1. Instagram has 500M users. Launching in October of 2010, Instagram is one of the newest social media platforms, but also one of the biggest. As of June 2016, Instagram has 500 million active users – that is almost 200 million more than Twitter! Now is the time to get your brand in front of this large and growing audience. (Statista)
2. Over 77 million of people in the U.S. use Instagram. A study conducted by eMarketer predicts that by 2018, 100 million (or almost one-third) of all American residents will be on Instagram. Start now with influencer marketing on Instagram and you can watch the network grow. (eMarketer)
3. Instagram feed changed from chronological to algorithmic. In March 2016, Instagram changed their feed from chronological to an algorithmic approach that features content users are more likely to engage with. This means influencers on Instagram are getting their content in front of a better, more engaging audience. Consumers can be naturally leery of brands’ social media posts and oftentimes don’t engage as frequently as they would with people they admire, like influencers. With influencer marketing, you can work the algorithm to your favor and utilize influencers in order to get in front of your target audience. (Instagram)
4. Google removed side bar PPC ads. Recently, Google announced its removal of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads from the side bar of their search results page. Removing these ads, which occupied the right side of the webpage, was an attempt to “optimize its user experience and cut down on noise.” Less ad space leads to more competition and potentially higher costs. Testing a new channel, like influencer marketing, may be more effective and affordable. (Forbes)
5. The average Instagram user spends 21 minutes a day using the app. That means users spend 10.5 hours a month and 5.25 DAYS per year on Instagram. Users are committing a huge chunk of time to this platform, so use this to your advantage by staying in front of your audience through sponsored influencer content. (Econsultancy)
6. Instagram reports higher engagement rates than Twitter. According to data from Socialbakers, brands are seeing higher engagement levels on Instagram than Twitter. Instagram may only be a photo sharing space, but that makes it a lot easier for consumers to engage and relate than textual advertising. Seeing is believing, and seeing a great visual image is much easier for consumers to absorb and relate to than text. While it can be more time consuming to allocate time and resources to creating and posting engaging content on Instagram, remember, influencers do this for a living! Collaborate with them to utilize their talent to crowdsource engaging content on Instagram. (Econsultancy)
7. Targeting the appropriate audience is more important than amassing followers on Instagram. Rather than waiting for Instagram users to follow your brand’s account, reach out to the audience you want via influencers and spark their intrigue. Hire multiple mid-size creators that embody your target audience – their followers are likely similar and a referral from this source is much more impactful than one from your brand directly. Use this targeted approach to achieve great results AND higher engagement rates. (Forbes)
8. 50% of Forbes 500 companies use Instagram. Fortune 500 companies, especially the ones near the top of the list, have adopted the use of Instagram. If the biggest money makers in the world are using it, they must be doing something right! (Small Business Trends)
9. Instagram posts are difficult to schedule. As a business, it is difficult to schedule posts on Instagram and maintain a presence outside regular business hours. According to Latergramme, engagements on Instagram are highest at 5pm and 2am – times that businesses are closed and therefore typically not posting content to Instagram. Creators, on the other hand, are posting around the clock. They also maintain strong engagement levels, even when business hours have ended. (Huffington Post)
10. Instagram is the #1 photography app of all time. In 2015, Mashable rated Instagram the #1 photography app of all time. It’s had a huge impact on mainstream culture, quoting “the app changed how we think about sharing experiences, and it’s become on of the most influential social networks in the world.” Years ago, the notion of an influencer never even existed. Today, with social media platforms like Instagram, a new star is born every day. As generations begin to grow up with this access this content, the need for visualizations of brands and products becomes more important than ever. (Mashable)
There are many more reasons why you should start thinking more about your Instagram influencer marketing strategy. But after these 10, why would you question it?
Original Post on the Grapevine Blog
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