INSTAGRAMBy: Jennifer Williams

WHAT IS INSTAGRAM?• Instagram allows users to upload image content in their personal profiles

and for businesses to upload content visually and build followers. Instagram is one of the most popular mobile apps and has become the best platform for photo contests and campaigns.

• Images process quicker to the general population, more so than text messaging. Another neat feature with Instagram is the ability to Geotag your location and find users in the same area.

WHO IS USING INSTAGRAM? As of January 2015 only 16% use Instagram, 25% use Twitter, 30% LinkedIn and 59% use Facebook in Canada. Who is using it: Age – 18-34 – 32%• 35-44 – 19%• 45-54 – 11%• 55-64 – 4%• 65+ - 2% - very few older than 50 use the site according to pew research U.S stat. •  

•  • 80 million users – 40 billion photos. • Male 14% Female 18%

•  • More than once a day: 27%• Once a day: 28%• Once a week: 20%• Once a month: 14%• Less than one month: 12%

• According to the The Huffington Post | By Damon Beres, the best time to post on Instagram is 2am and 5pm. Research suggests that the most avid users i.e. influencers are tracking Instagram.

• This Infogram illustrates the peak usage times for Instagram.

• And the best time of the day to post on Instagram.

• An organization can use images to “tell the story” and support the text or message. Images on Instagram are easily shared and add emotion to the look and feel of the “pitch”. This engagement can lead to more shares and likes and opportunity to be share on other social media sites.

• Tiffany&Co. Instagram account uses many images to create successful brand statements. With 91.4K likes. Instagram Image: cited www.Tiffany&Co

TRACK THE BENEFITSOrganizations are able to track benefits in a variety of measurement tools. One being Quantcast.com allows businesses to rate their audience and analyze their buying behavior. Quantcast measure provides audience demographics. Examples: Buzzfeed, Gawker & Yelp.

IconoSquare.com can be used for Instagram exclusively for an accurate analytic tool.A business can use this tool (dashboard) to manage Instagram comments, contests, and cross promoting on other social media sites.   

  

Organizations can create #hastags to organize submissions and to successfully and promote their brand, photos, images and contests. An example of this #cometogether hastag for the Toronto Blue Jays was trending worldwide in 39 countries and 179 cities from Monday's Game 4 win in Arlington, Texas, through to Wednesday's win.

CAN INSTAGRAM WORK FOR MY BUSINESS?

• Instagram is a low cost social media tool. Images are posted for free and your business can view big returns on just a single image or on a low cost campaign. Instagram can give business lots of ways to creative by running contest and a way of delivering a product by showing how to use it rather than a just a product picture.

• Credit: go.photograpy – Gopro

GETTING STARTED• Now that you understand the value of Instagram it’s easy to get started.

Identify your Instagram strategy with a few interesting tips: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/instagram-for-business-tips/

Businesses and organizations can have fun with their campaigns and add this social media tool as way to build trust with customers and increase a following.

•  • Source citations:

• Images: pixabay.com

• https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-value-proposition-of-Instagram•  •  • http://www.brafton.com/news/who-uses-instagram-most-millennials-obviously/•  • http://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-demographics-2013-12•  • http://heidicohen.com/thinking-inside-the-instagram-square-charts/•  •  http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/canada-social-media-study/614360• Research collaboration SMD#101 Jennifer and Anna.