Everyone loves Instagram but so many brands are just not sure if / how it fits into their marketing plans.While Instagram isn’t a good fit for every brand, it is a platform worth exploring. Instagram, is a mobile image editing and sharing social media site that has grown to be one of the more powerful platforms out there. Since its launch in 2010, the audience has grown to 150 million users with around 16 billon photos being shared to date. If these numbers don’t convince you alone, I have the top 3 reasons your brand should (strategically) join the movement.
1. Photos speak: They say a picture is worth 1000 words, but in social media, a picture is truly priceless. Recent trends have shown that more and more online content is moving in a visual direction. If your brand has any sort of visual component (i.e. food, fashion, interior design, etc.), it is a great idea to utilize Instagram. Photos get your customers engaged, and they can visualize how your product may be used in their lives.
Great example: Nike. They have over 3.8 million users. They do an amazing job of using their products in captivating and interesting images that really engage their consumers. 
2. Users Are Super Engaged: Users spend an average of 257 minutes a month on Instagram– that is huge compared to any other social media site. In fact, Instagram has more daily active, engaged users than Twitter and the engagement level is about 15 times higher than Facebook.
Great Example: Starbucks. Their 1.9 million users are liking, commenting, and”regramming” their photos daily.
3. User Generated Content: Social media is meant to be a two way street. Instagram is the perfect platform to ask your users to share their experience with your brand. Like Twitter, you can use hashtags to track what people are posting.
Great Example: Stella and Dot. They integrate user generated content into their website. This allows potential customers to see how their pieces look on “real” people and not just stock photography.
These are just a few of the reasons why Instagram is really shining in the social media scene. Of course, it is certainly not for every brand, but there is opportunity for growth if you know your brand is well suited for this type of social media marketing.
