Instagram Marketing; What’s your Company’s Flavor? .. T Swift, Ice Cream, & REI

Why do we follow brands and celebrities on Instagram? We don’t actually know these people. They aren’t our friends. We don’t get drinks with Nike or Kevin Hart on a Friday night. We do it because we are curious, and it’s fun. Taylor Swift’s Instagram made me aware of her cat obsession, which lead me to the conclusion that we were definitely BFFs in a previous life.

As a fan, you want to gain a better understanding of the person or product. You want to learn more about the genius responsible for your favorite things. Instagram is the most personal of all the current social media platforms and it provides the opportunity to connect with the consumer on a deeper, more friendly level.

About 2 weeks ago, Andrew assigned me the task of stepping up Momentum’s Instagram game. I started looking into what makes certain brand’s Instagram so successful. There are several techniques that marketers use while “Instagramming”. Here’s just a few:

Showing Your Personality

Instagram gives you the chance to show the personality of your company. Ben & Jerry’s does an amazing job literally showing their company’s “flavor” (yes, I follow Ben & Jerry’s on Instagram, is that fat of me?) They show all the funky ways people eat their ice cream, such as dipping potato chips in “The Tonight Dough” flavored ice cream – BRILLIANT. They have an ice cream flavor for any life situation. All this madness sends consumers the message that Ben & Jerry’s employees are in fact creative, out-of-the box thinkers, who are constantly surprising their fans.

Putting Your Product in Action

Placing your product in everyday life is a technique that many successful companies use. REI portrays their brand not as a product – but as a lifestyle… and damn do I want to be living that lifestyle. They show action shots of gorgeous men hiking state parks in Idaho… um, marry me? And can we go on fun adventures while dressed head to toe in gear from REI? We can’t all be as venturesome as companies like REI, but you catch my drift.

Tell A Story

Instagram gives you the opportunity to share a story, experience, and a reaction by using interesting visual imagery. It makes it easier for the user to understand, and is definitely more mindless than reading a paragraph about it. Mindless is a good thing, lazy humans love that crap! Telling a story through a photo is an art form on Instagram that EVERY company should be using.

When I got assigned the task of being the official “Instagrammer” at Momentum I immediately started brainstorming different Instagram advertising strategies. But then I realized, maybe I should just start taking pictures of the crazy sh*t that goes on here at the office, and people might enjoy that. So yeah, when we order a barrel of chicken wings for lunch, or we obsess over the new Apple product, I’ll snap a pic. It doesn’t always relate to advertising, but it shows what kinda people we are … (chicken wing enthusiasts?) Whatever, it’s not as easy as it looks to take an interesting photo and pair it with a witty caption. Just like anything, it takes practice, and you have to find what technique works for you.

Do your company a favor and make them an Instagram, then add some flavor! ? ALSO …  Follow Momentum On Instagram!