Now that Facebook has bought Instagram for the astonishing figure of one billion dollars, it’s probable that Facebook will make the once-exclusive app open to the public. This is great news for both regular users and businesses alike because Instagram allows a mass number of people to know what you’re seeing at that particular moment. Businesses especially can benefit from this tool to spruce up and add a visual change to their marketing strategy.
Build Viral Ad Campaigns
With Instagram, you’re able to create viral ad campaigns and promotions revolving around the pictures that people can upload. For instance, a business could announce, “Whoever sends us the best picture of ‘x’ [their product/service] will receive ‘y’ [a prize]". This gives customers incentive to market your business for you by posting pictures related to your business, and you can even have them attach your name to it. With viral marketing, you keep the audience interested and motivate them do the marketing for you.
Expand Your Clientele
Another great perk for businesses is that Instagram is similar to most other social media outlets. If you have a Facebook or Twitter account for the company, you already know how important it is to post daily and keep your content interesting and fresh. These same rules can apply to your Instagram posting as well. If viewers see that your business keeps its Instagram photos active and interesting, then there is a much higher chance that they will want to take a closer look and see what kind of products or services you have to offer. Remember: going from one social media website to another is like riding a bicycle – you never forget how to do it.
Interact With Customers
Instagram is also a great way to generate interaction between your business and its consumers. Make sure to comment and ‘love’ some of the interesting photos that you’ve seen on their pages. If a user happens to post a positive picture related to your business, make sure to repost and tag them in it as well. This will show consumers that you are interested in what they have to say, showing a genuine care for their opinions. Good or bad, consumers always appreciate when businesses respond to their comments and concerns. With Instagram, you can literally show them that you care.
The Easy Button
What makes Instagram an essential marketing tool is its connectivity to other social networks. If you connect your Instagram to your Facebook or Twitter accounts, your promotional photos can be simultaneously uploaded to other social media sites with a single click. By connecting accounts, you are not only marketing yourself through the Instagram app, but rather across all social media platforms. With this increased ease and visibility, Instagram can finally become your go-to tool for photo uploads.
We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words, so why not take advantage of the fun and quirky Instagram app; let people see what you’re doing, not just read about it.
