Humans, by nature, are visual beings. Photographs, especially on the web, attract more users than text-only posts or tweets. Just look at one of the hundreds of studies conducted that examine what online content users engage the most with. Photos allow messages to come across clearly without having to be deciphered like lines of text would. As such, more and more companies are turning to photo-based social media sites, like Instagram, to expand their social media influence and company brand awareness.
the numbers don’t lie
Relatively speaking, Instagram is the new kid on the social media block. This social networking rising star has jumped to almost 100 million users since its inception in 2010, reporting more than 80 million users as of July. In fact, in a study conducted by All Things D, more users displayed activity on Instagram than Twitter in August, a difference of 400,000 users. Still not convinced for your company to jump on the Instagram bandwagon?
more than just pretty pictures
Instagram allows users to upload photos from their mobile device, apply one of many filters and share it on their profile. More importantly, Instagram offers users the option of sharing their newly filtered photo on other social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Because of this, millions of Instagram photos are shared on Facebook every day. Photos that are shared on these other networking sites give Instagram users more exposure and, thus, expanding a user’s online presence. As a result, more and more companies are generating Instagram profiles.
By sharing your company’s Instagram photograph on your company’s Facebook or Twitter timeline and taking advantage of this unique ability to connect, you are creating a new way to connect with your target audience. In essence, you are also inviting your already established following to ‘follow’ you on yet another social media platform.
from mobile to web
This past week, Instagram announced its plan to take the mobile-only site to the web. Users will be able to access their photos, view the photos of people they are following and edit their profiles from the web. These newly implemented profiles follow a similar structure to both Twitter and Facebook. But, what does this mean for your company?
The online Instagram site opens up a new door for companies to expand their social media marketing influence. The new web profiles make it easier to discover other Instagram users’ profiles. Likewise, other Instagram users and even those who do not have an Instagram account can easily access your profile and links to your company’s social media sites or website. Companies can also add a link on their other social networking sites, like Facebook or Twitter, that connects their social media following the new Instagram online profile. This allows users to view photos and invites them to ‘follow’ your company on the Instagram app. While this web integration is still in its beginning stages, it offers a new platform to connect with Instagram and Internet users alike.
Instagram offers companies more than just an app that produces creatively-filtered photographs. If used right, the social networking site can  increase a company’s brand exposure and further amplify their social media imprint.