While Facebook is still the king of social media, there is no mistaking the fact that it’s younger brother Instagram is nipping at its heels (Facebook purchased Instagram in 2012). The number of Instagram users has doubled since 2014, which is a figure that no other app besides Snapchat has come close to reaching. So let’s discuss some of the benefits in advertising on this budding social platform:
1 - The Social App of Tomorrow:
We already mentioned the growth rate at the beginning of this blog, but there are other factors that have many people believing that Instagram will have more influence in the future than Facebook. While both of the platforms are mainly used by the 18-24 year old demographic, Facebook has had two consecutive years of declining usage in this category. Instagram on the other hand has seen an increase in this demographic since its inception, recently seeing a jump from 55% to 59%.
2 - Ease of Use:
There is no other platform that has made creating dynamic content simpler. With several photo filters and video editing capabilities built into the app, a company can run their entire Instagram campaign from their mobile phone. Furthermore, the advertising is run through the Facebook Ad Manager platform. So if you have ever had to create an ad campaign in Facebook, creating one for Instagram should not be a problem. Before you begin building your page, we recommend researching some of the more popular pages across Instagram to get a feel on what content generates engagement.
3 - High Engagement Rate:
Part of this can be contributed to the ability to target the ads, but Facebook shares this ability as well. The main reason for this high engagement rate is the nature of the visual platform. Most users are searching for visual posts that are within their interest and eye-catching. If you can form an ad that caters to your target audience, and is visually appealing as well, there is a high chance that they will engage with our ad.
4 - A Great Place for Storytelling:
With the story feature, multi-photo carousels, and video capability, no other platform lends itself to telling a brand story like Instagram. Even Forbes has supported the idea of storytelling advertising, which you can read about here. The truth of the matter is, 92% of consumers say they prefer storytelling advertising as opposed to text. And when it comes to making a lasting impression on your target consumer, speed is key. The brain can process the information from an image 60X faster than it can process text. Platforms that force you to use text to tell a brand story are more than likely increasing the chance that consumers are bypassing your ad.
5 - The Ability to Promote without a Budget:
We recently wrote an article regarding how Facebook is showing posts to a smaller percentage of your followers than they were a few years ago. The most recent statistics show that Facebook is only showing you posts to 6% of your followers. This means that many businesses are having to spend money in order to get the same amount of impressions they use to get for free. The most recent Instagram stats show that 30% of your posts are being shown to followers, and there are several tips on when to post that could make this number even higher. Instagram gives your company the ability to interact with and grow your customer base before you ever establish a marketing budget.
Following brands on Instagram is something that a high percentage of users already do. The brands that have the most followers do a great job of posting content that is interesting to share, have a lifestyle feel, and do not always promote their product. The typical rule to follow is to keep your content 80-20. That is 80% of your content should be focused on educating and enlightening your consumers, while the other 20% can focus on pushing a product. This will keep your followers engaged with your brand, and entice them to share your posts with friends, ultimately expanding your following. Using creative hashtags is a great way for people to remember your post as well. Many followers will use a hashtag search to find posts that caught their eye if they cannot remember who posted it.
You can experience steady growth in your Instagram following by employing these tactics. Then, once your feed is established, use advertising to attract people who have yet to hear of your brand.
If starting an Instagram feed is something your business could benefit from, contact us today and we would be happy to assist you. Xynergy’s digital marketing team has been assisting New Mexico small businesses for over 15 years with their marketing and social media needs. More and more of your competitors are starting Instagram on a daily basis, so time is of the essence.
Contact us for help with your Instagram Promotion and Advertising.
or Call 505-557-7780
