There have been some exciting developments for marketers when it comes to Instagram. Like many of the most successful social media platforms, Instagram is becoming a “pay to play” medium. Right now, you will need to go through one of Instagram’s media partners. In the coming months, the platform will be available to all marketers. If you haven’t figured out how to capture the millennial market, then you are going to love Instagram’s stats! And the demos are expanding, the future is bright! The question is: Does Instagram fit your business?
First the numbers. According to an article on Social Media Examiner, “eMarketer shared findings from Cowen and Company indicating that where 44% of 18- to 29-year-old U.S. Internet users access Instagram, just 18% of Baby Boomers and 10% of those 60 and older do. Further, just 23% of those 18- to 29-year-olds use Facebook.” And it seems the momentum hasn’t crested just yet, which leaves the opportunity for market share gains more possible than with less growth oriented platforms like Facebook. Also, the fact that Facebook owns Instagram will almost guarantee you will reach the full gamut of your audience if it includes a wide age range, particularly if they come up with packages including both platforms, which sources indicate they will.
The other interesting thing about Instagram is the engagement rate. On average, Instagrammers like, comment and “re-gram” at an average of over 3.5% in comparison with under a 1% for Facebook and Twitter. We know engagement is when the magic happens when it comes to social media marketing, and this is an active group! However, we still beg the question: Does Instagram fit your business?
The answer, without knowing much about you or your company will almost always be a yes! What if you don’t have an interesting product that would fare well as an image on Instagram? Don’t have yummy dinners to feature or clothing or accessories? No worries, Instagram can be a great way for your company to convey a philosophy, your work culture, and even your customers. Great images of employees at work or happy customers can go a long way in capturing your audience. You just need to think outside the box a bit, and Instagram can be a creative way for you and your business to connect with a new audience. The good news is you have some time to think about it and test the waters before the advertising platform is available to all marketers. I say, #goforit.
Need assistance getting going? Reach out to the team at g2 media pros and let us put together your strategy.