How to Market Your Business on Instagram
Instagram is online American social media networking site built by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger with the intention of making it a place where people can “merge” on a variety of themes. The site is free to use and has attracted a variety of celebrities to its fold including: musicians Usher and signed musician Kanye West, as well as models and actors Pamela Anderson and Kate Moss. Although Instagram was initially focused on being a way for bloggers to share photos, it quickly evolved into a tool for individual’s to express themselves through their pictures. It is essentially a photo-sharing website that lets users upload pictures and comments on each other’s pictures something like an enhanced and expanded version of the early social network MySpace. Currently, it is ranked at number 13 among all websites in the internet search engines and has over 150 million users.
Like MySpace before it, view private instagram online also offers its users the ability to create and host their own profiles. However, the difference between the two platforms lies not on the number of features a user can enjoy but rather on how easy it is for one to use the app. Unlike MySpace, Instagram allows its users to customize their backgrounds, add captions, join groups and search for images or pictures using keywords. The main difference between the two platforms however lies on the application of the same concept. Whereas MySpace allows its users to browse through various profiles and view their photos or albums, Instgram allows one to post short text messages or pictures directly to the website’s 140-character limit.
In addition to the integration of the photo and instagram account into one’s social media marketing plan, Instagram allows one to use the app as a sort of digital portfolio. Users can upload their entire instagram portfolio, which consists of pictures as well as text, into the mobile app for ease of review. Businesses may find this aspect of instagram useful as they seek new talent or are simply interested in what their clients or customers have to say. Those who find themselves frequently posting instagram photos on their personal accounts can greatly benefit from making their portfolio available to those who visit the app for updates. For those who are uninterested in following or uploading instagram photos directly to the website, the mobile app allows for review and browsing by both audiences and users.
The ability to upload instagram photos directly to the instagram app store, created by the Facebook applications developer, is advantageous for businesses looking to market their products to the audience on the go. The iPhone and android versions of the instagram application allow for uploads to be sent directly to the app store via a push notification. This means that the user will never miss an instagram photo opportunity as it is sent to their phone. Further, the image quality of the instagram photo will be higher on the iphone and android phones as opposed to the mobile web version.
When considering how to use instagram for advertising, it is important to consider the level of privacy one desires for their postings. Some social media apps do require users to accept the use of visual images, such as those taken with a digital camera or other digital imaging device. Other social media apps allow the posting of photos to be public or private. In general, the more creative a business chooses to be with their instagram account, the more likely they will be able to attract attention and build brand awareness. If a business opts to post private images or videos, however, they may find themselves unable to market those activities to their intended audience.
With over 45 million active users, there is no doubt that instagram has a significant fan base. However, it is important to note that not all fans share the same interests. A business that hopes to attract the attention of its target audience by posting useful and engaging visual content should carefully consider which platform they intend to post those materials on. Facebook is clearly the most popular platform, but it does not have nearly as wide a reach as the other options. For those wishing to target a specific group of individuals, such as families, businesses should consider using Instagram. For those who are seeking to attract a broad audience, such as teenagers, Vine is clearly the best choice.