Instagram and its raging popularity
Instagram was launched as a platform that was primarily used to share photos and videos. The app has gained popularity over the years incredibly. This user-friendly, addictive app currently has over 2 billion active users.
This app has diversified content for the audience by providing a choice of extensive filters and fun options like boomerang, rewind and other formats to compete with the competitor Snapchat. The app expanded into providing content in forms of stories, live videos, polls, questions and many more. An Instagram story has pictures or videos which only last 24 hours. Amidst this huge pool of features, Instagram also launched IGTV to battle YouTube.
The IGTV lifts the app’s restrictions of only uploading one-minute long videos. IGTV videos can last up to an hour.
Why choose Instagram?
Engagement rate
Every marketer looks for high engagement rate in their content. And no other platform offers an engagement rate like Instagram does. The Instagram stories also have proven to have 30% more engagement rates than the feed. But it is important to keep using different strategies so that the content doesn’t become predictable.
Attractive content through images and videos catches the eye of the customer and will be able to draw their complete attention although it will be for a short period. This kind of content creates a strong impression. The authenticity and the easy reach to content creators are some of the key reasons why engagement rate always stays high.
Hashtags
These are a helpful aid on Instagram. The reach it provides is immense and brands sometimes design campaigns around the usage of customized hashtags.
The authenticity of content
Influencers have become easily accessible role models for Instagram users. Unlike celebrities, followers of a certain influencer have the ability to reach out to them. It has also become easier for common folk to realize their dreams by creating content and gaining followers through authenticity.
The influencers have the capability to recommend a certain product/service which will result in the followers purchasing the commodities. So, when a brand collaborates with specific influencers whose followers are their target audience the results are fruitful.
Instagram Ads
Instagram is one of the most commonly used platforms for influencer marketing. Influencers of several categories have been evolving over a while and brands have been extensively exploring this to their advantage to reach out to all segments of the market.
Instagram Ads were launched in the year 2017 for business accounts to spread their sponsored posts. These ads allow the app user to reach out to them directly and quickly. The post will consist of a highlighted tab at the bottom on clicking will take you straight to their portal. It’s hassle-free for both parties.
Instagram insights
On a business account, Instagram lets you avail another feature called Insights. It allows you to view your interaction statistics, your impressions, and the specific page’s reach. It keeps track of your profile visits. You can also track your audience location-wise, age-wise, gender-wise and also on a daily basis. Monitoring the graphs and statistics provided on all aspects of your account by this feature makes it easier to analyze your audience and rectify mistakes to achieve an efficient engagement rate.
The data provided by the app is very easy and simple to understand. This data helps in creating strategies to make changes to your methodologies.
A rising problem in Instagram
While Instagram works great, one not-so-openly talked about issue is the authenticity of the influencers. Instagram fraud is a rising problem where a segment of Instagram users who buy their followers, comments or likes. There has also been a significant usage of engagement bots.
Such activity has not only caused increased rates of doubts among the followers but also has made it hard for brands to make the right pick. Choosing influencers has now become more of a tedious task. It not only includes finding the perfect influencer for the brand but also to look well for fake profile followers or likes. Brands end up investing in engagement bots rather than investing in authentic influencers.
Quick tips on how to identify these fake influencers?
Bot comments as they are always following a pattern of spam. Genuine comments will be realistic and not always positive.
A huge number of followers overnight without a strong reason is another red sign,
Excessive use of hashtags that are irrelevant to the post is a bot trying to engage.
Thinking about implementing an Instagram influencer marketing campaign?
Here are a few simple steps for your brand to get started
CONTENT CREATION: Begin with pitching creative ideas for a campaign that is relevant to the product or service on board. Remember that the best engagement comes with the best content. Make sure that your content is flexible to change. Be open to new ideas.
INFLUENCER SEARCH: Start looking out for influencers whose followers you need a response from. Make sure they are authentic and have a good connection with their followers. While choosing the influencer, ensure that they are talented, have the quality of being able to work with everyone and are open to negotiations.
DELIVERY: Make sure that the message that your content must first grab the attention of the audience, it should be retainable it should drive them towards it. A lot of brands may be successful in making their advertisements entertaining but not all create a drive which urges them to buy the product/service. Allow influencers to deliver the message in their own creative, restricting them to a particular pattern will be a drawback. Images and videos always work great on the platform.
POST-CAMPAIGN: Once posts have been uploaded it’s essentially important to keep track of them. Instagram Insights is a great tool to do that. If the campaign doesn’t progress the way it should have, pay attention to feedback. Consistency is also needed when it comes to carrying out a campaign- one post does not do the trick. Lastly, maintain relationships with influencers that you have worked with for their continuous valuable inputs.
Conclusion
Instagram can be really tricky when it comes to marketing, but the results produced overtake them all. A perfect mix of upstage, creative content and reliable sources clicks. Apart from the mockery that it receives for its unproductive time consumption and general content, it’s definitely the perfect platform for marketing.
留言