Instagram Takes On Brand Marketing

The Instagram application has reinvented photo sharing. Instagram puts it modestly, “Simply snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram. Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, too – it’s as easy as pie.” It really is that easy. Not to mention, with over 25 million users, there’s no wonder the application got acquired by Facebook. Businesses are slowly getting into the application and some have seen great success. The application is not only easy to use, but let’s your creativity flow across social media.

One brand that jumped on the Instagram bandwagon and is a good Instagram reference for ideas is Sharpie. Sharpie is able to capture pictures in so many different ways to reach its audience.

So, how can your business use Instagram? Great question. It really depends on the type of business you have but there are so many ways you can incorporate Instagram into your brand marketing plan. Social Media Sun provides four ways you can use Instagram for your business.

• Event Marketing: What’s better than telling the social media world about your upcoming event than through fun and creative photos? Don’t forget, once you edit your photo, you can upload your photos on more than one platform to share.
• Host a Photo Contest: Have your fans take a picture with your products related to your service. Or even try a “caption this” contest and upload a photo of your own.
• Find Fans: Use Instagram to find people who are already using your product or service and connect with those who have similar interest or those who could be potential customers.
• Tell Your Story: You can use Instagram photos or a photo collage to tell your story. Some ideas to kick around are, how was your business founded? What do you do?

Some other great tips in using Instagram are to be real and use the geo-tag and hashtags. One of the most important take-aways is being authentic, so steer clear of photos that look like advertisements. Also, the geo-tag will help give your followers an easy way to map where the photos are being taken. Geotagging is found right under the caption option of the photo, right before posting.

Also, remember to use hashtags, just like Twitter, when you post your photos, allowing seeking for a bigger audience. Hashtags on Instagram are going to bring in views, which could be some that might not typically be able to find you.

Use Instagram to its full potential. It’s a story-telling opportunity to let your customers know your business. Think of creative ways to show your fans your products, services, employees, events, the office, etc.

Does your business have an Instagram? How do you utilize the social media tool?