Since its' creation in 2010, Instagram has become one of the top social media platforms in the world in a short period of time. It started as a picture sharing application where users would follow their friends to see pictures of their meals. It has now evolved into something so much larger. With its unique features of Instagram live, IGTV, analytics, and more, it has now become a marketing tool for countless businesses and entrepreneurs around the world.
(image credit to techcrunch.com)
But, how exactly are businesses using Instagram to market their products and services? Instagram boasts a total user count of over 1,000 million. According to a study by Social Media Examiner 96% of small businesses are using social media. Instagram is different than other mediated platforms in that it focuses on visual content. Businesses are creating visually appealing content via Instagram that in return creates interest in their product and services. Just take a look at these statistics (as compiled from webdam) and you'll realize why Instagram has become a powerhouse in the world of marketing.
- 81% of educated people skim as opposed to reading online
- The average person gets distracted in 8 seconds
- People only remember 20% of what they read without visuals
- People form a first impression in 50 milliseconds
- Posts that include image have a 650% higher engagement rate than text-only post
(image credit to hubspot.com)
The key in marketing through Instagram as a business is high quality visuals and active engagement with your followers on a consistent basis. This requires scheduling, strategies, and research. Overall Instagram is only going to continue to grow and play an even larger role in marketing, as will all of social media. It's important that you take action now as opposed to later.