(Image by WeSEE)
By now, you already know that brands can leverage user –generated photos to engage consumers. The power of Instagram is enormous. Businesses all over are using Instagram to enhance the sharing experience by creating short videos and images to share.
Have you considered creating a profile for your brand? Getting started on Instagram is very easy and straightforward. Instagram’s tagline is ‘Capture and share the world’s moments’ and it really is all about just that.
We’ve got a few clients asking us what it is about, how useful it is for business etc. So we are sharing our views on why you should consider it for your business.
Instagram has grown by 33% in just 7 months; it’s about sharing moments and not direct selling of products through images all the time. Here are our top tips for making Instagram work for you.
- Define your brand’s goal– what is your purpose for having an account? Are you looking for followers? Or do you want to engage with customers and potential customers?
- Balance fun images with pictures from your business: Tell a story with your images. Use images that are fun and convey your business’s image. Ex: Anthropologie
- Gain a fan following: Connect your Facebook account and use different images on Facebook and Instagram and cross-post. Also use Hashtags to help people find you on both Instagram and Facebook.
- Create a distinct style or theme for your brand: It’s good to have a distinct style associated for your brand across all platforms. Remember to be consistent and not boring.
- Be creative and keep the images and videos fresh and engaging: You can add different overlays, text, and image stickers to make them different but don’t overdo it. Also keep the images aesthetically appealing.
- What’s life like at work? Use Instagram to share images of your everyday work, behind the scenes of a product or event, promote posts- give people a reason to want to follow you.
- Participate in Hashtag conversations: Great way to share content, meet like-minded people and also allows users to link back to your blog if they don’t know you.
- Spread out your content feed: Don’t do binge posting. Post once or twice a day. Engage with your followers, talk, comment, and share.
- Focus on your brand value: Make your communication strategy stand out, be direct yet engaging
10. It’s not just about numbers: Instagram is about emotions; so track the increase in followers, the rate of engagement, it’s all about people.
11. Use Instagram to inspire potential customers: Post photos and videos relevant to your brand but that can be representative of a social cause ex: Wholefoodsmarket– their posts promote healthy, wholesome food and showcase its sustainability and store events.
12. Optimize your profile: Like it’s counterparts, Instagram needs to have brand information in specific ways. Here’s a helpful link of what to include in the profile.
(Image by Gerry Moran)
13. Use Instagram Video feature: It’s short and a great marketing tool. Use it for promoting your organization, sharing great content, your daily life and your customers and clients.
14. Run competitions or photo contests: Involve users to capture a moment and share them to win something.
Here’s a gist by Toputop.com that describes it perfectly.
There are valuable marketing lessons to learn from these brands that uses Instagram really well such as Sharpie , Generalelectric and Michaelkors
What will you be using Instagram for? Do you love photo sharing?
-Social Pandora
Social Pandora 
