Why Instagram is an important asset for marketing your business
Social media “Influencers” were born from Instagram. Thanks to the nature of the app, it was easier for content creators to get found by their target audiences, and it didn’t take long before these people began accruing mass followings, and brands started to take an interest in them (wanting to tap into their audiences).
And then a whole slew of a new kind was made:
“Influencers” (the term for someone with a large following of loyal followers who are likely to purchase what the influencer promotes on their page. The Kardashians are the best example of this.)
“Insta-models” (names given to those who weren’t official models signed to modelling agencies, just people who could take good photos and edit them really well).
“foodies/food bloggers” (terms given to those who would visit restaurants, snap nice photos and post on an external blog… but would drive the audiences there by sharing their images on Instagram. Extra clout would come if the restaurants would reshare their photos).
Due to visuals being the primary grabber – brands selling physical products (apparel, make up, tools) and physical services (fitness trainers, cooks, make up artists, stylists) have leapt onto Instagram as it displays their offerings in the most tantalising ways.
Instagram has evolved from a ‘pretty photo sharing app’ into an essential platform for almost all brands (most particularly, e-commerce websites). With the introduction of IGTV, IG stories, and Reels, Instagram has moved beyond photos into videos and visual storytelling.
Instagram has become amongst the very first touchpoints for potential customers to interact with unknown brands. The ‘discover’ tab allows for users to explore a feed of accounts that have been tailored to their tastes (i.e. if you like XYZ brand, you’ll most likely be interested in ABC brand. Or, because some of the people you follow also follow XYZ brand, you might like this brand.)
Just like Facebook, Instagram has the capacity to reach millions of customers while generating and maintaining active conversations with existing and potential customers alike.
Average consumers spend (XX) hours on Instagram every day and Instagram has made it easier for e-commerce sites to thrive; making purchases as simple as two steps.
For any company providing merchandise or a visual service, having a social presence on Instagram is essential.
How to get started on Instagram
Getting started on Instagram is super easy! Download the app on your phone (as it is primarily an app; their desktop site does not always have the same capacities as the mobile app).
Watch our easy tutorial here.
If you’ve already got an existing Instagram account but have not yet done anything with it or aren’t sure how to curate your feed, read on.
Instagram Content
Careful planning goes into curating a gorgeous, follow worthy feed. As Instagram is primarily a visual app, it is expected that the images and videos posted are of high quality. There needs to be an even amount of post types – posting the same type of thing over and over gets tiring, repetitive, and doesn’t offer extra value to your followers.
Raw or poor quality photos are perceived to be amateurish and give off a less polished vibe. The term “insta-worthy” was derived from this concept – if a photo is super attractive (that looks almost as though a professional photographer took it), then it is “insta-worthy,” or, an image that would be acceptable to post on Instagram.
Content on Instagram can be presented in a variety of ways. You can post a singular image, an album with multiple images in the one post), or a short video clip. Videos that are longer than 1 minute are posted to IGTV. Videos are also expected to be of a high standard; videos that are pixelated, glitchy, or slow paced, are not looked on favourably.
Instagram Stories has become a hub for engagement, where users can post a picture or video that gets shared on their profiles for 24 hours before disappearing. Stories can be saved into the archives and placed under “highlights” if the content creator wants their fans to be able to see/find a particular story at a later date.
Stories can also have music, text, and gifs added to enhance the video or image being shared. Content creators can also add polls (where their fans can vote between a few options) and Q&A; inviting their audience to ask them questions.
Content on Instagram is a mixture of presenting a polished look yet authentic look at the content creator. It allows content creators to connect directly with their fans; giving them a peek into their lives.
This is highly exemplified with celebrities, but businesses can take the same approach: showing Behind The Scenes of staff at the office, revealing more relaxed personalities to the staff (who would be presenting a more ‘professional’ vibe on LinkedIn and on the website) and proud examples of work that has been produced for clients.
Indeed, It is time consuming to curate and create a beautiful feed on Instagram and build a gorgeous looking profile. The hard effort, however, does pay off, as audiences on Instagram are appreciative; they will only follow your account if they like and are interested in what you are sharing and your message resonates with them. Putting out half-done images/videos tells audiences that you don’t really care about what you are sharing or about them.
Building an active audience isn’t hard, but it does require time and effort to actively engage every day. Set and forget isn’t a great approach; you cannot expect others to interact with the content you share if you’re not interacting with others.
As it so happens, we’ve got a few Instagram-obsessed marketers who love to get creative with the ‘gram (and will look for any excuse to do something fun!)
We have some services to help you with managing your social media content, you can check them out here.
Facebook updates their advertising services so often, it can be hard to keep up with all their requirements and changes. #AintNobodyGotTimeForThat
There are so many options for advertising on Facebook, and while all are effective when used correctly, they can also eat up budget rather quickly if you’re not sure what you’re doing.
“Isn’t boosting advertising?”
In short, no, boosting is not the same as executing a proper advertising campaign on Facebook. Boosting is only good to build brand awareness and not much more.
A proper campaign can direct your audience to particular pages on your website, and help promote sales to the people who would be most likely to be interested in it (and therefore, more likely to purchase).
Even if you are on a shoe-string budget – Facebook ads can still work for you! You just have to know how to arrange your campaigns properly to get the most out of it.
As it so happens, we also have some services to help you with managing your Facebook Advertising Campaigns, you can check them out here.daily engagement am and pm checks
