The reason for marketers to join the Instagram bandwagon is in many ways due to the belief that it is today the best social media network for customer engagement. However, marketers need to understand what makes Instagram so appealing to users and how they can benefit from it.
Optimized for Mobile Devices
Designed ground-up for use on mobile phones, Instagram is extremely easy to use when you are on the go. You can take pictures, edit them and post them to your Instagram account in a seamless way that is very attractive to people who desire convenience. Instagram being very simple and intuitive, the learning curve is very short.
Visual Nature
Most people find it easier to communicate and understand visual messages than those containing text. According to science, the human brain processes visual images far faster than text, which explains why this social media app’s popularity is going through the roof. Also, the pictures are more easily processed by the brain as all the posts are standardized to a square shape.
Better Functionality
Even though Instagram offers posts that can be viewed publicly, it has tighter security in place preventing users from being spammed. Also, unlike platforms like LinkedIn, it is not locked in for just one purpose and is thus usable by a larger cross-section of people. Not only does this automatically increase its potential user base but also encourages users to interact more and deliver real Instagram likes.
Originality
Due to the nature of the posts being a complete departure from other social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., Instagram has received an overwhelming response from the younger generation who loved the innovation. This has resulted in a situation that most of the users of Instagram are below 30 years of age, which in turn has a special appeal for many marketers who are pushing youth-oriented products and services.
Some Disadvantages of Instagram
Lest you assume that Instagram is perfect, you should know that you will not be able to insert any links pointing to external sources in the content you post. To lead visitors to your site, all you can do it to include the URL in the bio section and use the posts to reference it. Further, the near-complete dependence on images means that the importance of any text content is invariably played down unless you want to include the text in the image itself.
Conclusion
Instagram is all about images so while you don’t have to be a professional photographer; you do need to be creative about presenting them. The chances of your posts being noticed in the network clutter increases if the subject, presentation, as well as the quality is very high. It will also be necessary to use CTAs to ensure that your Instagram campaign is profitable; otherwise, followers may just appreciate your posts and do nothing further. Give your posts a distinct identity, stay focused on one subject, publish high-quality images and post consistently and you will be able to enjoy the benefits of a more engaged follower base.
