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5 ways your business can benefit from using Instagram

This week, Instagram announced that it will start to considerimplementing advertising into its photo sharing network as theapp hits 150 million monthly users.

Acquired by Facebook in a $1 billion move to rival Twitter ’spopular Vine service, Instagram’s growth has been rocket-propelled since the apps birth in 2010.

Popular with the public f or its clean design and artsy portrayal ofimages f or aspiring photographers, many businesses and brandshave adapted Instagram into their digital marketing strategy.

Companies such as Heineken are leading the way on Instagram,and run competit ions on the network to drive customer interest inthe brand, but without the f orce-f ed advertorial edge.

Sports teams are also proving ever popular on Instagram, withf ootball clubs and basketball teams f rom the NBA using Instagramto show their f ans an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at theirf avourite stars.

But how can your business benefit from using Instagram?

Advertising

Lets start with a more tradit ional method of social marketing. With over 150 million monthly users,Instagram is quickly becoming one of the most popular social networks in the world.

With the companies announcement that it plans to introduce advertising to the app f or the f irst t ime,businesses could take advantage of gaining the attention of millions of users of the picture sharingplatf orm as they are exposed to, and take notice of advertising f or the f irst t ime.

The Facebook owned company are suggesting that any advertising wont subtract f rom the overall userexperience on the app (a promise made by many of our most popular, now advert inf ested social networks).Despite this, any advertising during the f irst f ew months of its roll-out should be picked up by Instagram’shighly attentive user base.

Brand awareness and popularity

Burberry are great at this. Whilst they could allow their Instagram page to simply document their new linesand releases, the 155-year-old f ashion giant use their prof ile almost in the same way a celebrity bloggerwould, uploading images of some of London’s top landmarks, as well as behind the scenes shots off ashion shows and photo-shoots.

Burberry have developed a handy knack of showcasing its trendy clothing in everyday circumstances, andthe people wearing the clothes are highlighted as the main f ocus of the picture.

Due to the brands popularity, the odd picture of the likes of Tinie Tempah enjoying the latest catwalk showcertainly helps with popularity on the social network, and raises a lot of interest.

Social storefronts

Instagram is a great way to showcase your products in an artistic way. Brands such as Topshop use thenetwork to picture its clothing ranges in everyday lif e, as well as providing images f rom inside its manystores.

Done correctly and Instagram can be a new social storef ront f or your businesses, showing f ans yourproduct ranges in a way that doesn’t make them f eel violated by over advertising.

Competitions

Heineken lead the way on Instagram when it comes to competit ions. The beer f irm took things to a wholenew creative level with their scavenger hunter competit ion, in which the user must f ind clues in a mosaic ofimages to win tickets to the US Open f inal.

Competit ions are always a great way to promote your brands awareness and popularity without strait-balladvertising, and your online f ollowing can expand massively depending on the quality of the prize.

But asking the entrant to do more than simply like and share something creates a greater brandengagement, and promotes more interest.

Fan engagement

Whilst competit ions play a large part of f an engagement, companies can of f er a lot more in the way ofinteracting with their f ans.

It has long been said by industry experts that every brand on social media need a personality behind thebrand logo whilst posting online, and f an engagement is a perf ect example of giving your page personality.

Red Bull are a great advocate f or this, and as well as promoting its own high octane images in promotion ofits energy drinks, the account will of ten like its f ans images which represent people “getting their wings”,such as high adrenaline sports.

It can of ten be dif f icult f or business leaders to see the benef it of putting time and money into social mediasuch as Instagram. Yet whilst 70% of businesses say they f ind customers through social media, a lot of itis to do with a brands popularity and awareness.

Fans of certain brands will remain loyal if they provide quality content to their social streams, and in returnare more likely to click onto the latest product releases, and pay attention when you must become moresales oriented.

Having a selection of accounts, f rom Facebook to Twitter, and YouTube to Instagram helps reach thelargest audience possible, and increase brand awareness even f urther. You can create a mosaic ofbusiness driven outlets, to which you control the content, tone and message, and reach a much larger andmore engaged audience than simple advertising alone.

If you think your business can benefit from social media, have a look at Fabric’s digital marketingservices. Also, read my other art icle: 4 Ways Twitter Can Benefit Your Business.

Writer Arthur Wilson is a digital marketer, blogger and f reelance journalist working in Manchester. You canf ollow him on Twitter @Ayup_Arthur.