Instagram Marketing for Businesses

Instagram marketing is an ideal solution for many companies, especially in the B2C sector, to connect products with the right target audience. Instagram can be used as an app or via desktop, and now has over 800 million users worldwide. This makes Instagram the largest photo network in the world. A study by the German Institute for Marketing in 2016 revealed that over 90 percent of German companies now use social media channels for corporate communication.

Fig. 1 Link between Facebook and Instagram

Anyone who still thinks that the focus in social media marketing is primarily on Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook is far off. Besides Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, and perhaps Snapchat and Tumblr, one marketing channel is becoming increasingly popular: marketing on Instagram. The network offers great potential to generate additional visitors and customers to one's own website. OK – Instagram is part of the big brother Facebook, but it has a completely different potential.

A major advantage becomes apparent when scrolling through the app on mobile. The attention is focused on just one image or video at a time. The display of images is usually highly tailored to the individual user.

Fig. 2 Stylish image content on Instagram

The interaction rate with an image within the mobile app is around five percent according to a study, while on Facebook, where significantly more content is shown at once in the app, the interaction rate is around one percent. This explains why many companies want to use Instagram marketing.

In the B2B sector, the international network LinkedIn is gaining importance in the German market alongside Xing.

The Fascination of Instagram

Instagram, now part of Facebook, is currently the largest image-driven social media network. Similar to video platforms, creative content is created daily worldwide on Instagram, often reaching a large audience. Followers are enthusiastic about content that they can personalize and stay updated on through so-called content creators or influencers, regarding their professional but especially their private lives.

Instagram marketing has now established itself globally in all marketing plans of companies. With the help of content creators, a precise target audience for products and services can be reached.

For companies already excited about Facebook Ads, Instagram will also be a relevant channel. What surprises: integrated advertising on Instagram is tolerated by users like nowhere else. Furthermore, in many cases, product recommendations are even explicitly desired, which is less common on other channels. Instagram influencers from the fields of business ideas, wellness and meditation, E-gaming, etc., share relevant content with their followers.

Instagram users who follow an idol often want to purchase the clothing, jewelry, or other products. Linking to the pertinent shop from the star's Instagram profile or post makes sense. So, what is the fascination with this network, and what should companies from the lifestyle sector particularly focus on?

Instagram Marketing - Relevant Tips and Basic Rules

Platforms like Instagram are fascinating because of interactive, creative, and current content. While other networks report a decline in users, Instagram consistently records new user records. This calls various influencer marketplaces like ReachHero to action, helping to realize campaigns on Instagram. Of course, it is also possible to set up campaigns directly. Anyone considering Instagram marketing for their business to achieve more brand awareness should definitely follow some basic rules when creating a campaign.

For all Instagram campaigns apply:

1. Instagram marketing works primarily due to the high-quality content in pictures, live streams, or videos. Unlike other networks, the follower sees only one picture after the other in their feed. The attention to the image is correspondingly high. There should be no untapped potential by making the image look too promotional.

2. Bright call-to-action buttons do not belong on Instagram. If companies want to expand their online marketing through Instagram, a concise, relevant content strategy must be developed. A clean, stylish, and above all meaningful picture that promises a certain lifestyle converts significantly better.

3. Live streams can only be broadcast in real-time on Instagram. The streams cannot be viewed again afterwards. This creates a very good environment for maximum attention to a valuable message or product placement.

4. Advertising is often desired, but the advertising message should be shown more subtly in the background. No user wants to scroll through a mass of advertising banners.

Pay attention to meaningful texts with a message. Images are important, but meaningful texts with a "message" enhance Instagram posts. As a result, followers identify even more closely with a brand, share the content, and become part of a community around a company or a particular lifestyle.

Instagram marketing also means being in contact with followers. Through regular contact with the community (whether by answering questions or explicitly asking for feedback), followers notice that the concerns of each individual are important and taken seriously.

This can help strengthen the community further and potentially bind them more closely to a company, a brand, etc. The principle is not new, but the communication offers a very fast and interactive exchange with followers and potential new customers.

Fig. 3 Instagram Marketing for businesses smilodox screenshot

Use of #HashtagsThis brings us to the next point in Instagram marketing! Hashtags provide the opportunity to form topic-specific groups that companies can use in Instagram marketing. This prevents users from just scrolling through uninteresting content. The example of Audi clearly shows how followers gather under the hashtag #wantanr8 to discuss Audi's model. This creates an ideal advertising environment for companies without blatantly advertising a product.

Fig. 4 Example of hashtags in Instagram marketing

Since December 2017, it has also been possible to follow hashtags just like friends. The hashtag page now has a new "Follow" button. By clicking on it, relevant posts and stories about the hashtag are displayed within one's own feed. This is intended to further bring the Instagram community together - giving companies that want to use Instagram marketing completely new opportunities to place products with relevant target audiences.

Branding and Reach First, Performance SecondBefore starting a campaign, the goals should be clearly defined. (Tips on this later in the article). Instagram marketing is primarily suitable as a branding channel for increased brand awareness and only secondarily as a performance channel - e.g., as an affiliate publisher.

Fig. 5 Facebook Ads Manager

Through marketing on Instagram, for example, more potential customers can be directed to a company's website or make users interact more with a site. An increase in traffic can also increase conversions (leads/sales). If an e-commerce company has an app, Instagram marketing can also boost the installation of this app as well as engagement with the app.

As shown in Fig. 3 using the smilodox example, product data can also be promoted through Instagram. Additionally, traffic to video views can be maximized by linking to YouTube. Through specific targeting, the conversion rate can, as always, be further pushed. Of course, the target URL must be set to responsive design to enable the user the best possible user experience within the app.

What posts make Instagram marketing successful?

There are different approaches for successful posts on Instagram. On the one hand, a consistent content strategy is important, that suggests to the user a certain lifestyle or interests and opinions with which they can identify. You can find more about relevant advertising content here.

Storytelling can help inspire new customers or prospects for a product or current offers without the placements being perceived as explicit advertising.

Pictures with funny sayings or quotes that make you think can also be ideally shared over Instagram and advertising messages placed in the attached Insta Bio.

Depending on the company, animal content also works very well, as shown by the example of the Instagram page of the cleaning service provider BOOKATIGER:

Fig. 6 Cat content can help in Instagram marketing

If a company decides to work with Influencers , the campaign setup should be discussed comprehensively. Advertising content can be recommended, but content creators on Instagram do not like to be too influenced in their work. This hampers creativity and may make images appear too promotional for the target groups.

Even though influencers are happy about many inquiries and collaborations, they want to remain freely creative in designing their social media channels. After all, influencers know their followers best! This should not be a disadvantage for companies. Rather, it is the case that through their own content creation (in the form of photos or videos) more credibility and authenticity is achieved, and conversions/sales of the promoted products or services can be further increased.

Let's take the Audi example again:

Fig. 7 Instagram marketing and lifestyle communication

This Instagram account loudly screams: Lifestyle! With Audi, the driver experiences an exclusive sporty driving experience. There are no "Buy now" CTAs, discount promotions or similar marketing aids needed to attract attention to the Audi models.

Also well done: the collaboration with influencers, such as PS Profi JP Performance here. Because of the TV show "Die PS Profis", he is known among a target group absolutely relevant to Audi. The example also illustrates how well different social media channels can be linked, including Instagram, to successfully create a post. As mentioned, Instagram marketing can achieve this. The brand stays in conversation and is always up-to-date with the target groups, followers, and potential customers.

When looking for the right influencer for a company, the number of followers should not primarily guide the choice. These can be bought and thus potentially do not represent a real target audience for companies.

Fig. 8 Instagram marketing also works with influencers

Building an Instagram Ads Campaign

Here is a brief step-by-step guide for marketing campaigns on Instagram.

Requirements to Use Instagram Ads

To place ads on Instagram, it is necessary to connect the Instagram profile with the Facebook profile or the Facebook Business Manager. Under the settings of the Facebook profile, the corresponding Instagram account can be added via the "Instagram Ads" section. In the business manager, the "Instagram Accounts" section must be selected under the company settings. After entering the username and password, the account can be added.

Fig. 9 Linking Facebook and Instagram

Campaign Goals

As mentioned, marketing goals for the campaign are very important.

The Instagram ad formats are very similar to those on Facebook, including in terms of goal setting. When creating a new campaign, a specific goal is first chosen. The following goals are available for Instagram ads:

• Brand awareness

• Reach

• Traffic (for clicks on the website or the app store for the app)

• Post interaction

• App installations

• Video views

• Website conversion (for conversions on the website or in the app)

• Lead generation

Create and Place Instagram Ads

Creating ads for Instagram differs only minimally from Facebook campaigns. Ads can be created using, among others, the Ads Manager, the Power Editor, the Creative Hub, or the Facebook Ads API.

After selecting the desired campaign goals and creating the campaign, it's important to ensure that only the Instagram placements are used when choosing the target audience, placement, and duration. Instagram ads can be configured through the "Edit Placements" option.

Fig. 10 Placement selection

Instagram Ad Types

Instagram currently offers 4 different ad formats for businesses:

• Photo Ads

• Video Ads

• Carousel Ads

• Stories Ads

Photo Ads

Photo Ads are classic image posts that, when properly implemented, look like regular content. But, it is a sponsored post, which users discover by the small "Sponsored" hint below the brand/account name. Photo Ads offer many ways to display products/services and can be used in square format or landscape format. Additionally, a caption with more information can be added.

Fig. 11 Photo Ads example by Bose

Video Ads

Instagram Video Ads provide opportunities to engage users with videos up to 60 seconds long. For example, short product videos, animations, funny films, etc., are shown. Particularly popular are cooking videos like those from Buzzfeed Tasty, which show instructions for various dishes in just a few seconds. It is essential to capture users' attention in the first 3 seconds to increase the likelihood that they will watch the entire video.

Strong Carousel Ads

Carousel Ads give advertising campaigns more depth allowing up to 10 photos or videos to be displayed in one post. By swiping, the user switches to further pictures or videos. With photo series, short stories can be told or several products from a store can be displayed.

Fig. 12 Strong Carousel Ads example

Story Ads

Instagram Story Ads allow for a friendly presentation of services and products. They are inserted between users' stories and are only recognized as ads due to the "Sponsored" label. The ad can be up to 15 seconds long and consists of either a photo or a video, visible for 24 hours. Again, it's important to convince in the first few seconds; otherwise, a boring story is quickly clicked away.

Fig. 13 Story Ads example by Marshall

Instagram Marketing - Analytics and Tools

To measure the success of campaigns, data analysis and evaluation are essential. Instagram has its own statistics tool, which can only be used if a business profile is used. This tool provides information about people and followers who interact with the company on Instagram. This includes, among other things:

• Number of impressions generated by the advertisement

• Reach

• Profile views

• Website clicks

• Information on age, location, and gender

Additionally, detailed information can also be analyzed for posts (e.g., "likes", comments, etc.) and stories (e.g., reach, impressions, exiting the story, and responding to the story) using charts and numbers.

Instagram Marketing Analysis Tools

In addition to Instagram's own analysis tool, there are several very good tools that offer more detailed data analysis. Some are examined more closely below.

Simply Measured

This tool offers free reporting to users with up to 25,000 followers. To access it, the Simply Measured Twitter account must be followed. Once these conditions are met, a report with extensive analyses is available, such as a keyword analysis, the ideal time for the post, or the most popular hashtags. These data can then be downloaded as Excel and PowerPoint files. However, to access even more features and analyses, the paid version must be purchased.

Iconosquare

Iconosquare is one of the first and most well-known Instagram marketing tools. It provides an overview of all Instagram activities and has strengths in determining and presenting the engagement rate. Followers are also detailed, making it easy to identify top followers. Iconosquare also has its own search function to monitor accounts and individual hashtags of competitors. However, the tool is only free for 14 days; afterwards, Iconosquare must be purchased.

Squarelovin

Squarelovin is a platform that provides the most important Instagram analytics. The tool is free and provides a monthly analysis as well as tracking the posts' trajectory, which can be exactly displayed on a yearly, monthly, daily, or even hourly basis. Squarelovin also gives hints on the best posting times, displays likes and comments, and shows the change in followers.

What can we do for you?

If you need support setting up Instagram marketing campaigns, contact the internetwarriors. Our certified specialists will be happy to assist you.