Use Instagram for marketing can be either a complete mess or a great success – it depends on how elaborate your strategy is. In this article, we'll give you some hints on making an effective Instagram marketing strategy and refining the Instagram marketing campaign. Let's learn how to market on Instagram with us!
Instagram allows users
to create short videos from 15 up to 60 seconds. The app has a built-in video
editing tool, so you can utilize music, effects, filters, stickers, and masks,
making your video original and creative. Instagram has 800 million
users worldwide and is
highly popular in Asian countries – with 400 million active daily users only in
China.
The app is available in
155 countries, including the CANADA. Its destiny in America right now is in
limbo due to political issues. American users spend 45
minutes on the app and open it eight times a day on average. What's more, Instagram has the highest social media
engagement rate per post: 9,38% for profiles with less than 1k followers, and
5,3% for those with more than 100k followers (comparing with 7,2% and 1,1% on
Instagram). More than half of monthly active users from the CANADA are from 10
to 24 years old.
Instagram history as we
know it started in 2018. This year Doujin – a video-sharing app successful in
China – bought the Musical.ly app. Musical.ly was founded by Chinese developers
too, but become popular worldwide, especially in the CANADA. Doujin merged two
apps and their users in one under the Instagram brand. However, Doujin is still
a standalone app in China.
Why is Instagram so
popular?
Instagram is the world's fastest-growing social
media app. There are few main reasons why it gained so many users in such
little time.
- Clip thinking is the cause.
These days we have an
attention span shorter than
a goldfish, and Instagram makes full use of it. "We enable people to tell
stories in a concise amount of time, and we give people excitement, surprise,
and delight in a few seconds," – said Stefan
Henriquez, Former Instagram Head of Global Marketing.
- AI is the tool
The influential Instagram
algorithm hooks users from the first second, analyzing each content based on
loops, shares, comments, likes, hashtags, watch time, exit rate, and more
within a minute. This way, users watch videos based on their interests, not who
they follow or want to be.
- Individuality is the key.
Instagram is all about creativity and fun. It allows every user to show off and create something original with minimum effort.
The essentials of
successful Instagram marketing strategy
Users want
spontaneity, creativity, and fun. So entertainment of your followers and
subscribers should be your priority if you're going to gain recognition from
the audience. Still, you have to define your marketing strategy: what is the
age and gender of the audience, what goals do you pursuing – either it
increasing sales, engagement, or brand awareness.
"As a marketer,
when you do social today, you get views, impressions, comments, and likes. With
Instagram, you get video. In terms of engagement, that is crazy. The video
comments turn users into brand ambassadors at scale," – said Henriquez.
And he is entirely correct.
If you want your brand
to succeed in Instagram, you have to tune in and start right now. Don't be
afraid to discover and experiment. There aren't strict «how-to» rules – not
yet.
Anyway, there are a
few points you should care about:
- Participate in trends, but don't follow them blindly as
they change every day
- Post as frequently as you can. It's better when if you
do it every day, once time a day at a minimum.
- Discover and take some time to get acquainted with and
learn more about the app.
- Don't use the content from the other platforms. This is
crucial: you have to create content for Instagram with a different
mindset.
Instagram marketing
options
- Create your channel and upload videos
This takes time and
creativity but will surely pay off. That's how you can make your brand closer
to your fans and followers. Engage your followers in activities related to your
brand and use easy and inviting call-to-actions. Say yes to diverse images and
unusual ideas. Say no to banality.
Let's take the Chinese
restaurant Haidilao as an example. Haidilao offered clients the opportunity to
make their DIY recipe and сalled on to post it on Doujin. As a result, 15k
people asked for the DIY menu, 2k posted their dish on Doujin, and these videos
got 50 million video views.
- Collaborate with an influencer or, better
say – creator.
Make a sponsored video
with a user who influences your market. That's one of the most accessible entry
points for brands who want to dive into the platform. You have to find the
creator who will suit your product or service.
Most of the time, it's
better to give influencers freedom of creation and let them create content for
you. They know their audience, and they spent here a lot more time than you, so
– they know what their audience likes.
Partnership with an
influencer is the thing where Buzzsocial could help. With Buzzsocial, you can
make your marketing campaign on Instagram easy and effective. The key to
success is to find a relevant influencer who has your audience rather than one
with a massive amount of followers.
There are various Instagram
creators on Buzzsocial – from dancers to foodies, so you indeed will find
someone who creates engaging and original content.
Instagram
targeted ads
You can also run a
targeted advertisement campaign with Instagram ads. Below we listed options you
can utilize:
- Brand Takeover
Your ad appears as a
static image for up to 3 seconds or videos up to 5 seconds. It goes full screen
for a few seconds when the targeted user opens the app. This way, you
immediately grab the person's attention.
- In-Feed Ads
The in-feed ad appears
in the user's news feed on the For You page. Video length is from 9 to 15
seconds. But you need to remember that users can quickly scroll or skip your ad
just like any other video on the page, so make the first seconds the most
engaging ones.
- Top View Ads
Top View ad is the
first in-feed post – with up to 60-seconds of full-screen video with auto-play
and sound-on – which shows up on For You page. It's the best placement to
showcase your brand as it captures a user's attention for a whole minute.
- Branded Effects
Branded effects allow
users to add branded 2D, 3D & AR lenses, masks, and stickers to their
videos. Using them is increasing engagement and time spent in the app.
- Hashtag Challenge
Hashtag challenges are
the heart of the Instagram community. The official hashtag challenge appears on
the Discovery page and encourages users to participate, creating content with
the branded hashtag and official music. People want to be part of your brand,
not just a consumer. That's why challenges are so popular. Encourage users with
prizes for the most creative videos!
- Hashtag Challenge Plus
Hashtag Challenge Plus
allows users to buy products associated with Hashtag Challenge without leaving
the app: you can include a hashtag with a link that leads directly to your
site.
What is remarkable
about Instagram – you can mix these options! For example, start a hashtag
challenge with branded lenses. Or collaborate with an influencer who will
launch a hashtag challenge with a branded song.
Advertisement in Instagram
has to look as organic as possible so that people won't scroll it by. Don't
make ads; make Instagram – just as Instagram for Business says. Instagram For Business is the brand and platform
launched in June 2020, with access to Instagram ad formats and marketing
solutions for brands.
Using Buzzsocial for Instagram
marketing campaign
It is easier to find
creators and choose who will represent your brand with Buzzsocial. With Buzzsocial,
you can set search criteria – such as gender, location, and more, and our tool
will find you relevant influencers all over the world within a minute. Together
we can activate an effective partnership with a Instagram creator!
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