INSTAGRAM MARKETING – THE ULTIMATE MARKETING STRATEGY

(Prof. Meenakshi Singh)

ASM’s IPS,Pune
www.asmgroup.edu.org

Absract:-

As far as social media marketing channels go, Instagram has been a major power player for a
while. And that's particularly true for ecommerce businesses who get access to a visual-focused
platform with enthusiastic followers and high engagement.In the past few years, Instagram has
grown and evolved at a rate similar to Facebook, adopting new features at a lightning-fast rate
and becoming even more valuable to merchants and users alike.

This research paper discussed that how Instagram has become a favorable platform for
marketers to market a product or service. Instagram allows its users to upload photos, videos in
form of new posts or stories, to like other users photos and videos and watch stories. Instagram
also allows users to comment on other user’s stories and to tag user’s on some other posts as
well. Through these likes and comments, marketers are able to reach their target audience; they
can even communicate with their target audience who might be interested in their products or
services.

Keywords
Instagram; Facebook; Marketing Tool; Social Network Marketing

I. Introduction
Instagram is an online mobile photo sharing, video sharing, and social networking service that
enables its users to take pictures and videos. Users can also share on a variety of other social
networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. A distinctive feature is that Instagram
confines photos to a square shape similar to Polaroid images and digitally applies filters.
Instagram is also a platform for brands to share their unique points of view. Millions of people
use Instagram as a source of inspiration, creative outlet, and find amazing imagery. Brands will
have no problems in reaching people who are open to new perspectives. This can be attributed to
Instagram’s simple design always putting visuals in the center stage. Because each image or
video fills the screen, there is no clutter to the experience. Users are drawn to Instagram because
it is a beautiful environment filled with captivating and inspiring content.

Instagram has been around for only a few years. Because of that, sometimes it doesn’t receive as
much credit as older social media platforms. But Instagram is currently the fastest-growing social
network.
It easily beats Twitter in terms of daily active users. This level of social proliferation should not
be ignored in the e-commerce marketing sector. If it isn’t already, your business can use
Instagram to make a huge impact on the overall success of its marketing activities with the help
of this rapidly growing network.
II. Instagram for marketing:

Instagram is a powerful marketing channel that brands should be using to its fullest extent. As it
stands, Instagram is the right solution for marketing at the right time. The millennial generation
has become incredibly proficient in filtering traditional and digital methods of advertising. Some
of the most sought after target markets are systematically screening out advertising by
consuming content online, using AdBlocker, Netflix, pirating, and many other methods. With
Instagram, you can meet these buyers on their home turf and share your story in a memorable
and authentic way.

III. Instagram is one of the largest social-media marketing opportunies for brands.:-

Instagram provides a unique interactive ecosystem for brands and their consumers. As a result of
the platform’s highly visual nature, Instagram allows marketers to convey their brand story
differently. Through the use of pictures and videos, brands have the opportunity to engage their
audience with media that is less inhibited by language barriers. This means that branded content
on Instagram resonates with consumers in a way that words seldom can by appealing to an
emotional level. This shift towards the adoption of a visual approach in marketing and the high
usage of mobile devices attests to Instagram’s key position within a brand’s social strategy.
Society is increasingly developing an image-based understanding of the world. It is therefore
unsurprising that 83% of all human learning is obtained through visual processes12. Visuals are
highly memorable to viewers. As people spend more time online, sensory experiences also
become that much more powerful. The use of powerful imagery can relay more information in a
shorter amount of time. Because 44% of users are more likely to engage with brands that use
pictures than with those who do not13, brands can create a stronger emotional tie with viewers
through effective visuals. In a fast-paced generation where consumers’ attention can be lost
within seconds, a picture may be worth much more than words alone. Posting content on a
platform where your consumers are already engrossed provides additional opportunities for
engagement. 66% follow their favorite brands (vs. 45% global avg user) 66% 50% of
Instagram’s users have liked a brand or product in last month (vs. 30% global avg user)
instagram user facts 30% discovered brandS OR productS via branded social network post 30% .

IV. Why is instagram important for brands?:-

The mobile screen, social-media integration, and multichannel alignment are all compelling
reasons why brands are flocking to Instagram. Content produced via Instagram and Instagram
campaigns are both affordable and extremely effective at complementing digital and traditional
media. Additionally, the organic style of Instagram photos increases conversion and engagement
over traditional photography by 25%14. Because 93% of Instagram users are second-screeners
and quickly absorb content, consumers can utilize any combination of TV, smartphone,
computer, or tablet when engaging with content. Lines are blurring, however, between a person’s
primary and secondary screens. Users interactwith so much content on their smartphones that it
is becoming increasingly difficult to identify which screen is secondary, as Instagram may be the
consumer’s primary source of content intake. This digital abundance is promising for brands,
since Instagram users are avid consumers of branded content on a variety of devices.
V. Top Brands on Instagram:-

Instagram has already attracted over 2,500 brands worldwide1 . Its top 50 brands average an
incredible 1.5 million followers and are mentioned in approximately two million posts1 .
Although Instagram is only four years old, the popular app hosts profiles for 92% of prestigious
brands6 . Brands from all industries now possess accounts on the platform. Among Interbrand’s
top 100 brands, 80 brands operate an active Instagram account11. Brands that perform best on
Instagram are those with visually appealing products and a unique style. Luxury brands are
especially popular: all seven luxury brands listed by Interbrand are active on Instagram.
Companies in areas such as media, automotive, luxury, and apparel industries have all found
Instagram success, while other industries are slowly adopting ways to break into the platform.

Automotive Toyota - instagram.com/toyotausa @toyotausa Mercedes Benz -

instagram.com/mercedesbenz @mercedesbenz BMW - instagram.com/bmw @bmw

Technology Facebook - instagram.com/facebook @facebook Google - instagram.com/google

@google Samsung - instagram.com/samsungmobile @samsungmobile

Fast moving consumer goods Oreos - instagram.com/oreo @oreo Bath & Body Works -
instagram.com/bathandbodyworks @bathandbodyworks Ben & Jerrys -
instagram.com/benandjerrys @benandjerrys

Luxury Louis Vuitton - instagram.com/louisvuitton @louisvuitton Gucci - instagram.com/gucci

@gucci Hermes - instagram.com/hermes @hermes

Alcohol Heineken - instagram.com/heineken @heineken Ciroc - instagram.com/ciroc @ciroc

Johnny Walker - instagram.com/johnniewalker @johnniewalker

Financial services AmEx - instagram.com/americanexpress @americanexpress Mastercard -

instagram.com/mastercard @mastercard Citi - instagram.com/citi @citi

Apparel H&M - instagram.com/hm @hm Zara - instagram.com/zara_worldwide

@zara_worldwide Gap - instagram.com/gap @gap

VI. What makes Great Instagram Psts?:-

Great posts leave lasting memorable effects on the viewer. Outstanding photos and videos have
its users coming back for more. There are several parts that make up a post that leaves an
emotional impression. The combination of copy and content make up the technical aspects of
great posts. What drives posts from mediocre to great is how they work in tandem to create
experiences. Inspirational, consistent, authentic, and transportive content give soul to your brand.
Instagram is a marketplace to sell your unique ideas. Instagram developed their own brand
identity with its inception of iconic photo filters. Developing a unique visual style for the brand
within the confines of the Instagram platform is critical to create a strong identity and high
consumer recall. Strong visual character differentiates a brand. What makes your visual content
different from your closest competitor? What kind of cues can a viewer take from imagery that
clearly identifies a photo with a specific brand?
VII. Building a winning instagram strategy:

1. Choose a simple promise and deliver a sophisticated message:-

The best Instagram brands promise to deliver more than photos and videos to their followers:
they forge an emotional connectivity with their brand experience. Like all great marketing, this
strategy comes from a unique consumer understanding and brand insights. A brand’s promise
should be prominently conveyed by its Instagram presence.

2. Create a unique visual narrative Brands on Instagram :

are rewarded for expressing unique narratives. Consumers expect consistency and high-
quality content. Users are quick to follow great content, but are just as quick to unfollow
if content is not engaging or produced slowly. Every brand must find a way to create
custom content that adheres to the brand promise, maintain consistency, and balances
different themes.
3. Build your story on the four pillars of visual storytelling:

A) Authenticity:
An abundance of content and the extensive reach of the Internet have made it very
easy to find almost anything and everything fathomable. As such, the viewer’s eye
has become significantly more sophisticated in spotting “fakes.” People crave images
that are real and appreciate messages that are simultaneously personal, unpredictable,
and familiar. Authentic photos do not use excessive editing and obvious
postproduction. People relate to apparent flaws because this makes content seem
more tangible and real. Perfection is an abstract concept that may be different for each
individual, and thus, it should not be the goal of Instagram content.

B) Sensory:
Images are popular because they use a sensory medium to engage consumers’ minds,
memories, and sensations. Viewers pay better attention and retain more information
when visuals subtly engage multiple senses.

C) Archetype:
These 12 classical archetypes have evolved from a traditional set of characters and
storylines. Archetypes supply a powerful framework by making a story relatable with
ideas that are timeless and widely applicable. As such, archetypes can be used to
develop a brand’s communication strategy and visual story.

D) Relevancy:
Globalization and expanding Internet usage are constantly changing cultural
relevancy and social ideals. Take, for example, the growing cultural scorn towards the
use of Photoshop and the subsequent impact on general perceptions of beauty.
 4.Pick your storytelling themes:-

A powerful Instagram account begins by identifying the key pillars of content that align with the
brand storyline. Is the brand storyline linear, circular, or disruptive? What branding archetype is
it seeking to tell? These are important factors in mapping out a brand’s content roadmap,
planning post frequency, delivering photos and videos for each pillar, and highlighting relevant
content.

5. Occasions:-
Occasions are the physical manifestation of the character of a brand. It is a moment or
experience that represents the brand story. Occasions are the tangible building blocks that
supports the storytelling themes. A group of friends camping, a scenic picture of a sunset,
or a person mountain climbing are all occasions that can represent an aspect of the brand.
Your brand’s visual storytelling will be driven by these occasions to create a coherent
storyline that your audience can follow.

VIII. Top level action items

1. Integrate social and digital channels

2. Leverage digital and physical assets

3. Build a hashtag strategy

4. Gauge viability of paid marketing

5. Create influencer partnerships

The Benefits of Instagram Marketing

Though the effectiveness of Instagram marketing would not make it a suitable replacement for
Facebook and other social networks, it does bring certain unique benefits to the table. Here is a
handful of the most powerful:

 Real Connections with Customers: Through Instagram, you will understand your
consumer base more thoroughly. Social signals like shares and likes can reveal what followers
specifically appreciate about your business. You’ll also be able to determine what doesn’t work,
based on lack of engagement. This data can be used to improve your marketing game.

 Increased Engagement: Instagram has the potential to offer 10 times more engagement
per user than Facebook, 84 times more than Twitter, and 54 times more than Pinterest.

 Trust: It can be hard to develop strong bonds of trust between consumers and companies,
but Instagram is great at this. There’s something about posting photos and stories that makes
brands appear more vulnerable. Consumers feed off that connection and develop a sense of trust
in such companies.
 More Valuable Traffic: It takes a few more steps for Instagram users to get to your
website link, but it can still increase traffic to your site. More important, Instagram tends to
generate more valuable traffic because if a consumer is taking the time to click on a link in your
bio, it’s usually because he or she is genuinely interested in purchasing or subscribing.

 Get a Competitive Advantage: Facebook has become one of the most competitive social
sites today. Instagram, however, has been embraced by only a small percentage of small
businesses. This can give your company an opportunity to gain the advantage over your
competitors who depend on other social sites.

 Advertise for Free: Instagram provides free advertising, at least for the moment. This is
an offering that may not last as the site grows in popularity, so you should take advantage of it
now.

 See Revenue Growth: All these marketing benefits point toward one end: a growth in
profits. You’re generating more valuable connections through Instagram, and it leads to an
increase in purchases on your site.

IX Discussion:-
As there has been a change in the marketing strategy from traditional marketing to social
media marketing, companies are making sure that they do not miss out on this, and have started
promoting company’s product and services through various social
networking sites. In this modern era, where everyone is busy, visual advertisements like
pictures and videos seem to affect to the target customer base than just words. Therefore, the
social networking website that fits best in this category is none other than Instagram. The
increasing user base and large active user base suggest that the popularity of Instagram is
rising day by day. Not only is Instagram well known amongst young people who are active on
social media, but it is also very popular in business industry where people use Instagram as a
new platform to market their product and services. Hence the functions of Instagram do not
only attract the attention of social media users like you and me but also the marketers who are
always in search of getting connected with their consumer base.This method also helps the
marketers to gain feedback from the customers. These benefits given by Instagram to the
marketers have make Instagram in becoming one of the strong tool in the social network
marketing strategy.

X. CONCLUSION:-
It’s true that Instagram provides these excellent marketing opportunities and more. But the
benefits don’t come without hard work.Increased traffic and revenue require consistency and
attention to detail, which can only be established through the proper marketing tactics.
References
[1] Cowden, A. G.,“Effect of social media marketing on traditional marketing campaigns in
young Icelandic companies”, [Online] Available: http://skemman.is/item/
view/1946/18659 (2014, June).
[2] Klein A.W.,“Brief History of Instagram”, [Online] Available: https://internetbusiness-
howto.com/brief-history-of- instagram (2015 August 31).
[3] Patel N.,“Which social media accounts really matter and why?”, [Online] Available:
https://blog.kissmetrics.com/ which-social-accounts-matter/ (n.d.)
[4] Salomon, D.,“Moving on from Facebook: using Instagram to connect with undergraduates
and engage in teaching and learning”, College & Research Libraries News, vol. 74, no.
8408-412, 408. [Online] Available: http://crln.acrl.org/ content/74/8/408.short (2013,
September).
[5] Sophy J.,“24 percent of Small businesses don’t use Social media – At all”,
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/03/ companies-that-do-not-use-social-media.html (2017,
March 16)