There are a many popular social media apps which are the most popular today. Each has its specific uses, and different user sets. For example, Linked In is for the more career-oriented people, and helps them develop professional networks and progress their career. Facebook is for the 35 to 60-year-old segment and is a great place for people to share opinions, entertainment and also events in their lives, apart from its original purpose of reconnecting old friends and making new friends. Next, we come to Instagram, which is based more on pictures and videos and very popular with youngsters.
The Start of Instagram
When it started, Instagram was used more by youngsters to share attractive pictures and videos mostly centered around their own lives. Instagram provides every user a feed which can be seen by other users if they are following this user. For the users of Instagram, the number of Instagram followers became a point of contention with other users. People used to judge the quality of their profile and its contents by the number of followers and the likes and comments on individual posts.
Evolution of Instagram
However, slowly marketers realized that Instagram need not only be about a user’s ego. A profile with a large number of followers and likes could also be used as a good vehicle for promotion and marketing. Moreover, companies realized that they too could create similar profiles for their brands and products, so that the marketing could be done easily and more cheaply. What benefits would such a company get?
Brand Awareness
A continued engagement on Instagram helps in building awareness of the brand and also creates a brand personality. The posts on Instagram can be planned and designed in such a way that they build up a persona for the brand.
Increased Engagement
Instagram is one of the social media apps that sees the most engagement amongst the users. The more the engagement, the more is the possibility of a brand sticking on in the minds of the users. That is why Instagram can be a much stronger tool for marketing on social media than other static promotional activities.
Cross-Referencing Social Media
Instagram content can also be aligned with other social media to encourage cross-references and back-and-forth traffic. This would allow a company or its marketer to get the attention of all the segments using each social media. Since Instagram is a visual medium, therefore interesting pictures and videos posted on other social media apps can be edited and improved and shared on Instagram. Instagram posts which generate good engagement can also be shared on other social media profiles.
Ideal Demographics
The immense popularity of Instagram among Millennials makes it a great vehicle for advertisement by brands which target the youth. Instagram also has been used very well by brands like Nike, General Electric, and Ford, which do not have a youth niche target segment.
Author Bio: Karen Hazelwood was a marketing consultant before she reinvented herself as a digital marketing expert. For the last five years, she has been helping clients use social media for their promotional activities and how to get more Instagram followers.
