Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+ … marketing your business can feel overwhelming with all the different social media sites. And it seems like every week there is a new platform you are “supposed” to be using, at least according to the “experts”.
So, why should you add Instagram to your social media toolbox?
Here are 3 great reasons why:
- Visual content platforms are on the rise
- Instagram shares well with Facebook
- Instagram allows you to share both video and photos
Let’s look at each reason in a bit more detail.
Visual Content Is On the Rise
Social media platforms based on images, like Instagram and Pinterest, have been growing at a rapid pace. Even on Facebook, savvy marketers know posts with pictures have often the highest engagement rates. Remember, it’s now also easier than ever to buy likes on Instagram, or even buy Instagram followers!
Why?
Certainly you’ve heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Marketers are embracing the fact that images are a way to quickly convey their brand and associated products.
With more people accessing social media using their smartphones, it is easy to see how a picture that can quickly produce an emotional response is more effective than a text heavy message, which is more difficult to read on tiny screens.
Instagram and Facebook Play Well Together
Facebook purchased Instagram about a year ago. While they may be completely separate platforms, because they are managed under the same roof it makes sense that Facebook would choose to make Instagram a success.
When a user shares an Instagram image to Facebook, the photo takes over the entire width of the Newsfeed. When a user shares a pin from Pinterest, Facebook posts it as a link with a small thumbnail image.
See the comparison below, with a share from Pinterest to Facebook on the left and a share from Instagram to Facebook on the right.
There’s quite a difference in the amount of real estate an Instagram share gets within the Facebook newsfeed.
Which one would you rather have your Facebook fans see?
Instagram Allows Both Photo and Video Sharing
Until just a few weeks ago, Instagram was all about photos. Recently, though, video had been added to the content allowed to be shared.
This means you no longer have to manage a separate micro-video platform, like Vine or Keek. All marketers can rejoice as they take sharing to another social media account off their long to-do lists.
In addition, with its latest upgrade, Instagram now allows you to upload videos from smart devices.
This new feature means you can edit and splice video together before sharing, rather than having to do one-take videos over and over until it is just right.
Taking these three reasons into account, if your target market can be found on Instagram, you should consider adding the social media app to your marketing plan.
