Social

A Brand’s Guide to Instagram [INFOGRAPHIC]

Instagram has emerged as the premiere platform on which individuals and brands share photos.

A new infographic by Marketo shows just how powerful Instagram is when it comes to business marketing. Photos in general, it points out, are engaging, appeal to emotions, and creates intimacy, showing off the personal side of brands. Instagram is a steadily growing platform, and after Facebook acquired it this past spring, membership jumped to 50 million.

To use Instagram, the infographic suggests that brands figure out what the target audience wishes to see, and how to make fans engage with pictures in a positive way. Photos should be aesthetically pleasing and exclusively posted on there. Hashatags should be “unique to your brand and industry” and include popular keywords. In terms of engagement, brands should post photos of people from events, use geolocation services, and hold contests.

Many brands are implementing Instagram in the ways that the infographic suggested. Econsultancy highlights Red Bull’s Instagram page, which features photos of skydivers, snowboarders, skaters, and other extreme sports connoisseurs, and it uses hashtags such as #flyingfriday and #instawings to increase engagement.

Fashion brand ASOS “asks followers to post images of themselves sporting a particular look using a branded hashtag, then reposts several of the images in its own feeds.” Encouraging interaction between brand and consumer is key. Content should be created on both sides.

According to the latest figures from Search Engine Watch, 7.3 million people use Instagram daily, and in September, the platform received more daily mobile traffic than Twitter.

Since the spring, over 30 million new people have registered, and Instagram now boasts more than 80 million followers. If there’s a “it” platform in social media right now, Instagram takes the cake.

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