Instagram on its way to be a marketer’s favorite
Social Media
Posted 01 Jun 2017
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, YouTube or Tumblr – there exists a wide range of social networks. Facebook´s subsidiary Instagram currently has 700 million active users monthly and is the 5th most popular Android App in Germany. These statistics highlight the great potential social media platforms have in the context of marketing and e-commerce.
In 2016, the image-sharing platform introduced new business tools for company profiles that allow them to improve making contacts, to collect statistical data on their posts and to increase interactions.
The Contact button allows companies to decide how their customers can get in touch with them: email, phone call or direct messages. Companies therefore do not need to dig through the comment sections to find unanswered questions. The volume of comments on any given Instagram post can make engaging with commenters difficult and time consuming, not only to respond, but also to identify which comments actually need a response. In addition, some comments might be overlooked or noticed too late, at which point the customer could be dissatisfied. Through the use of the Contact button, companies are immediately and directly reachable, resulting in increasingly satisfied customers with whom they can communicate with faster without requiring as much effort.
The benefits of statistical data on Instagram posts are obvious. Companies can identify their followers and are informed about posts that elicit the greatest response and interactions. Through Instagram statistics, companies can better optimize their content based on the processed data to increase the visibility of their profile.
The biggest advantage of Instagram business tools comes from Call-To-Action buttons which support sponsored posts. Through the buttons “Learn more” and “Watch video”, companies can make interaction with their followers easy, and the “Buy Now” button serves as a direct way to promote the actual sale of products. These buttons make followers more likely to make spontaneous purchases.
From a marketing perspective, Instagram is simply closing the gap with other platforms through its new business tools. Analyses and campaign goals, much like the Call-To-Action buttons, are already common practice on Twitter and Instagram´s parent company Facebook. The value that Instagram adds to the table, however, does not only come from its available tools, but rather from the kind of shared content that Instagram offers.
The Instagram Stories (inspired by Snapchat) make it possible for companies, influencers and bloggers to share more authentic content with their followers. For example, the Stories feature give users the opportunity to share insight behind-the-scenes of their photo shoots, video shoots, shows, production and more. This brings the company closer to the followers and increases user engagement. Users can establish more genuine and trusting relationships with their followers. Instagram Stories do not require the effort of perfect TV commercials. Actually, the less “perfect” the content, the more authentic it looks and the better it is received by the community. Stories can also feature embedded links, opening doors to marketing through a whole new channel. A product featured on an Instagram story can link to its corresponding web page. The link can track the audience traffic of the post so companies can instantly measure their success. Companies can market their products, websites or videos without having to use Call-To-Action functions. Additionally, Instagram Stories can be used in the context of influencer marketing. Influencers can use their personal tracked link in their Stories and companies can better measure an action´s success.
Instagram´s visual features are also the perfect response to today´s flood of digital information and user´s resulting shortened attention spans. Many social media users no longer take the time to read texts, making it increasingly difficult for businesses to reach target audiences and elicit a response. Visual content, however, can better communicate key messages and can make the brand more interesting and accessible to a user. It is therefore unsurprising that content marketers increasingly plan to use more visual content. Because the typical proportion of text to visuals on Instagram is relatively small, followers concentrate more on the visual message conveyed. Hashtags can support a visual message and can represent the brand appropriately while preferably still using minimal amounts of text. Through the use of hashtags, even users who do not follow the company can be reached.
Instagram business tools make Instagram a perfect social media platform for marketing. The enhanced linking and analysis tools make it possible for companies to measure the success of their activities. New Contact and Call-To-Action buttons offer increased possibilities for interaction with the community. Instagram Stories bridge the gap between the user and the audience, creating authenticity and a basis for trusting relationships. Authenticity also facilitates a company´s ability to stand out from the competition. Through Instagram´s visual features, brand messages and brand image can be clearly communicated, supported by relevant hashtags. Instagram offers all of the necessary marketing tools to strengthen customer loyalty and attract new customers.
