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