As time goes by, platforms like Instagram are implemented in the life of society more tightly. This platform has developed from a digital photo album, where people could store their casual photos with friends and family, to a considerable influence machine that creates new trends and impacts society and business. And if even a few years ago brands still wanted to buy advertising in traditional sources like magazines or city infrastructure, nowadays more and more of them understand that the profit from 20 Instagram likes is potentially higher than from an expensive investment in magazine commercials. In this article, we shall discover how Instagram has changed through the years and how this fact has affected businesses.
Enhanced Range Of Instruments
Yes, Instagram is no more a photo-sharing app. Today, you can post on this app videos of different lengths, vanishing content like Stories, and even set live sessions. All these features were added gradually, expanding the possibilities not only for nonprofits but for brands too. With such a wide variety of methods, brands can reach a bigger audience and impress more potential buyers than in any other way. Here is the list of functions that you can use on Instagram for your promotion:
- Feed posts. This is the basis of all Instagram might. Here you can upload photos and videos that are limited to 1 minute.
- IGTV. This is a special feature for uploading videos that are longer than 1 minute. Here you can also save your live sessions.
- Instagram Live. This is a great way to communicate with your audience on air—a quick and effective way to strengthen bonds with the viewers.
- Stories. The ultimate power of this app. The most efficient method of interaction with the audience, entertainment and promotion.
- Reels. A relatively new form of video content that is also vanishing and is placed in the feed of users.
The Voice
Social media, and Instagram in particular, have transferred communication to a higher level. This is the first time in the history of humanity when each social group has an instrument to make them heard. For businesses, this is a massive bonus in a promotion. On Instagram, they can collect a lot of helpful information about the preferences and interests of the target group and get an understanding of what is motivating and triggering for them. With this knowledge, brands can build their strategy effectively, connect with their customers successfully, and get more likes, views, and comments organically.
Also, with the nowadays competition rate, businesses can share more than the product line and increase the strength of the bond with their audience. To impress consumers today, it is not enough to provide high-quality products. People are looking for businesses that share similar values, like vegan, ecological production process, social policy, etc. And Instagram is a perfect place for a brand to reveal its values and gain fans.
More Options For Strategy
Modern competition monitoring has now become more accessible, and it’s hardly a secret for all industry occupants. The best thing about social media is that using them for promotion is cheaper and much more effective, and this fact allowed small local brands to stand out on the same level as established companies. Using Instagram, they can represent their products with the same potential as corporations do and receive much more visibility and profit.
On social networks like Instagram, you can easily find valuable insights for your content while checking your competitors on the platform. You can also discover what is attractive to your target group and find original ways to approach them.
Tip: stealing the strategy from your competitors is a bad idea and definitely won’t help you gain likes, views, and followers. But checking out the other brands in your niche can help you to be distinct from the most original and influential ideas of your own.
A Few Notes For Brand Promotion On Instagram
- Use Ads wisely
Instagram offers a wide range of ads that will be helpful for your growth and require not too big a budget if appropriately set. Your main goal is to examine the market and define your target group. As you set up your ads, the more exact information you have, the better your reach. It would help if you aimed for people of the relevant age, gender, profession, and those who demonstrated interest in similar products. You can create promotional feed posts and stories.
2. Be Consistent
Frequent online appearance is what helps to maintain the connection with your potential buyers. You must remind them about your products often, so users don’t lose them out of sight. By frequent posting, you can keep up the brand’s awareness and attract new viewers for your content. The ranking system of Instagram relies on the interaction of users with the posts, so frequent posting helps to appear in the feed of your potential buyers more often.
3. Concentrate On Quality
Despite the previous point about frequent posting, the schedule that you settle has to be harmless for the quality of your content. Again, with the current level of competition in most industries, users are more demanding of the quality of materials they consume. They want to see decent pictures, actual information, and a good level of communication from a brand, so they decide to choose your product among others. You can upload new posts less often if it helps you to create more valuable and interesting content.
4. Improve Your Visuals
Instagram is a highly visual platform, so you must provide top-notch content that catches the viewer’s eye and makes them want to buy your product. Develop a consistent style for your feed that will also help users distinguish your materials and create associations with your product. Getting skills in photography, composition, and color correction won’t hurt your strategy as well.
5. Sell The Idea
To influence the buyers on Instagram, you must sell them something more than just a good product. On this platform, you can easily show your items in a particular context and impact the purchase decision as you demonstrate the idea of using it. Instagram is a place where people share their lifestyle, and if your product corresponds to their ideas, you will increase your number of likes and sales at once.
6. Collaborate
Influencer marketing is probably the most effective way for brands to promote their products. The opinion leaders can expand your target group and bring you recognition in very short terms. Such collaboration isn’t free, and you must choose personalities to co-work with very carefully, but the result can be stunning if a blogger has a live and active audience. Before launching your campaign, examine the market and see what influencers are the most successful as brand ambassadors. It will be better for you to accumulate some budget and spend more on a worthy person than pay less but collaborate with someone who hasn’t gained a considerable reputation yet.
Conclusion
Instagram has evolved from a digital photo album to a great machine that sets trends and raises new celebrities. Brands also have many more unique methods to impress the audience with their items. As a business owner, the main thing that you should remember is that the best strategy is to provide high-quality products. Everything else will be secondary, as users can quickly spread the information about you and become your genuine support.
