Instagram quickly shot to social media supremacy in the online war for user attention in a very short time. Facebook acquired the platform in 2012 for $1bn USD. The company has since made many major changes to the platform. Facebook has also grown its Instagram user base from 90 million monthly active users in 2013 to just over a billion in 2018.
The implication of all this is that Instagram is an unmissable giant in digital marketing. It is a tool that every serious marketer should be utilizing. Any business that hasn’t started marketing its products or services on Instagram is missing out on some key demographics. Not to mention a cheap marketing tool that delivers big on returns.
If these reasons weren’t motivation enough, here are five more reasons why every business should be using Instagram marketing.
1. It’s Approachable for Any Size Business
While it’s incredibly difficult for companies to compete on other social platforms, the way Instagram is set up makes it much easier. Especially for smaller companies that can’t shell out millions of dollars a year on marketing.
Whereas most other digital marketing forms require that businesses spend at least a bit of money to reach an audience, Instagram doesn’t. Thanks to its search “features” function and the strong hashtag integration, a company doesn’t have to spend a dime because the app creates a space to foster better organic reach.
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That is, if a company creates original content that people want to engage with and have a clear social strategy backing their efforts.
2. Instagram Users Shop Through the App
Not only do Instagram users spend more time on the app, on average, than people do on any other social media, but they also buy through Instagram. Around 30% of Instagram users have purchased a product through the app before. Given that over a billion people are using the app, this indicates more than three million purchases – at least.
Part of this may be thanks to Instagram’s “shoppable posts” feature. It’s a fairly recent addition but allows businesses to add tags to any products that show up in their photos. These tags can provide product descriptions, pricing, and links to a store page.
3. Advanced Metrics and Ad Targeting
Not everyone was overjoyed when Facebook bought Instagram, but businesses have undeniably benefited from it. Facebook’s ad targeting services are seen as some of the best in the world, and Instagram has followed suit.
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The social app features an extensive list of targeting options. It also lets businesses focus on cold targeting and retargeting. On top of that, every post and ad engagement metric that a business could want is tracked, providing a clear look into performance and ROI. This provides an excellent view of everything from link clicks and cost per engagement to exactly who engaged with the ad.
4. Relatable Brand Building
It’s a commonly-known fact that audiences engage better with content that they see as authentic and relatable. This is even more applicable to Instagram. Audiences want to see real in-the-moment content instead of professional sales posts.
On top of that, businesses have found that adding user-generated content to their profile and website boosts their traffic and engagement by monumental amounts. Even big corporations like Starbucks and BMW are making full use of this marketing tactic, which says something about its efficacy.
As a side-note, keep in mind that social media isn’t just beneficial – there are some downsides and even dangers too. Social media managers should use a VPN to stay safe while browsing online and posting on social media accounts.
What is a VPN? It’s a tool that encrypts network connections to keep outsiders from stealing data like login details and intercepting browsing activity. There’s a lot of malware and phishing pitfalls when working online, and this helps SM managers keep company accounts safe.
5. Partnering with Influencers is Made Easy
People are much more likely to pay for a product or service when it’s been recommended by someone they know or trust. This is known as word of mouth marketing, and any marketer will know it’s incredible worth.
That value doesn’t decrease when the recommendation comes from an influencer, and Instagram is inundated by them.
It shouldn’t be hard for even small businesses to find a micro-influencer that will fit their budget and brand.
Summary
Given the many benefits that Instagram holds, making use of its full capabilities for marketing is almost a no-brainer. While building an Instagram presence involves a lot of planning and hard work, it is also an exceptionally cost-effective tool for businesses.