Week 6 Instagram Social Media Midterm

Introduction to Instagram

• Founded in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger
• Within 9 months of launching, Instagram had over 7 million users
• By April 2012, Instagram had 30 million users, doubling its user base more quickly than any previous social network
• Purchased by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012

Instagram Engagement

• Top 50 global brands post an average of 4.9 times per week
• 75% of users take action, such as visiting a website, after looking at a brand's post
• 72% of users say they have purchased a product they saw on the app
• Highest follower interaction rate among all social media networks

Benefits of Instagram for Building a Brand

• Tell your brand story through expressive photos and videos
• Get discovered by people who share your interests
• Build a community

Instagram Business Profiles

• Launched in 2016
• PROFILE PICTURE that represents your brand
• USERNAME that is searchable and relevant to your brand
• LINKS to your website
• A succinct BIO that says what you're all about

Anatomy of an Instagram Post

• Photo, Video, or Group of Photos
• Use authentic and relevant photos and videos
• 40+ filters and editing tools
• Caption tells a story and connects to your visual
• Can be up to 2,200 characters, but shorter equals greater engagement
• Use emojis, pose questions, celebrate and shout out to other brands, and include a call-to-action
• Ideal number of hashtags is 3-5, placed at the end
• Posts with at least one hashtag see an average 12.6% more engagement
• Add a location to let people know where the photo was taken

Instagram Shopping Features

• Collections: curate products into themes
• Product Detail Pages: provide shoppers with relevant information on items
• Checkout on Instagram: enables direct in-app purchases
• Product Tags & Ads with Product Tags: highlight items from a brand's catalog
• Product Launches: announce upcoming exclusive product launches

Instagram Shopping Best Practices

• Manage the product catalogue
• Add product details, images, and videos
• Leverage product tags
• Help shoppers understand if a product is right for them

Instagram Stories

• Posts featuring videos or images that disappear after 24 hours
• Meant to be posted at a higher frequency than traditional posts
• Not meant to be perfect: give inside or behind-the-scenes looks at businesses
• Leverage interactivity with polls or question stickers

Instagram Direct

• Connect with customers where they are
• Add a Send Message button to your profile or place an IG.me link on your website or emails
• Easily manage messages
• Integrate messaging across channels
• Build loyalty and trust
• Increase sales

The Instagram Algorithm

• Post's popularity
• How frequently the user interacted with the account in the past
• How many posts the user has liked
• User's engagement with the account's other content

Creating a Variety of Content that Delivers Value

• Know your goal
• Create a variety of content that delivers value
• Engage with your audience
• Avoid overt product pitches
• Regram user-generated-content
• Ask questions
• Participate in Reels trends

Advertising with Instagram

• Second most popular social media network for advertisers
• Must have Facebook Pages and create Instagram Business Profiles
• Instagram ads can be created and purchased in the Facebook Ads Manager or within the Instagram app
• Targeting options include:
  • Location
  • Demographics
  • Custom Audiences
  • Lookalike Audiences
  • Interests
  • Behaviors
  • Automated Targeting

Instagram Objectives

• Awareness: show ads to people who are most likely to remember them
• Traffic: show ads to people who are most likely to click on them
• Engagement: get more messages, video views, post engagement, Page likes, or event responses
• Leads: collect leads for your business or brand
• App Promotion: find new people to install your app and continue using it
• Sales: find people likely to purchase your product or service

Learn about the history and statistics of Instagram, from its founding in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger to its acquisition by Facebook in 2012. Discover interesting facts about user engagement and the impact on global brands.