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Users Guide
With everyone from seniors to teenagers and millennials uploading and viewing photos and videos, and with over 100 million daily users...
It's not hard to see why Instagram is now a social media force to be reckoned with.
Since 2015, Instagram has been considered the "king of social engagement " and it’s easy to see why.
According to Nate Elliot of Forrester Research, Instagram produces 29 percent more engagement than Facebook, and a whopping 60 percent more than Twitter.
The Forrester researchers assessed some 11.8 million user interactions that were based on 2,500 posts.
For instance, the brands who posted on Instagram picked up 1+ million followers in 2015; which was almost five times higher than in 2014.
If that isn’t impressive enough, Instagram engagement is approximately 3.5 percent higher than Facebook and Twitter.
The bottom line in the study?
Instagram engagement delivered 58 percent more engagement than Facebook, and a gigantic 120 times more than Twitter.
Here are some Instagram numbers as collected by Expanded Ramblings Research:
• 400+ million users
• 75 million daily users
• Approximately 30 percent of the U.S. population uses Instagram
• 49 percent of U.S. adults use Instagram daily
Seeing these impressive statistics, one cannot ignore the enormous opportunity that exists on Instagram for a company or brand, that wants to gain traction with their social media campaigns.
With this is mind, here are some inside tips you can use to leverage the power of Instagram.
• Use unique images to tell your story. For example, add photos with a motivational quote, and add photos with a helpful quote about business.
On Instagram, you’ll find everything from simple photos of the family pet to company logos. So, don’t be shy sharing, but be sure to follow the rules.
• Use Instagram to tell your brand's story. For example: If you’re hiring, consider using your photo series for posting links to job ads or job alert sign up pages. Be sure to include a call-to-action.
• Add a tag which encourages interest and clicks. Remember, Instagram markets you using the tag/s you add to your photos. Take or upload a photo or video. Choose to add a filter, then type # followed by text or an emoji in the Caption field (ex: #flower)
• Create engagement with contests, puzzles and surveys. Today the top strategies who successfully create engagement use these three items. All of them create what psychologists call ‘micro-commitments’.
• Find a good keyword tool to help discover the best category title. To generate superior results on Instagram, it's important you choose the right category for your posts. Get this wrong and potential viewers and clients will overlook you. This is where good keywords come in handy. Do some research (See link above) to find the best keywords before choosing an Instagram category.
• Use the hash# tag to further brand your business. It’s easier to create a buzz on social media when you use your own unique hash# tag.
• Use Instagram's Geo-Tags to help customers find your business.
• Set up a mobile storefront. You then ask customers to upload their photos using or wearing your products. Depending upon the type of photos they upload (unique, funny, beautiful, for example) these photos can cause your Instagram posts to go viral.
• Import your email contacts to increase the potential for engagement.
• Always share your Instagram photos on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and LinkedIn.
• Follow others, share other’s photos and vids; this can provide info to use when connecting with potential clients.
• Add videos. Your videos can create solid engagement fast. Today videos are the top tool for creating engagement and most viewed Internet content. Post anything from funny to absurd, fascinating to beautiful. Most important, your videos must be interesting.
Also, share others videos to create additional engagement.
One aspect of Instagram that is a marketer’s dream, lies in the fact they allow you to share your photos and videos on a variety of other social networking platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr and Flickr.
So, what type of photos should you use?