How Brands Can Embrace Instagram
Instagram is now the second largest and fastest growing social platform, and has been since December 2014. There are distinct ways in which brands can successfully incorporate Instagram into marketing strategies.
Instagram is now the second largest and fastest growing social platform, and has been since December 2014. They have increased users by 50% and have far surpassed Twitter's 284 million active users, to 300 million.
The reasons for this are simple. It appeals to millennials, provides stunning visuals and allows for in-depth editing that no other platform does. It allows for sharing, engagement and creativity in a way that no other platform allows for or supports.
There are distinct ways in which brands can successfully incorporate Instagram into marketing strategies.
Create A Visual Tone of Voice
Just as any other platform where your brand is presented to the world, consideration must be taken as to how the brand is seen. If your store front/website have a clean, white backdrop, with simple imagery, use that design lead for your Instagram account.
Although there are more than 10 different filters, in addition to the more niche editing tools, you do not need to embrace every single one. Instead choose a filter that suits your visuals and stick with it. Below is Kate, a blogger who fully embraces this ideal, she has a sleek, clear visual tone of voice that is brought through from her blog and continues across all of her social presences. This is not only aesthetically appealing, it is also a way of defining a brand, creating a visual that users will recognise.
Quality Over Quantity
It can be extremely tempting to launch yourself, and your business onto a new platform with a bang. However, in the case of Instagram, quality out weighs quantity, every time.
As with other platforms, creating a schedule for posting will help to ensure that consistency is maintained, whilst brand tone of voice isn't lost. Instagram is a highly visual platform, and struggling to post too frequently often creates pressure and potentially leads to a drop in quality. So keep it smart, engaging, and most of all relevant to your followers.
Forever 21 do this perfectly, they post once a day, they vary the content whilst sticking to a visual tone of voice that replicates the brand. It appeals to the audience, both current and potential.
Embrace Hashtags
Hashtags are important, for a number of reasons. Firstly they increase search-ability, whilst also informing fans of a way they can engage with the brand, by using them on their own channel. Secondly they expand your audience beyond your followers, as they can be searched by any user.
However, as with the number of times you post, don't over egg it. Considered hashtags can have a staggering impact on post reach and engagement, over use of them can have a detrimental affect.
Before you add a hashtag, do your research; who is using it? Do they fit with your brand voice and objectives?
Converse do this by simply using 1-3 hashtags on each image that link to particular lines of shoes, or events they are attending.
Consider Audience
Users follow other users for a variety of reasons, usually because they appreciate the products you sell and want additional content to engage with. Keeping this in mind, don't simply blanket all of your social channels with the same content at the same time.
Consider that each follower may also follow you on Twitter and Facebook, in addition to receiving your newsletter etc. That being said, it may, on the flip side be the only platform they have encountered your brand, meaning it must represent who you are and what you do. Keep the content fresh and non repetitive, engaging and thoughtful. Even if, in your mind, its a simple photo, there is so much more that can be conveyed.
The graphic below shows the breakdown of Instagram demographics, as well as usage levels.
via Contevo
Don't Use As Sale Tool
Although Instagram can be used to showcase products, it should not be used as a sales tool as it's first role. Instead think of it as a digital inspiration board, a platform for promotion and engagement.
It is a way to engage with customers, both existing and potential.
Engage with people, if they comment on your photo, reply. It's that simple. Follow people who engage with you regularly, show them appreciation, build a rapport with them.
There are infinite other tips for embracing Instagram, however let's walk before we can run. By all means let me know your tips for Instagram plus any accounts you simply adore!
Until next time...
Understanding Instagram Insights
Social media can do so much for businesses, but without analytics how can we know what does and does not work? Which, is why I was thrilled to hear the news that Instagram are preparing to launch a series of new tools for the businesses and brands using the platform, including tools for tracking the analytics around posts, hoorah!
Social media can do so much for businesses, but without analytics how can we know what does and does not work? Which, is why I was thrilled to hear the news that Instagram are preparing to launch a series of new tools for the businesses and brands using the platform, including tools for tracking the analytics around posts, hoorah!
Twitter and Facebook have been on the analytics bandwagon for years and despite Instagram being the fastest growing social platform, they have trailed behind. This is all sure to change in the wake of Facebook acquiring Instagram, the launch of analytics will surely be only the first step in a longer plan to make the platform infinitely more business user friendly.
Up until the last week there has been no clear indication of how these analytics will work, thankfully, thanks to a leak from one of the product’s early testers, and Tech Crunch releasing details, we can now see.
The analytics will be known as Insights, in the same way as Facebook, and will focus on on two main areas: follower demographics and post analytics.
Follower Demographics
The follower analytics section offers demographic details about your audience, including;
location
age
gender
Location information is broken down by both country and city, making local engagement much easier for smaller brands. This kind of reporting allows for a greater insight into the behaviour of followers which in turn provides a lead for content creation.
Knowing where the majority of users are based can also help businesses not only better understand what to post, but when to do it. This may be disrupted by the new algorithmic based timeline that Instagram that personalises each users feed individually, rather than relying on chronological order.
Further to the detailed follower insights, it will also allow accounts to track new followers day to day as well as hour by hour, which can help report on the best post content and times, and in turn bring more followers to the account.
Post Analytics
It appears post analytics will focus simply on the content that is shared and how it is engaged with by tracking:
Impressions - total number of times your posts have been seen
Reach - number of unique accounts that have seen any of your posts
Web Clicks - track how many people click the link in your profile
Follower Activities - insights into most popular times of the day when your followers are using Instagram, which will help dictate posting times.
Top Posts is a separate section within Insights which allows users to see your top posts sorted by impressions for either the past week or month, rather than on a graph, it shows them as an overlaid grid, presenting thumbnails sizes images with impressions added on top.
There is no clear launch date for the Insights launch, however it is expected to land in the next few months and will no doubt be simply the start of a move by Instagram to a more Facebook like business offering.
While Instagram wouldn’t confirm what percentage of its user base now has the new analytics tools, it did confirm their existence. “We are testing new business tools coming to Instagram in a few months,” an Instagram spokesperson said.
I must admit for me, the launch of Insights will allow me to focus more importance on Instagram as I can report on it, I can show impressions and understand users in the same way I already do with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
You can get in touch with me on here, or find me over atwww.emmalouisetrotter.com or of course email me hello@emmalouisetrotter.com