Can your business afford not to be on Instagram?
SOCIAL media marketing today is considered a marketing channel and activity – or set of activities – that marketers use to connect with fans, customers, prospects, and partners.
The social media landscape is evolving, with updates on platforms from YouTube to Pinterest promising greater engagement opportunities for brands released daily, and none more so than Instagram.
What began small is now mighty. Originally Instagram was purely a photo sharing smart phone application, but Facebook’s little sister is all grown up and is becoming one of the most powerful brand tools.
Instagram now offers diverse modes of communication including short-form stories, geolocation, image filters, insights and analytics, carousel image capabilities, live video, boomerang and targeted advertising. The statistics speak for themselves;
•As at September 2017 Instagram boasted 800 million monthly active users, 41 per cent of which are under 24 years of age, according to Statistica, and 31 per cent earn more than $75,000 per annum, according to social media management platform Hootsuite.
•Almost 60 per cent of Instagram users access the platform daily, and 35 per cent say they look at the platform several times per day, with more than 95 million photos and videos shared daily, giving direct and regular opportunities to engage.
•Hootsuite also informs us that Instagram posts with at least one hashtag averages 12.6 per cent more engagement than those without. Using hashtags enables you to place your content in front of new followers who are actively seeking out relevant posts relating to a specific topic, theme or location.
For brands it’s important to know that 60 per cent of users say that they have learned about a product or service on the platform and 75 per cent of users visited a website, got directions, called, emailed or direct messaged to learn about a business from an Instagram post. These conversion rates are stronger than most social media platforms and evidence that when used well, Instagram is a game changer for businesses.
According to Omnicore Agency, there are more than 25 million business accounts worldwide, including potential collaborators for businesses to work with, as well as competitors.
Now knowing the breadth of Instagram, can your business afford not to be engaging with this innovative social media platform?
Next week you can read about practical ways to use Instagram for your business.