We live in a very visual world. Gadgets that are visually stimulating are dominating the tech marketplace, from high definition flat screen monitors and TVs, iPads, larger screen smartphones, and now even smartwatches. Our interpretation of the world we live in and the way we take information is largely visual. Is your company doing all it can to use pictures and video to engage your customers and enhance your business’s brand image? If not, consider using these tips to increase your company’s visibility using Instagram.
Post inspirational pictures that reflect your company’s branding
strategy. What is it that you want to be known as? Post pictures and videos that will inspire your customers and promote your company’s competitive advantages and brand image. OtterBox is a company that does an incredible job inspiring their customers and promoting their brand via Instagram. I sum up OtterBox’s brand message as “customers can take their tech anywhere using their amazingly protective cases.” Their imagery reflects their brand message and inspires people to take their tech with them on their adventures using an OtterBox case. Check out OtterBox’s Instagram page here.
Create a customer photo contest. (it is best to have at least a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes). Encourage your followers to submit pictures of themselves using your product or service. Then promote the contest via your other social media pages such as Facebook and Twitter. Not only does this build engagement with existing customers, but it gives you a very powerful marketing tool to acquire new customers.
If you are a landscaper, home builder, architect, interior design, or any other service company that does improvement projects, consider posting before and after photos. There is no other greater and more powerful way to showcase your work.
Showcase photos of your employees. Doing so gives your customers an inside view into your company’s operations. It shows the hard work that your employees put into creating a top quality product and the process behind it. Not only does this bring your customers closer to your brand, it gives them a greater appreciation of the quality of your work. Additionally, your employees will appreciate the recognition.
Give your company a cutting edge image by using the latest and greatest applications from Instagram, like Hyperlapse. Traditional, time lapse videos require holding your phone or camera still. Hyperlapse possesses amazing stabilization technology that enables people to create while moving! The result is a beautifully clear video with a cutting edge cinematic feel to it. Learn more here:
Connect your Facebook page, and engage your followers by sharing their pictures on your company FB page. Follow your followers back and make an effort to like and comment on their content. Use popular hashtags to expand the reach of your posts.
Lastly, get inspiration and ideas from other popular brands that you admire. Implement those ideas into your company’s strategy.
Now I will turn it over to you. Are you currently using Instagram as a part of you company’s marketing mix? If not, has this article inspired you to do so? Why or why not?
About the Author: John White is the Chief Marketing Officer at Social Marketing Solutions, the LinkedIn group owner of Publishers and Bloggers, MBA candidate, and contributor to Dice Tech News, CareerToolbox, Linked Into Business, and more.
Need a blogger for your business or support for your company’s social media marketing? Send me an inMail or call me direct at 970.692.3270.
Click here to view my other published articles on LinkedIn Pulse.
