Instagram may have started out as little more than a polaroid-esque social media platform, but it’s grown into a marketer’s paradise, having the highest engagement ratio of any other platform. Oh, and Instagram just enabled posting videos up to 60 seconds in length.
Still don’t believe me? Keep reading.
I wrote previously on stats for various social media platforms, but I really want to dig in to Instagram and how it’s a useful marketing tool.
Like other social media platforms, Instagram enables you to engage directly with your viewers. But unlike other platforms, the entire purpose of Instagram is to look at awesome photos and videos. This makes it an amazing outlet to showcase your business in a creative way.
Instagram Video? Is it worth it?
Think Twitter is big? The potential for marketing on Instagram is huge. Users interactions are at 4.21%, over 60x higher than Facebook! And it’s not just millenials on Instagram—everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon.
And there are over 300 million monthly active users. (That’s also roughly the entire population of the United States.) That’s a lot of people.
| Age Demographic | Percent of US Population that Uses Instagram |
| 18-29 | 53% |
| 30-49 | 25% |
| 50-64 | 11% |
| 65+ | 6% |
Over 85% of the world’s top brands are on Instagram. And that’s growing. Engagement is growing too as the platform matures. Instagram video marketing is absolutely something you should be investigating.
Personal, but Well Crafted
Post things worth watching! If it looks like an Ad, you’re missing the point. The content you post on social should be personal, but still well crafted. If you haven’t gotten into the Instagram marketing game yet, start off with behind-the-scenes photos of your business. Show off:
- How your product is made
- A day in the life at your office
- Company events
Be transparent and personal. That’s what’s going to connect with your viewers and allow you to engage with them, driving conversions.
Once you’ve gotten your feet wet, it’s time to look at how much ROI you can actually pull out of Instagram. Unless you happen to have a professional photographer on staff, or have your own media department for video, chances are you’ll want to hire out for this.
Gaining Followers
Getting followers is how you drive conversions. But getting people to follow you as a business is no mean feat. A little instagram icon on your website is only going to get you so far.
First, figure out what your demographic is already interested in. If your demographic is filmmakers, we all post under #setlife all the time on Instagram. Engage with your demographic. Follow people with social influence. Comment on posts that relate (even tangentially) to your business.
And, most importantly, post content that makes people want to follow you. If your photo and video content is boring, or isn’t targeted to your demographic, you’re not going to get the conversion rate you want. Post sneak peaks of new products that you don’t showcase anywhere else. Post funny content. Post emotional content.
- Engage with your audience, liking and commenting on posts
- Follow people with social influence
- Post content that makes people want to follow you for more
So How Does Video Fit In?
When we craft video for social campaigns, these are the things we take into consideration:
- Crafting video content specifically for Instagram
- Not relying on audio (it doesn’t play unless the viewer wants it to)
- Immediate impact so the viewer doesn’t swipe past
- Being personal, but well-crafted
- Creating something original and interesting
So is Instagram worth it? Absolutely.
