It goes without saying that social media has become an important part of our daily lives. It keeps everyone in the world connected to each other, shrinking thousands of miles worth of distance into one click away.
Looking at it from a business owner’s perspective, this has been the greatest invention to marketing since the advent of newsletters. Social media platforms are such potent mediums for marketing that most brands, from conglomerates to small business enterprises, are in on the game.
However, out of all the social media platforms online, there is one that seems to attract business and generate the most revenue in ads. That platform is Instagram. Known to be any business owner’s best friend, Instagram offers every brand the opportunity to advertise to a global audience, and best of all, most of it is extremely cost efficient, if not free.
However, it is not all rainbows and sunshine. With the tantalizing amount of competitors on the platform, it is not only overcrowded but also very difficult to get ahead, especially for new business owners. Yet, it is definitely not impossible. In fact, with the right mindset and approach, it can be not only predictable but also much easier to ensure success.
So, here are some of the reasons why Instagram is the number one choice for brands, and solid tips on how you can use it to your advantage!
People are buying
Instagram makes a metric ton of money. People from all over the world are using the app to purchase products everyday. In fact, in 2019 alone, the social media platform garnered over $20 billion in advertising revenue. According to a survey done, 70% of American marketers plan to spend a majority of their advertising budget on Instagram marketing.
Through the social media platform, you can find almost any products being sold. From millions of eCommerce shops to countless services, almost every brand is present on Instagram because it also functions as a social marketplace.
Furthermore, with over 2 billion users on the social media platform right now, you have virtually a quarter of the world’s population at your fingertips. With great and engaging content, and by taking advantage of growth services, you are not only able to get active Instagram followers, but you will also be able to grow your online presence overall. This makes it even easier to sell your products, which brings in more followers, and it creates a highly beneficial cycle for you.
Targetable audience
More than 2 billion users worldwide is great, but it can also be quite troublesome. With so many users, most of them will be irrelevant to your product, especially if you cater to a niche group of audience. For example, an eCommerce store focusing on women’s products might not be applicable to the male users on the platform. There are so many people, yet a majority of them are irrelevant.
However, the great news is Instagram has acknowledged this pain point and turned it into a massive benefit. The social media platform allows you to further pinpoint and reach the audience that really matters to you by letting you personalize your content with hashtags.
For example, if your business specializes in selling snowboards, putting in hashtags such as #snowboard or #wintersports means the people who are truly interested in the activity will be first to be notified, and you will potentially get twice as many followers. Likewise, your post are less likely to reach people who live in an area that does not have snow, unless they show a keen interest in it.
Provided it is used correctly, this system ensures that all your posts will be seen by the people that matter the most to your business.
There are influencers
Finally, Instagram has a ton of influencers, which are people that hold an influence over the general public. For example, a user that has over 10,000 followers on the platform. You can tell who is an influencer by a blue tick by their name, meaning they are verified by Instagram as influential people.
Through outreach and endorsements, they can help a brand grow by raising awareness for the business. By reaching out to the right influencers in your field and getting an endorsement or providing a sponsorship would ensure that your products would get much more of the spotlight than you typically would, resulting in a much more rapid growth for your brand.
