If you’ve followed the supercool series of sites to help take your brand to the next level, then you already know that Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+ each have their pros and cons. This last post however presents itself differently from the others simply because it functions completely differently from the others. Instagram, which launched in 2010, is a social networking service that allows users to upload images, apply filters to enhance them, and share them via various sites. The site has gained such significant popularity that it now has over 30 million accounts and over 100 million photographs. You may be asking yourself if there is really a purpose in using a picture sharing service for your brand and the answer is yes—within reason.
What YouTube marketing does with video, Instagram can do with pictures. If you have the type of brand where product visibility and consumer interaction are key, then Instagram is for you. Keep in mind, you shouldn’t post any and every picture you have. Instead, the things you post should be relevant to your brand and strategic along an objective you have set in place. Of course you can share any picture with your followers, but just like with Twitter the hashtag functionality makes sharing even greater. Incorporating hashtags on your pictures sends your image to a community looking for pictures on that content. As well, users can follow your brand off of a single picture, copy it, and share it to their followers as well. It’s probably the only time where plagiarizing is encouraged.
Want to do something more interactive than just hashtaging photos? Then your brand can make a campaign via Instagram. All participants have to do is follow your submission guidelines, use your designated hashtag on their photo, and submit it by the deadline. This then combines all photos to one general hashtag group for you to choose and rate. From one photo contest, you can increase your followers and your brand presence. Since Instagram has a diverse population of users, putting your brand in the mobile and online community doesn’t sound too bad.
Social networking sites are popping up all the time, but only a few are useful to your business. Whether you choose to open accounts on all of the ones we have mentioned or just two, the choice is yours. From Facebook to Instagram you can show your brands personality and connect with consumers in better ways than ever before. After determining which sites would be best to reach your target audience take the leap, create an account, and start getting social!
Click the links below to see the other sites to kickstart your brand!