Instagram gives brands the opportunity, like no other channel, to show their “human side.” Brands can hawk products and value on numerous other channels, but with Instagram brands can do that in a way that makes them appear to have life and feelings and personality. Do brands have to be crazy on Instagram? No. But, they do need to take advantage of the audience’s younger demographic and casual nature to engage and connect. The platform only has three engagement options: Follow, Like, and Comment. So, for brands it shouldn’t be that hard. So, how do brands use Instagram for the win?
Create something people want to talk about! Say “NO” to stock photos and branding. Create something that is engaging, shareable, and clever. Even the most brand-conscious brand can expand their horizons on a channel like Instagram. There are numerous articles about brands that are winning at Instagram.
What are the winners doing?
-Creating visuals that make you feel, some or all of the feels (And you don’t have to use kittens or puppies to do it. Though, they can’t hurt! We’re looking at you, Today Show.)
-Creating visuals that make you say, “I want to see more from them.”
-Creating visuals that can be absorbed instantly rather than creating an image that doesn’t tell the immediate story.
-Creating visuals that are not overly promotional.This is probably the biggest challenge for brands. Mix it up. Add quotes to your product photos, put your product in a different environment.
Califia Brands is an expert at this!
PAID support
Brands should be paying to play on Instagram. Long gone are the days of the Michael Kors backlash. Now, everyone should be advertising. Facebook’s purchase of Instagram gave brands access to Facebook targeting for Instagram, and made it easy for brands to reach their audience.
Also, brands should be using Facebook advertising to send users to Instagram to expedite channel growth. Chick-fil-A is doing it right! This Promoted URL uses the Learn More feature to send users to their Instagram channel.
As a brand, look for ways to expand your thinking. Think like your audience. Feel like your audience. And in the end, do what the winners are doing and you can win too!