This document discusses using Instagram for a company's social media marketing. It begins by explaining what Instagram is and how businesses are using the platform. It then discusses the types of businesses that are using Instagram successfully, including both B2C and some B2B companies. The document considers how businesses can be profitable on Instagram and provides ideas for how the sample company discussed could specifically use Instagram by establishing their brand, running campaigns involving clients, and curating high-quality posts. It concludes by discussing best practices for an Instagram strategy and how engagement on the platform could benefit the company.
2. ❖ Introduction
❖ Section 1
➢ Sub-section 1.1: What is Instagram?
➢ Sub-section 1.2: What does Instagram provide?
➢ Sub-section 1.3: Why has it become successful?
❖ Section 2
➢ Sub-section 2.1: How are businesses using Instagram?
➢ Sub-section 2.2: What are the Types of businesses that are using
Instagram?
➢ Sub-section 2.3: Business profitability through Instagram
➢ Sub-section 2.4: Projected success with Instagram
❖ Section 3
➢ Sub-section 3.1: Pros and Cons in posting on Instagram
➢ Subsection 3.2: Ideas when posting on Instagram for the Our Company
brand
❖ Conclusion
❖ Citations
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3. Introduction
Instagram is currently one of the fastest growing social media platforms on the
Internet. Since it was acquired by Facebook on April 9, 2012, Instagram has grown in to
be one of the top social media programs for Internet users. This report will be broken
down into sections and subsections that will explain what Instagram is, what it does, and
seek to provide reasons why it has become successful. After an introduction to
Instagram, the report will them explain how businesses are using Instagram, what types
of businesses are using Instagram, what is the margin of profitability, and project Our
Company’s success with Instagram. The report will conclude with a comprehensive
analysis of the pros and cons in posting on Instagram, along with ideas on ways to post
on Instagram and get the Our Company brand recognized by non-profit marketing
people.
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5. Section 1
Sub-section 1.1: What is Instagram?
The simple answer is that Instagram is asocial networking appmade for sharing
photos and videos from a smartphone. The entire purpose of Instagram is to connect1
people through photo sharing, making it accessible for people who may not be educated
or are visual learners.
The set up is also very easy and accessible. As long as one has a computer or
smartphone and email/facebook account, setting up an Instagram account is very easy. It
is point-click technology, both because of the use of cameras and because of the
heart/like function.
As videos and photos are loaded onto the site, subscribers to certain accounts will
receive a steady stream of both with the option to scroll, like, or comment. User
engagement per photograph or video is recorded in milliseconds. However, Instagram
shows the impact of these quick media analysis on users.
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6. Section 1
Sub-section 1.2: What does Instagram provide?
Instagram provides user-community engagement. It allows its users to be part of a
bigger, global community through a visual medium. Currently this medium is almost
exclusively catering to young people, in large part because Instagram is so new.
The app is more popular among younger people, with usage at 41% among those
aged 16-24 and at 35% among 24-34s. 51% of users are male while, you guessed it, 49%
are female.
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7. You can see from the breakdown that social media with a visual focus is currently
leading the pack. Snapchat, Vine, Instagram, and Facebook are among the top
competitors to Google+, Twitter, and so on, due in large part to their visual elements.
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8. Section 1
Sub-section 1.3: Why has it become successful?
Most people will say the same thing: Instagram is successful because of their
simple interface, ability to turn ordinary into extraordinary, and its immediacy. They will
also say that the brand Instagram has cultivated is a clean cut one. They have a specific
audience, specific content (with content limitations), they make themselves accessible.
There are plenty of photo sharing apps, but Instagram rules them because its cultivated
its brand and now been acquired by Facebook.
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10. Section 2
Sub-section 2.1: How are businesses using Instagram?
Businessare using Instagram to visually communicate their brand, merchandise,
mission, and connectivity. They do this through stylized, printed photographs and videos.
Most photos and videos will be representations of their business, the time i.e. modernity,
nature/adventures in nature, and community.
These businesses are also starting campaigns, creating hashtags, and asking for
likes and followers on their Instagram accounts.
Here are a few of the most popular campaigns:
1. Applebee’s #Fantographer
2. Habitat for Humanity’s #Habitatephotocontest
3. Starbucks’ White cup challenge
4. Adidas & Champs #AdicolorTV
5. Kenneth Cole’s #Dressforyourselfie
6. Madewell’s #flashtagram
7. Coke’s #ShareaCoke
8. Oreo’s #OreoHorrorStories
9. Audi’s #WantAnR8
Five links to websites that have very simple, but funny or ironic charts
1. sad recruiter
2. #funnygraphs
3. Truth Facts
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11. Mascots that are known in Our Company
1. Ronald McDonald
2. Aflac Duck
3. Mr. Peanut
4. Mickey Mouse
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12. For more brands see Starbucks, Oreo, GoPro, and Nikelab.
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13. Section 2
Sub-section 2.2: What are the types of businesses that are using Instagram?
The most common types of businesses on Instagram are B2C (Business to Customer)
companies. “... Marketing on Instagram is less about selling the benefits of your [B2B]
products and services, and more about establishing deeper connections with people
including industry thought-leaders, employers, and prospective clients.” This includes
non-profits seeking donors/members, food, fashion, tech, etc. The top companies
currently being followed on Instagram are:
1. Oreo
2. Nike
3. Taco Bell
4. Audi
5. American Express
6. Pabst Blue Ribbon
7. Virgin America
8. Sephora
9. Bonobos
10. Gucci
11. Starbucks
12. Converse
13. MTV
14. Warby Parker
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14. 15. GoPro
16. Sharpie
17. Red Bull
18. Target Style
19. Vans
20.NFL
21. Playboy
22.Forever 21
However, there are B2B businesses that are using Instagram too. While they are no
1. Mailchimp
2. WeWork
3. CBRE
4. Dolbylabs
5. General Electric
6. Intel
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15. Section 2
Sub-section 2.3: Business profitability on Instagram
See Instagram business
Many companies have found posting on Instagram profitable, however, those are
also companies that have entire marketing teams and millions to shell out for marketing.
For B2C companies, there can be profit in Instagram videos and photos, however, not
enough research has been conducted into B2B companies profitability via Instagram.
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17. Section 3
Sub-section 3.1: Pros and Cons in posting on Instagram
Pro Con
User engagement Time
Garner a large following Attract the “wrong” following
Potentially bring in new clients Backlash if wrong pic or video is posted
Recognition Does not make money
There aren’t any obvious money making pros for Instagram in the short or long
run. However, Instagram is an engagement platform and if we engage the correct users
we can draw in clients who want to be part of our brand and mission.
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18. Section 3
Subsection 3.2: Ideas when posting on Instagram for the Our Company brand
Our profile needs to be an ideal representation of Our Company. We need to
choose colors and effects that represent us. I suggest the Our Company color, mascot,
CMS identifiers, and tagging B-corp and Salesforce.
An inclusion of multiple languages, will also bring a global perspective to our
work. We need to also be able to show diversity in staff i.e. women, people of color, etc.
An idea is to bring visibility to other organizations. This campaigncould bring more
attention to our staff as well as our work, like putting a face to the name deal.
“This campaign” could be another visibility campaign with a lighter feel, the
mascot signifying acceptability or something like that. The purpose of these campaigns is
to show potential clients who we are and what we stand for.
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19. At the same time, we can be figure out a way for the picture to do double duty by
working to draw people in and help them get whatever work they need done. I think it
would be great to cross reference the newsletter’s highest click rates with photos we can
create that would target what our clients are most interested in.
For example, if we had a number of people click a link. That means finding a
part-time sys admin is something they want or need. A picture for that might be a person
running and trying to catch someone. If it’s stylized correctly, and the outfits and scene
capture our aesthetic it could make people want to find out what the picture means and
go to the description.
Reaching out to our clientsis another idea. Not only including them in our
Instagram hashtags or descriptions, but physically taking pictures with them or playing
“This campaignidea” would work too. It’s a campaign that’s never been done on
Instagram and one that can involve a lot more people.
This campaignis all about inspiring others, from the old saying “give a man a fish”.
We would ask people how they inspired others, and how they’ve changed lives. It’s not
about money, it’s about change.
Using Our Mascot to start a campaign. Many companies (as you’ve seen) are
giving themselves license to be funny and different. If we use Our Mascot correctly, he
could generate the type of feel good message and branding we want. We could also link
this to his Twitter account. Below is a chart of social media users who also use other
various social media.
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21. Conclusion
Instagram is a photo and video sharing platform, so if we want to be apart of that
community we have to learn the lingo. Our Company needs to create a strategy for
Instagram, hashtags and contests that represent our brand, and add a distinct style to the
videos and photos we post. Since our main focus is to help non-profits and other
companies, posting video or photo success stories about or with clients is an option.
Similarly, using trending hashtags in correlation with specific photos might work. For
example, the “#stride by” trend and hashtag could be used to our advantage if we stride
with a client, if we look like we’re striding by a nonprofit but then turn out head or move
our arms as if we’re about to stop.
Creating contests that specifically target areas the non-profits we service are
concerned about would help too. We could do a “#OurCompanystandsforsuccess”
campaign were non-profits tag us while doing power poses. We could take pictures of
the team and have them hashtagging the nonprofits they’re working with or something
like that.
Volume isn’t going to help us on Instagram, and in fact it could harm us. Posting
1-2 perfectly captured and styled photos with 30-ish hashtags could help us more than 5
tweets, but it would also take more time.
So here are the four things we need to keep in mind as we move forward: 1) time.
Instagram pictures take time to get just so. Is this time worth the investment? 2) Strategy.
We need to come up with an approach and strategy to Instagram that has to be carried
through our photos, contests, and videos that will also intersect with our brand. 3) Our
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22. brand. The average user will spend milliseconds looking at a photo, might not ever click
on a video, and also might not read the profile. We need to capture their attention in
those seconds as well as make it a distinct representation of our brand, so they realize
it’s Our Company before ever looking at the poster. We could do a pineapple type
scenario like in Psychor a goat scenario like in How I Met Your Mother. We could do
distinctive colors or features like the robin’s egg blue & black oreo is known for.
Now I’ll answer the questions: 1) How would Instagram make Our Company
money? and 2) What best practices have you learned that will make Our Company more
money?
Instagram is an investment in engagement. It is a storytelling, community based
platform. I’m not sure how Instagram will make us more money, but if we strategize
wisely, it could make us known on Instagram as the company people want to work with
which can draw attention and hopefully clients.
The money that has been made through Instagram is by companies like
Coca-Cola, Oreo, and Nike. They spend millions on these campaigns and strategies, and
to use the statistics I’ve received from these companies in comparison with ours wouldn’t
help. We are a B2B company with a focus to engage non-profits, and there aren’t any
popular companies I can find like ours on Our Company or any companies even similar to
ours. The best practices I’ve learned are ones targeting user engagement. As I’ve said
before, our mission, style, and brand will hopefully increase more engagement from the
users we are targeting.
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