Instagram.
To newbies, it is the land of selfies and food porn.
To businesses, it is the land of opportunity.
Instagram now has over 300 million users, more than Twitter. Those users though are not just numbers, they are shoppers. They follow brands because they like them, and because there is no hard core sales pitch.
It’s perfect. So what is the best way to get to those shoppers?
Well, Instagram will very soon open up advertising for businesses of all sizes.
So here are some tips you can start thinking about now for your first Instagram advertising campaign.
Rotating Carousel Images
You will be able to include up to 4 rotating photos accompanied by individual captions in a sponsored post, really cementing your product and message.
Call To Action Buttons
This is my favourite, you will be able to to choose from 4 buttons, including LEARN MORE, INSTALL NOW, SIGN UP, and SHOP NOW. Each of these buttons will take the user to a specific website location, or a spot within a mobile app store. The user can go straight back into Instagram with either a back button, or by clicking the ‘x’. These buttons also allow tracking of who clicks these ads, and if they go on to make a purchase, or download the app. Fantastic measurement and analytical information.
Niche Targeting
Instagram is working with it’s parent company Facebook to really drill down into personal preferences of their ideal target segment, rather than just age, location and gender. The take out from this is that you really need to know who your target is.
Engagement
As on Facebook, Instagram will favour ads with a higher engagement. The more people share, comment and react, the better result for your campaign.
Anyone can do it
To date, Instagram advertising seems to have been only for premium brands. This is not the case, and certainly won’t be once this advertising premise becomes live. Clever creative, interesting hooks and innovative tags will allow business of all size to make their mark.
It’s not Facebook
While the process of targeting and measuring reflects that of Facebook, remember that these platforms are different. Facebook is about content, text and articles, with imagery. Instagram is entirely about imagery. The users on Instagram are more willing to engage, with twice the users actually doing so.
What does it all mean?
To get the best result, businesses should understand where Instagram sits within the sales cycle, so that they can tailor content and images which is relevant.
They should understand the target audience and what motivates them to engage.
Need to know more? Get in touch.
