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Instagram ads are coming. We don’t know what they’ll look like or when they’ll arrive. But Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has promised that Instagram won’t be ad-free forever. The world’s largest brands are already using the photo-sharing app and its new video tool to pimp their products.
Facebook is betting big on mobile ads, which went from being a blip on the social network’s radar to accounting for 41 percent of the company’s ad revenue in just one year. The network reportedly plans to run 15-second, TV-style ads in users’ News Feeds, which could cost advertisers $2.5 million a pop. If that 15-second limitation—as yet unconfirmed by Facebook—sounds familiar, it’s because 15 seconds is also the cap that Instagram put on its new video tool.
Companies are familiarizing themselves with Instagram video as they prepare for the inevitable launch of video ads and seek to avoid angering Instagram devotees in the process....
Vine's microvideos have rapidly waned in popularity following the debut of Instagram's competing service. But don't count it out yet. The competition continues...
The Twitter-owned microvideo service Vine has had better days. Earlier, Marketing Land revealed that user sharing of six-second Vine videos plummeted after Instagram debuted a competing service last week. But Vine isn't Internet roadkill quite yet. Marketing Land conjured data from Twitter-metric firm Topsy, comparing how many times people shared instagram.com links on Twitter against the frequency of vine.co links.
Its most stunning revelation: Sharing of Vine videos dropped by almost 40% on June 20, the day Instagram launched its video service. So far, there's no turnaround in sight....
Industry professional Christopher Penn demonstrates the power of brevity using Instagram’s newest video feature to briefly explain public relations.
“Instagram is so immediate and intimate that it creates this close connection with the user,” said Cory Haik, executive producer for digital news at The Washington Post. The Post uses Instagram to share photos, collect photos from users, report stories and have personal interactions with its audience. It’s a strategy aimed not at driving traffic but at building community. The Washington Post solicited Instagram photos of snow from readers. (Courtesy The Washington Post) “What we ask ourselves about Instagram,” Haik said by phone, “is ‘are we having a meaningful conversation with our users?’”...
Do you remember “show and tell” from your elementary school days? This is the exact approach social media business users should be taking. Too often businesses merely tell followers why their product or service is worthy of a purchase.... The second-best thing about Instagram is it makes extremely amateur “photographers” like me feel as though we’re capable of taking professional-quality pictures. The first-best thing: Instagram offers almost everything a business user could want in a social network, so much so, it’s (dare I say) the most effective platform out there. Here are the top four reasons why...
Social media marketing requires businesses to remain up to date with the latest platforms, and Instagram makes a case for widespread adoption. Social media marketing evolves as companies embrace new networks that prove to generate conversions and business for brands. In 2012, Pinterest marketing went through its coming of age, outpacing many other networks in terms of growth, referral traffic and adoption. Pinterest continues to expand and add new features to its ever-adapting interface, but the service is no longer the social-media newcomer – that prize goes to Instagram. Of course, the picture-sharing network has been around for a few years now, but businesses have just caught on to Instagram’s content marketing benefits. With more than 90 million monthly active users uploading approximately 40 million photos per day, Instagram has already been adopted by 59 percent of the world’s top brands. In Simply Measured’s latest report on Instagram’s growth, the source notes strong audience growth for major brands and a wider gap for those who haven’t created an account yet. Since the last report in November 2012, Instagram grew 9 percent. More, Instagram accounts with more than 10,000 followers grew 6 percent since November 2012, and profiles with 20,000 plus followers grew a percentage point in the same time period. As for brands with more than 100,000 followers, they experienced a 2 percent growth between November 2012 and February 2013....
From Levi’s to the local craft foods shop, businesses of all sizes are flocking to Facebook’s free photo-sharing app Instagram, hoping to get noticed by its 80 million active users and expand their reach. What makes Instagram different from other social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter? It’s almost entirely photo-based and available only on Apple iOS and Android mobile phones and devices. Instagram has emerged as an effective marketing tool because companies can quickly build brand recognition and consumer loyalty through an ongoing stream of photos that help personalize their brand.... [Excellent tips for marketers ~ Jeff]
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They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Photo-sharing site Instagram can be worth a lot more to brands constantly trying to cut through the clutter. ... But PR execs have to look at Instagram in a different light, according to Matt Rozen, group manager of corporate social media at Adobe.
The photo-sharing site, which Facebook acquired last year for $1 billion, isn’t necessarily designed to draw people to a different Web destination, but play directly to their emotional center.
“I don't think people click on links in Instagram comments, nor do I think people will take action” if there is a call to action embedded in the picture, said Rozen. “People look at Instagram for a quick fix, a laugh, to be inspired or even to be surprised.”
The challenge for PR pros is how to convert words that take up a good part of the daily PR traffic into images that will enhance their messages....
With Instagram's video feature, businesses have a new option for video marketing. But Vine offers a different experience and aesthetic. Which do you prefer?
him andLast week, Instagram launched new video functionality to compete with Twitter’s fast-growing video service Vine. Magnificent 15-second, completely editable and non-looping video has since invaded the stream of filter-loving photographers everywhere. Steven Spielberg wannabes, rejoice!
Making the Decision: Which is right for your company? In an industry where the quick-change is just a way of life, choosing the best marketing outlets can be as complicated as learning another language. With companies recognizing and utilizing social media as a key marketing tool, new companies are popping up every day all over the social media map.
With the latest update in the smartphone industry creating yet another marketing outlet, companies are facing another fork in the road. Take the left turn and use Vine, an app that “wowed” the world in six seconds, or turn right and use Instagram, the already popular photo-editing and -sharing app. If you’re a company, big or small, which do you choose? Before making the choice, you should understand what you’re getting yourself into....
Instagram is kind of a big deal. A recent surge in visual content is sweeping across every network from Twitter to Facebook. As the leader in image sharing apps, Instagram has become a household name in recent months with more than 40 million photos being uploaded daily to their platform. Users are racking up a total of 1,000 comments and more than 8,000 likes on Instagram every second. Additionally, 28 percent of U.S. Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 are using Instagram and that number continues to grow. As marketers, these numbers show that while instagram has yet to become a staple in the marketing toolkit, it’s definitely something to analyze and consider. Additional thought should be considered if you’re looking to connect with Generation Y using content marketing as they are using instagram more than ever before.
...According to Instagram’s official press page, there are 100 million monthly active users, 40 million photos per day, 8500 likes per second, and 1000 comments per second. This flurry of activity shows that not only is Instagram one of the most popular social networks, engagement is also relatively easy, making it a great opportunity for companies that are willing to post regularly. ...Huge brands like Coca-Cola and major celebrities like Justin Bieber are using Instagram to connect with their fans and customers on a more personal level.... Just like the social networks that came before it, using Instagram as part of your overall online marketing initiatives helps you introduce new and existing products to your target market, build a sense of community with your customers, and gather more online exposure....
... But what about Instagram? The popular social media platform, acquired by Facebook in April 2012, has continually seen its use by B2B companies increase. It’s hard to imagine a social media marketing tool that has on average 40 million photos being uploaded every day and over 90 million monthly active users, not receiving any consideration as part of more companies’ social media marketing strategies. More B2B companies are making the most out of their company’s Instagram accounts by giving users exactly what they want — fresh, consistent content that visually engages their customers and prospects. They’ve made sure their content, images with short messages, is perfectly aligned with their brand’s attributes and that each new photo uploaded tells a story. As a result, they’ve utilized a new channel to engage with customers and attract new ones. Here’s a look at 3 B2B companies that are effectively utilizing Instagram as a component of their social media marketing efforts...
The mobile photo editing app is fast becoming a major conversation platform among PR pros, and a way to reach journalists. To all of the PR pros that have firmly integrated Pinterest into your PR program: Instagram is now stealing Pinterest’s thunder as a social outreach platform. In ComScore’s Top 50 most visited websites list for September, 2012, Instagram was 44th (26.3 million visitors) while Pinterest just cracked the list for the first time at No. 50 (25.3 million). For those of you not in the know, Instagram is the mobile photo editing and sharing app that was acquired by Facebook in April. “Sharing” is the key word here, because while many people know that you can apply neat filters to photos in Instagram, many do not know that it’s a social sharing platform as well. And that is what makes it enticing to the communications pro. Like Pinterest, Instagram is all about visuals that pop. The app is still in its infancy and very easy to use, without all the bells and whistles of a Facebook or Twitter, which is what makes it so appealing to many....
About 40 percent of top brands use Instagram. But that doesn't mean they use it well. Check out these examples of the best uses (and abuses) of this popular visual platform. With the launch of social networks like Instagram and Pinterest -- and, of course, Facebook's dive into Timeline -- social is transforming into a visual world. It's becoming increasingly important to show instead of tell. Show your audience that cheeseburger that's on special this week. Show your fans that picture of your gorgeous car driving off into the sunset. About 40 percent of top brands use Instagram. But that doesn't mean they use it well. Some brands are using Instagram as a way to reach specific demographics within their audiences, to showcase their creative sides, or to humanize their brands. Others are using it without moderation or maintenance, to cross-promote or advertise their content from platform to platform, or in an entirely unengaging way. Let's take a look at some of the best and the worst brands on Instagram. Consider this your checklist of what to do -- and what not to do -- on the platform.... [Lots of good marketing and social media lessons here ~ Jeff]
Via Thomas Faltin
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Can Instacrap be far away? As this post says: "Companies are clamoring to expand their social media strategy to video, but they have to be careful not to scare away Instagram’s indie-at-heart users."