What Do Instagram Users Want from Companies?
Given the unparalleled rise of Instagram over the past decade, we have repeatedly heard time and time again what marketing specialists believe Instagram users want to see. Although there are over 1 billion active Instagram users, businesses are finding it exceedingly hard to connect with consumers and build an audience. In an attempt to solve this marketing problem once and for all, we thought it was time to find out what users expect from companies on Instagram, from the users themselves.
Contrary to user activity on Facebook and Twitter, Instagram users tend to be more selective about what accounts or tags they choose to follow. On Facebook, when you accept a friend request, both individuals are now friends with each other. While on Instagram, users routinely accept a follow request, but do not follow that user in return. In reality, it is not uncommon for users to unfollow an account after seeing a post they did not like on their timeline, or even for no reason at all. In response to this trend, companies are being forced to work harder for the attention of their target audience.
One-way businesses can build social momentum is by producing short content, meaning less than 15 or 30 seconds. The appeal of Instagram stems from user’s ability to consume content quickly as they continuously scroll through their feed. In order to stay within this trend and give your audience what they want, Instagram content should be aesthetically pleasing and creative, or in other words, specifically crafted for this photo-sharing platform. The most common mistakes companies make is simply posting photos they think their followers will like rather than working to connect with their audience while promoting your business.
The second expectation from users is relevant, platform-specific ads. Although Instagram is owned by Facebook, Instagram is a world entirely of its own. So, it would make sense that users would prefer advertisements geared towards them, such as Instagram stories. Companies can switch their account from personal to business profile, which allows them to post about relevant products and services to their Instagram stories. From the story, users can simply swipe up to find and buy the products on the company’s web-page. The best part about this, the whole transaction occurs without ever leaving the app; users tend to be partial to convenience and accessibility.
To supplement your company’s mission to create platform-specific advertisements, we also suggest taking advantage of Instagram’s Shopping feature. If your business sells products and services, chances are you are already marketing these products in your posts. In order to meet the demands of Instagram users, configuring shoppable posts allows you to take your business directly to the consumer population. Once enabled, the Shopping feature will allow users to “Tap To View Products” that are shown in the post. If interested in the product, users can then select the item to learn more and view the company’s website.
It may take a while to get used to doing things the customer’s way, but once you do, it will be worth the engagements and audience your company receives in return.
If you would like more information about what Instagram users want to see from companies, need help employing these strategies, or other digital marketing services please contact Pink Dog Digital at (410) 696-3305, email us at info@pinkdogdigital.com, or visit us on the web at www.pinkdogdigital.com.