesses dressed in red is a creative alternative!
Virgin Atlantic’s Instagram Post.

Virgin Atlantic’s Instagram Post. Caption: Where to next? Let us know if it’s your birthday too! Source: VirginAtlantic (2016)

It’s not all about size either…

Yes, larger brands may have a larger following but everyone has to start from somewhere. In fact e-mail marketing service, Mailchimp, show great enthusiasm on the platform, which is met with great success. The chimp logo is common and the certain tone that is set with images and captions clearly illustrate the brands persona and company ethic. Check them out at @MailChimp for some inspo… pretty impressive.

If your business isn’t on Instagram yet, here’s a great article on ‘How to Use Instagram to Promote Your Brand and Drive Sales’.

MailChimp’s Instagram Post.

MailChimp’s Instagram Post. Caption: Art party! MailChimp peeps have some talented kids. Source: Mailchimp (2016)

  1. It has the highest engagement rate per user

4.21% to be precise… Duggan et al (2015) state that 71% of adults online are on Facebook, while only 26% use Instagram. Clearly not a statement that may convince you to join the platform, but hear me out. Elliot (2015) reported Instagrams has 58 times more engagement per follower than Facebook and 120 times more than Twitter! Impressive right? (Find out more here).

However, engagement doesn’t mean everything, especially if quantity is what you’re looking for. Yet, if you are looking to reach a large number of people pretty quickly, Facebook is probably your guy. Unless you already have followers, your posts are unlikely to reach people, which isn’t the case on Facebook. Why not try Facebook Advertising?

Having said that, besides Facebook, Internet users spend the most time on Instagram than any other social media platforms… a whopping 12 billion minutes each month (Lella, 2015)! This may seem miniscule compared to Facebook’s 230 billion minutes, yet for several brands seeking to direct in niche market Instagram offers a great opportunity.

Source: Lella (2015)

Source: Lella (2015)

Stuck for ideas? Here are some ways to keep followers engaged:

  • Image quotes – aim these at your target markets and remember it doesn’t always have to be about your brand! Misguided.com often post weekend quotes. Simple but relatable.
  • Competitions – regardless of the stakes you should use this as an opportunity to excite users to get involved in your brand and your social media!
  • Videos – why not post clips such as tutorials or behind-the-scenes snippets to create dynamic?
  • Reply to users – this is a simple way to keep things real. It’s not necessary to respond to all comments but will certainly encourage engagement
  1. It’s ideal for creating your brand image

We all go on about creating a brand image but we also know it’s not as easy to do. Einzg (2016) emphasises the link between a successful businesses and strong branding, yet underlines that most businesses fail to do so. Instagram is a gift when it comes to creating a brand image. It’s literally is a platform where you post the image of your company with images. Pretty obvious but easy to get wrong. However, despite the beauty of the digital age Holt (2016) explains, “social media seems to have made brands less significant” due to excessive competition and overexposure of brands and advertising. Could this really be the sad truth?

Negativity aside, Adidas Originals is a key example when it comes to creating a certain image. Yes it is all about products, but only to a certain extent. The account demonstrates more than just its trainers; delving more into the kind of people that wear them and the type of places they can be worn. For example, posed by a performer or flaunted in a bustling city centre. It goes above and beyond, exploring possibilities and inspiring consumers by promoting that sportswear is not all about sport.

Adidas Originals Insatgram Post. Caption: Uncompromising from head to toe:Luka Sabbat looks to the future in the #NMD Chukka. Source: Adidas Originals (2016)

  • Creativity – Cohen (2015) puts it wonderfully by saying “Instagram is essentially a visual storytelling app”. With the filters and the editing functions even the most basic photo can become a masterpiece that can tell your brands story. Collaborate a few photographs and create a collage. Even better, your whole account basically becomes a collage overtime… A perfect way to portray your brand.
Patty and Buns Instagram Account Page.

Patty and Buns Instagram Account Page. Source: PattyAndBun Instagram Page (2016)

  • Engage users  why not even try to invite followers to do your job? Using images of your target audience promotes how others support your brand and generates a certain realness factor. It could be a creative way to keep engagement levels high whilst using customers as a key element of your social media campaigns. Bonobos is a prime example. Fans submit images of themselves wearing its clothing, then the company post these on their Instagram account. Et voila!

If this hasn’t convinced you check out this list of awesome Instagram Accounts!

If that’s not enough, take a look at these ‘23 Interesting Facts About Instagram’. 

Until Next Time!

 

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