Instagram Marketing – learn from Fortune 500s
As the social media channel continues to mature, businesses are now trying different ways to connect with their customers online beyond Facebook, Twitters and in different ways. Nowadays, Instagram is becoming increasing popular among marketers. The stat shows that among 150 million unique users(both consumers and business)on Instagram, 25% of Fortune firms are already maintained a presence there, mostly posting pictures on a regular basis. Brands like Nike, Starbucks, Ralph Lauren, Whole Foods and more are all top players in the Instagram big brand space.
Recently, TrackMaven, a competitive analysis firm has released a study that exposes how these Fortune 500s are using Instagram, and gives tips on how you can use Instagram like a boss, too.
Here is the summary for some key findings
1.Photo v.s Video
Photos are performing better for Fortune 500s as the video service is somewhat new.
2.Timing
The effectiveness of instagram marketing using pictures varies little among workday(8a-9p), off-hours(9p-8a) and weekend. However, when it comes to using video content, the effectiveness is much higher during off hours suggesting “users are more likely to engage with videos when not at work, presumably because of the audio component of video,” TrackMaven said in its report.
3. Instagram Filters
There are also some interesting foundings about the photo filter usage. While nofilter photo are most used by Fortune 500s, the Mayfair filter seemed to perform the best.
4.Instagram Hashtags
According to the study, number of hashtags correlated to the success of the content.”Looking at the interactions (the sum of likes and comments) per 1,000 followers compared to the number of hashtags used, there is a strong correlation to the number of hashtags used and effectiveness up to 5 hashtags which has the highest average at 21.21 interactions per 1000 followers,” TrackMaven said in its report.
My takeaways of Instagram Marketing
From my perspective, instagram enable companies to do “Life Style Marketing” through its platform. What I mean by life style marketing is that the picture and video feature allows the company to market their product through story telling. First of all, picture and video are more engaging, attractive, one pictures can tell thousand words without boring the customers. Secondly, Customer can always project their own experience & feelings towards the pic without the Ad Script’s interruption. This could allow customers get attached to the brand therefore create sense of brand loyalty. Last but not least, by posting pictures took in real life, it closes up the distance between the brand and customers. Customers are more likely to believe it’s real, the brand is in my life, therefore may be more easily to have an emotional attach to the brand.
According the Treck Maven’s study, there are two key takeaways I think may be useful for companies uses instagram marketing.
1.Use Videos
The slow adoption rate for the Videos on Ins from Fortune 500 provide opportunities for other brands to lead ways in Video content Marketing by providing a different variety of postings. As Instagram functions as a highly visual platform, taking it a step further by adding more videos to your account can give you an advantage with your followers by being more engaging
2.Utilize Hashtags
The Study showed that 4-11 hashtags can increase up to on average 77 interaction per Ins Post. Incorporating hashtags by integrating them into your story telling process. Finding several most relative hashtag you can use and maximize the brand exposure by effectively use them! Not only the brand should use the hashtag, encourage the brand advocates to hashtag the brand! Customers’ hashtag not only provide varieties of the pictures but also in a way create a direct two way interaction between the brand and the customers. Customers’ hashtag also function as peer review and word of mouth, which could also help out reach broader potential customer bases and build positive brand image among them.