Leveraging the Power of Imagery through Instagram
Instagram offers online marketers hundreds of millions of active users and there are some very important things marketers should know in order to leverage images effectively to drive sales.
Ever since it was launched in 2010, Instagram has grown tremendously, and has been at the center of the content revolution towards video and photos. It was once simply a place where people could post popular and interesting photos.
Today, Instagram has become one of the most popular internet marketing tools around. It has hundreds of millions of active users, and continues to attract even more, making it an interesting part of the online community. Instagram offers users a specific angle and business opportunity by leveraging the Power of Imagery through Instagram.
Taking advantage of the platform requires one to be aware of the following opportunities;
The bio
One’s Instagram page gives them a chance to provide information about the business, and show the faces behind all the work. The bio section is an express opportunity to present one’s business to the world, from the basic contact information to the ways through which the business will deliver value to the customer. The bio should not only be creative but also reflect the nature of the business. The beauty of the bio is that it can be used to extend the reach of the business, and can contain links to other social media sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Visuals
Instagram is a popular marketing because more people respond to the visuals of a message than text based messages. This gives the user the opportunity to leverage this marketing tool to tell the customer a story and create the right context for the business. For instance, an optician can tell a better story when they show someone wearing glasses they have designed, rather than an image of the glasses themselves. When people can relate to the content one shows, it is a personal relationship, and gives the brand or business a personable image. Further, it is perfect for taking advantage of the power of user generated content. Chances are that users will post photos with products from the company, and this can be used as an organic tactic.
Hashtags
The use of hashtags connects the company to trending topics, and to topics that are relevant to the industry. Hashtags should begin general to attract users from a wider pool. As exposure to the site grows, get more personal and specific. An intermediate step could involve the combination of both general and specific hashtags. Avoid using too many of them. A rule of thumb is that at most, the number should be between 5 and 10.
Contests
This is an old trick that will still work on the new dogs. Contests and giveaways engage the audience, pull the power of imagery in sending messages, and stimulates creative participation in the spreading of marketing information. A popular example is when users like or share and repost images to win prizes. Upload photos using a specific hashtag and have a popular industry name participate in choosing a winner.
