Oh, Instagram, realm where influencers are the ultimate mythical creatures who pop-up when you least expect them, endorsing content and bestowing fame and followers upon the most generous brands. Oh, land of users who spend countless hours crafting and capturing that all so magical shot of their toes. Oh, insta stories, filters and perfectly curated feeds. What would generation Z do without it all?
So, what makes Instagram stand out from other networks like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn that Sether can connect to and monitor? Facebook andTwitter rely on content as well, and you still use the Facebook Ad Manager in order to create campaigns optimised for certain KPIs and to target your audience. So, let’s dig deeper and find out why Instagram is different.
Well, it really is. According to Omnicore, 59% of Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 use Instagram. And if you look at younger Gen Zs the percentage goes up. For instance, over 72% of US teens aged 13-17 are using the platform. Sweet! Or some other slang expression that Gen Zs use these days.
So, what does keeping up with this new generation mean? According to a recent article, Gen Z craves more than perfectly pedicured beach photos, it craves authenticity from brands, influencers and users. Just some food for thought.
In someways, Instagram is the perfect Social Media Network for the younger generation. It’s 100% mobile and 98% visually-driven, with some words lost in the copy among emojis.
Gen Zs are Social Media natives. They are completely hooked on photo and video content with 85% of teens consuming content on YouTube and 72% on Instagram. Instagram creates an immersive experience with gorgeous photos, short videos and stories. And one might argue that it’s even challenging YouTube’s status of King of Video Content by launching Instagram TV, a new integrated app for watching long-form, vertical video. So, when integrating Instagram into your digital marketing strategy, be sure that your brand tells a story using stunning visuals, or you won’t stand a chance.
Forget Facebook Memories, Friendship Anniversaries, and other types of content that Facebook uses to make us a bit nostalgic, and a bit more eager to tag a an old-friend one last time. What’s with all the gloom, don’t people have fun anymore? Sure they do, but they don’t post about it on Facebook.
Instagram is where all the fun is at, and if you blink you might miss it. FOMO really does impact how Instagrammers consume content. Since their launch in August 2016, Instagram stories have been gaining momentum and right now they’re a great tool for marketers, with over 2 million advertisers using them to keep their audience tuned in. As we all know, stories disappear within 24 hours, so their great for communicating special offers or talking about your most important brand events or activation. They’re fast, effective and popular amongst business accounts. According to Instagram’s internal data, one-third of the most-viewed stories are created by business accounts.
Instagram really does offer brands and advertisers great opportunities and formats to engage users. And the best part is that Instagram users are more than happy to engage with brands, especially the young ones. In a survey by Pipper Jaffray conducted among teens, the stats are self-explanatory: 70% of teens said they prefer brands to contact them on Instagram.
Hashtags
Remember the days when you could launch a hashtag campaign on Facebook and it would work? On Instagram, it still does. Just like on Twitter, on Instagram hashtags are great tools for discovering content and joining an existing conversation. You can follow all the hashtags you like, and stay up to date with all the #instagood moments.
Influencers
We simply cannot imagine a world where Influencers and Instagram don’t go hand in hand. In fact, over 78% of influencers prefer Instagram for brand collaboration according to Omnicore. Influencers are pros at creating native content that’s relevant and engaging for their audience, they use video, photos and stories to craft stories that perfectly showcase products and brands.
Contests
Instagram is a give-away heaven, and this fact should be considered when creating your strategy. Combine influencers with a catchy hashtag and a great prize and you might just have a successful campaign on your hands. Even a simple tag a friend in the comments bellow contest can bring you tons of new followers, if you give it some thought.
Yes, hashtags, influencer campaigns, contests, stories, virtual videos, all these are great, but is brand awareness really worth the trouble of producing all these types of content? After all, Instagram still maintains one of its distinctive initial features, that have for a long time kept brands onFacebook: no active links are allowed in posts. However, now, shopping onInstagram is becoming available in more and more countries. And it’s as straightforward as it gets for users, with on-tap pricing and in-app checkout. All users have to do is tap on the shopping icon that appears on certain images, and then click on the price and shop away without leaving the app. However, setting up Instagram Shopping is no simple feat and it is only available in certain countries. Here are the steps you need to follow to set up Instagram Shopping here.
So, Instagram is different, a social network designed for a generation that consumes content and shops on the go. Now, the real question is whether Instagram is right for your brand? It could be, if you are willing to invest in high-quality visual content and influencer collabs, in order to reach teens and young adults. If you’re selling bunion ointment, it might not be the case, but be sure to test out any ideas you have and monitor your campaign results in order to see which one performs best. Who knows, there’s probably a hoard of influencers willing to share their bunion stories.