“Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. Snap a photo with your mobile phone and then choose a filter to transform the image into a memory to keep around forever. We’re building Instagram to allow you to experience moments in your friends’ lives through pictures as they happen. We imagine a world more connected through photos.” -Instagram
Beneath the app’s lively nature, Instagram provides a powerful way to market your products/services and connect with customers. Small business owners are able to grow both their customer relationships as well as their sales by connecting with customers via Instagram on a more personable level. The difference in marketing on Instagram and almost any other channel of marketing is that when using Instagram you’re not going to be selling products or services. Rather you will be focusing your efforts on:
- “Cultivating a unique visual sense”[2]
- “Having a distinctive view of the world” [2]
- “Capturing things that are interesting to the brand and to the core target customer” [2]
- “Training your eye for what makes for a great, provocative, engaging image” [2]
- “When in doubt, entrusting the work to someone in the organization that has the above” [2]
Some successful ways to utilize the full potential of Instagram as a marketing tool would be to host a photo contest or document the projects you undertake so everyone can see your expertise. You can reward your followers for looking at your photos and reading the description using contests or including discounts and promo codes.
Instagram can also help you improve what you offer customers. Small businesses can showcase both your products as well as loyal customers of your store by requesting customers to post their own photos of your products/ services in use. This also provides a ‘behind the scenes’ look at your business with visual customer recommendations.
Instagram can also be a great tool for introducing new products or services you offer or giving directions on how to set up or use specific products.
Using these tips and techniques will allow you to be successful in using Instagram as a marketing and promotion tool. You will be able to attract, grow, and engage your customers using techniques concentrated on the visually evolving population.
[1] “Instagram for Business.” Instagram, 2013. Web. Web. 2 Apr. 2013. <http://help.instagram.com/454502981253053/>.
[2] Meyer, Russ. 5 Tips On Using Instagram To Delight Your Customers. Fast Company, 11 Oct 2011. Web. Web. 2 Apr. 2013. <http://www.fastcompany.com/1786469/5-tips-using-instagram-delight-your-customers>.