Instagram is well-known as an online forum for sharing photos with friends, so what use would a business have for it? There are several, because it’s full of consumers and a natural platform for sharing information and opinions. Instagram employs a straightforward process to set up an account and begin sharing not only products, but also the culture and mindset behind a brand. Pictures can show attributes of a company that cannot be adequately expressed in words and can be an important aspect of a company’s overall image.
Window Shop
The idea behind window shopping is to give consumers a peak at what is available, and create an interest in your other products or services. When consumers see something they like, they ask questions and talk to others about the product. The idea of window shopping is great for business because consumers who find a product or service they like are apt to share the information with others. By sharing, information relevant to your company is spread throughout different social groups, reaching a broader audience.
Through Instagram, captions provide the information you want shared. Information may include location details, sales information, and product information. Within a single caption, Instagram enables businesses to intrigue followers and offer a taste of the type of product or quality of service a company provides.
Behind the Scenes
Consumers have a natural curiosity about where a product comes from or how it is made. Sharing photos from behind-the-scenes adds a human element to both product and service. These photos may reveal various stages of product development or the different points of a service as it is carried out. Behind-the-scenes photos can foster a feeling of inclusion and trust between business and consumer.
Branding
The trick for any business is to remain true to their brand while finding images that define their individual personality. Businesses that successfully use Instagram use photos which are not overly staged or serious. Organic photos that feature a product in use provide an audience with realistic expectations of how that product performs. Encouraging consumers to capture their own creative photos to share also widens your audience, thereby strengthening your brand.
Awareness
Businesses that provide services rather than products can and do use Instagram as a social platform. A good example is General Electric. Rather than focus on products the company powers, the company shares images of a broader mission – a mission to empower and move the world. The trick GE uses in their images is to create a story out of various pictures that align with their business objectives for the year.
Similar businesses can replicate GE’s strategy. For instance, a business providing landscaping services could not only share images of employees at work, but those of dream landscapes, seasonal plants, or how landscapes change with the season.
A company aware of their followers on Instagram will be able to participate in whatever photos are trending. They can use relevant material to share more information about the company and its mission as well. Carefully following popular trends and building content around audience culture promotes brand awareness and showcases company attributes through pictures rather than words or the opinions of others.
For more information about using Instagram to promote your business or how social media can build brand exposure, contact iBoom today.
Sources:
https://www.businessbee.com/resources/marketing/social-media-marketing/top-4-ways-instagram-can-help-your-business/
https://blog.business.instagram.com/
https://blog.business.instagram.com/
