The 6 reasons why B2B companies should embrace Instagram | eNews from OWC

Instagram gained popularity as a photo-sharing app where friends shared pictures of their dogs, babies, outfits and of course, their meals. Then in 2012, Facebook bought Instagram and what was once just a “photo app” quickly turned into a sprawling platform and media giant. The Kardashians and consumer brands got it immediately, but now companies selling to businesses and professional services firms have turned to Instagram to grow brand awareness, drive revenue, attract talent and remain relevant.

Here are six reasons businesses must embrace Instagram:

1. It’s huge and it’s growing. The app has grown from 90 million monthly active users in 2013 to 1 billion monthly active users as of 2018. It leads other popular social media sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Snapchat. In fact, 25 million businesses take advantage of Instagram’s Business feature that lets companies create a profile.
2. Seeing IS believing. No other social media platform is more well-suited than Instagram to demonstrate a visual component. Facebook plays to the emotion of connecting with family and friends, Twitter gives you the latest news and humor, but Instagram is like a blank canvas. It’s a chance to step out of the box and show stakeholders and potential customers an inside look into a company’s culture and philosophy. B2B companies across the board are excelling with compelling Instagram accounts. Check out General Electric, TaskUs and CURE Pharmaceutical. Femi Corazon, CURE’s director of creative strategy, says, “we strive to maintain a nimble approach with social media since we’re learning about our followers every day and want to adjust our strategy accordingly.”
3. Instagram users are the most engaged. You can post to your heart’s content, but you’re nothing without engagement. Sixty percent of people say they discover new products on Instagram and 2+ million advertisers worldwide have used the app to drive revenue to their businesses. As a result, B2B firms experience the largest engagement ratios on Instagram stacked against any of the other major platforms. Websites aren’t dead, but they are one-way communication.
4. Take your pick of content. Don’t rely on just posting pictures. The app offers numerous chances for visibility and publishing. Videos, for example, receive 38 percent more engagement than image posts. In 2016, the app launched Instagram Stories, its version of Snapchat’s disappearing stories. These posts disappear after 24 hours. Companies can use stories to spotlight in-house events or highlight its participation at an industry conference. One-third of the most viewed Instagram Stories are from businesses.
5. Influencers bring big ROI. The data is in. What others say about you is more important than what you say about yourself. This is where influencer marketing comes in. A joint study conducted by Nielsen and TapInfluence shows that the ROI generated by influencer marketing is 11 times higher than deploying other social media strategies. Here are some examples of B2B influencer campaigns done right.
6. You can always rejigger. Gaining audience insights has never been easier than with Instagram. Through the business profile’s “Insights” tab, users get real-time metrics on how their stories and promoted posts perform throughout the day. Users can also obtain a deep dive into followers and how they interact with posts and stories. Tools like these make it easier to discern what’s working and what’s not and make real-time adjustments.