In the News: Instagram

Last night, The New York Times reported that the co-founders of Instagram, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have both resigned, and are planning to leave Instagram’s parent company, Facebook, within a few weeks. Systrom and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the report in separate statements, both calling out “the next chapter” and hinting at future projects on the horizon.

Instagram was created in 2010 with a focus on image composition and photography, which is why filters and lenses have become so popular. The app was acquired by Facebook in 2012 and has since continued to see exponential growth, with the platform now boasting over a billion users.

The expansion of the user base may, however, be a large part of Krieger and Systrom’s decision to depart the platform. There were reports of tension between the founders of Facebook and Instagram over what the outlook and future of the app would be, one of the more in-depth reports came around the launch of “Instagram Stories” from Bloomberg, which you can read here.

Between Stories and other tensions surrounding the vision for Instagram in a Facebook world and the backlash Facebook continues to suffer from after it was found that user information was misused, it will be interesting to see what changes may come to Instagram after the departure of its founding fathers.

eCommerce and advertising may become a bigger focus for the photo-sharing app, as well as a push for live sharing in order to go head-to-head with competitor SnapChat. Regardless, marketers and users will be sure to keep their eyes on Instagram to see changes roll out.

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Apps to Improve Your Instagram Experience

Instagram has over 500 million daily users, and you can make your profile stand out among the rest with the help of a few apps that can do everything from growing your audience to editing your photos with more than just the 24 standard filters. See how you can change up your Instagram game with a few add-on apps.

Snapseed

This app takes some of the key enhancement tools from Photoshop and allows you to selectively edit the parts of your photos that may need adjustments for color temperature, saturation, and exposure as well as the ability to edit out smaller flaws and unwanted features.

Free for iOS and Android

Followers for Instagram

Understand your Instagram audience with this app designed to show you accounts that have unfollowed you, those that don’t follow you back, and accounts that are recommended based on your following behaviors.

Free for iOS and Android

Crowdfire

Find inactive followers and boost your analytics by only having followers that interact with your page. With account automation tools like finding followers and direct messaging, you can start generating better metrics.

Free for iOS

Priime

Professional photographers have collaborated with Priime to offer more than 100 photo filters, making the editing process even more fine-tuned.  Priime even has a Smart Suggestions feature that can offer recommendations of which filters will look best for your image.

Available on iOS for $2.99

VSCO

VSCO has been around for a while, so many people are already familiar with its capabilities. Apart from offering more filters, VSCO boasts its own editing tools for color correction, cropping and more. Finished images can be shared to Instagram, or even shared in-app on VSCO’s own internal social network.

Free for iOS and Android

Social Rocket

Earn points in a “likes/followers” marketplace on Social Rocket. Though not a sufficient long-term way to keep post engagement up, the points you garner to exchange for likes and followers can help to build an initial following.

Free for iOS

Pixlr

Create your own filters with overlays and effects from Pixlr. Like other editing apps, Pixlr also contains photo-editing tools that can adjust brightness, red-eye, sharpness and an array of other options.

Free for iOS and Android

InstaTag

InstaTag gathers lists of the top trending hashtags, sorted categorically so you can use the most relevant and popular tags for your posts. You can even search across categories for a personalized list of trending tags.

Free for Android

Squarelovin

For gathering analytics including engagement, follower count, popular hashtags, post time efficiency tracking and growth, Squarelovin is a great free app for those looking to test strategies, with reports delivered in various periods; daily, weekly and monthly.

Free for iOS and Android

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Vero: The “New Instagram”?

Social media platforms come and go as we have seen with Yik Yak, Bebo, Vine, and Ello. But there is a platform making waves right now that many are calling the “new Instagram”.  Vero was launched in 2015, and the app is quickly gaining popularity, recently seeing a flood of users starting to download and use the app, as many influencers have posted about their move to the platform.

Vero has positioned itself as the “True Social” social media platform, aimed towards those looking for “a safe, genuine reflection of their real-life relationships in an online setting”.  This is what you need to know about the “Instagram Killer”.

No paid or boosted ads

Vero has no paid advertisements, which clears up users’ feeds for posts from their connections and community. “You see what has been shared with you when it’s been shared with you. You won’t have to pay to ‘boost your post’, or ‘reach your audience’,” says Vero. That doesn’t mean that there are no ads, though. Companies can link to external sites, unlike the Instagram model, and there is an integrated “Buy now” button that can be purchased. Part of Vero’s revenue will come from a portion of every sale made on the platform.

First million users- free access for life

Currently, Vero is being offered for free to the first million members, but once that threshold has been reached, anyone that joins will have to pay an annual fee. This is pretty much common knowledge, but is perhaps the fear of missing out on this opportunity driving the platform’s spike in popularity? When the free accounts are spoken for and those late to the game must pay, there will no doubt be more news to be heard about this platform.

Connection types

Vero’s commitment to an authentic social experience is based on the argument that other social media platforms leave users with a false sense of connection with followers and friends that causes more intrinsic loneliness. The app has implemented controls that allow you to segment your connections so that users can share posts and interact with one another in a way the platform calls more natural. In the app, you can segment your connections into the following groups: “close friends”, “friends”, “acquaintances”, and “followers”. Each post you make can be shared to all or to a portion of these groups.

Chronological feed

In a world of algorithmic feeds, Vero breaks the mold by showing all posts chronologically. There is nothing that will cause one post to be promoted over another. Vero says, “We don’t curate it, manipulate it, insert advertising in it, or hold back posts. You see what has been shared with you when it’s been shared with you.”

Read more opinions about Vero here and here, and the Vero manifesto, then let me know what you think of this new platform.

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Essential Guide to Instagram for Business

Instagram is a valuable marketing tool for any business, which many marketers have known since the app was released. We’ve seen brands leverage the community to build their influence and brand awareness as well as increasing sales. But in early 2016, a new feature was released just for these businesses. Instagram for business allows marketers to leverage real data and account insights as well as create ads and targeted posts.These tips and tricks will help you leverage your Instagram business page today.

Get creative

Show off what your business does by creating content that isn’t expected. Focus on the solutions your products can provide for your customers, not just the products themselves. Sharing insider views of how your business functions on a day to day basis, and keeping up with what’s going on in the world and relating it back to what you’re doing is key, as well as keeping in mind that Instagram is a primarily visual platform. That means you need to keep your posts clean and well composed.  

Instagram Stories

If you aren’t already using Instagram Stories to further your content, you need to re-evaluate and work them into your marketing strategy. Stories are a great way to share things that are going on in your company that may not be worth creating a full post for but are also great for showcasing events, going more in-depth about what your posts are about.

Create consistent and authentic content

The content you create can and should be beautiful on its own, but it also needs to be consistent. Consistency means making sure you’re posting on regular basis or on a pre-set schedule, but also that each individual post fits in with the rest of your content. Paying close attention to your color palette is key to this, as well as posting content that is consistent with your brand’s image and communication style.

Respond to your followers

Customer service is a huge part of owning a business. You wouldn’t leave a customer to sit with an unanswered question in person, so making sure you’re engaging with your followers and people commenting on your posts or sending you direct messages. Communicating outside of just the posts you make is huge for projecting a good public image of your business to the outside world. Let your followers know that you are invested in them, so they feel they should invest their time caring about you.

Targeting Ads

If you’re familiar with Facebook ads and targeting through the Facebook ad management platform, you’re in luck. Instagram ads (specifically for business accounts) are managed in the same place and are set up in the same way. This includes location, demographics, and interests targeting, which ensures that your ads are being seen by exactly who you want.  

User-generated content or contests

Engage with your customers by hosting contests, giveaways or other incentive-based “events”. If you have customers post photos with your specific contest hashtags, you can easily track engagement and participation. Another great way to include your user base is to post user-generated content, either by reposting (and crediting) others’ posts or by having a channel “takeover” where an influencer or other user is able to post on your profile as themselves as sponsored by you.

Instagram is a valuable tool for marketers, and it’s easy to get started today. See how this always expanding social media platform can help you grow your business.

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Marketing Trend: Personalized Marketing

Consumers are not strangers to personalized content. People tend to love when they receive offers and content that really fit them and their needs. Think back to email marketing. As a consumer, you may receive emails that seem to know everything about what you are looking for from any number of stores. This is a big example of how personalized marketing can work, but there are also social media ads, banner ads, video ads and more, which can all be personalized to the consumer, either through data collection or extensive targeting.

The key to creating great personalization is having a strategy to create data-driven content. With the content you build using the data you have, your marketing options expand innumerably, and include personalized content.

Defining personalized marketing

Beyond email, personalized marketing may be something you are not familiar with as a consumer, but you will realize that you have been seeing it every day.

The Content Marketing Institute defines the concept of personalized content by saying the following: “content personalization is a strategy that exploits visitor or prospect data to deliver relevant content based on the interests and preferences of the target audience.” You can read more about the approach to content personalization here.

Want to learn more? These companies are doing personalized marketing right!

Amazon

Online retail giant Amazon’s product curation and product recommendations are not new features but are definitely some of the biggest examples of personalized marketing around right now. Each section on your Amazon homepage should harken back to not only your purchase history but also your browsing history and streaming history on Amazon Video.

Spotify

Recommendations for music, compiled playlists and the “Discover Weekly” feature are all built on a Spotify user’s “taste profile”. When you are listening to music, data is taken from each listening session to create stations that fit in with that profile.

Coca-Cola

As discussed in an earlier post about user-generated content, Coca Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign has remained a staple for the brand since it’s 2011 beginnings, and one reason why is because the personalization factor of finding your own name (especially with the correct spelling or if you have an unusual name) keeps consumers purchasing and engaging with the brand as they find their names.

Facebook

Facebook is already a personalized experience just based on the nature of how it is used, but the addition of “Friendship History Videos” and other personalized options for photos as well as the obvious page, event and friend suggestions make Facebook not only a great platform for individual personalization but also great for marketers looking to target a very specific audience.

Netflix

Netflix is an essential part of many households today, and their rating system is a great way to sort through the amount of content that is available to stream. When you see a show or movie on Netflix you’ll see a rating amount out of five stars. Contrary to normal reviews and ratings, the stars appear based on how Netflix’s algorithm believes you will rate the content based on your past activity.

Personalized content and marketing are a great way to reach your audience even further and perhaps you’ve even seen some other great examples. Share your experiences with personalized marketing in the comments section.

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Marketing Trend: Data Driven Content

Looking to make your marketing efforts a little more streamlined? Or just trying to create content that is easy to scale, right for your audience and optimized for search purposes? Data-driven content is the way to go. The biggest hurdle for most marketers is leaving the creative brain behind and getting into a quantitative mindset that allows you to look at your metrics and analyze how to improve those numbers and statistics.

It may sound scary, but using data can really improve your content, SEO and more. Try these tips and tricks from JBH: The Content Agency to get started!

If you still aren’t convinced that data is changing the way marketers think and execute their strategies, take a look at these examples that prove that data-driven marketing and content can work in any industry.

Fitness Tracking: Jawbone

Because fitness tracker Jawbone’s purpose is to collect data for consumer use, it makes sense that their marketing efforts are also highly data-driven. By collecting the data from their customers, the content that is produced is much more relevant to the lifestyles of the entire user base.

Music: Spotify

Spotify users see curated playlists and song suggestions based on their listening history, and via this post from 2013, it’s clear to see that Spotify doesn’t take their analytics lightly. Spotify also has a “Found Them First” feature, that lets you know if you were an early listener of emerging artists that are now big.

Home Search: Trulia, Zillow

Zillow and Trulia are two giants when it comes to online house hunting, but also when it comes to using data to improve customer experience. From amassing crime data to pricing and neighborhood demographics, the data compiled on these sites and individually compiled from users’ browsing sessions can help homebuyers find the perfect place.

Ridesharing: Uber

Ridesharing app Uber does the typical promotional posts and company updates but also uses the data they compile to create great human interest pieces, like this article. The data Uber uses to create content used for both societal and human nature research.

Data drives the world. How will you use it to create better content?  

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Marketing Trend: Expiring Content

Have you ever opened an email telling you that there is a “limited time only” sale, then went on to click that ad to shop even if you haven’t purchased anything from that store in years? Placing a hard and fast deadline on a sale or promotion is nothing new in marketing and sales, but with the growth of content marketing, there is now an influx of content only available for a limited time, otherwise known as “Expiring Content”.

One Day Only! Defining Expiring Content:

Moz.com defines expiring content  as “content on a website that is only relevant for a limited period of time.” The easiest examples of widespread expiring content are Snapchat and Instagram Stories. Posts expire 24 hours after being published. In a world where mobile marketing strategy is becoming more and more prevalent, expiring content is perfect for breaking through the clutter of too much available content.

Why use expiring content?

Exclusivity

If the idea of expiring content seems foolish, now is the time to reconsider. Psychologically, the human brain often desires things that are exclusive or rare. This is due to the Scarcity Principle, a psychological phenomenon that can cause consumers to purchase items or, in the case of expiring content, view posts because they are seen as more valuable because of limited availability.

Relevance

Using expiring content ensures that your content only exists for as long as it is relevant. With this mindset, you can post promotional materials, events, and contests and let the posts filter out on their own after the window of opportunity for your audience has passed.

Improved Social Reach

Snapchat and Instagram aren’t the only platforms where you can have expiring content. Facebook has a feature that allows you to set your posts to expire and you can set up blog posts on WordPress to phase out over time as well.  Some studies have shown that having expiring content can improve your social reach due to your own irrelevant older content phasing out to clear the pathways for new content to be seen.

With more proven benefits, improved reach and SEO, expiring content is making its mark on the marketing world. Will you try expiring content in your next marketing strategy?

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Marketing Trend: User Generated Content

What is User Generated Content?

User generated content or UGC is when a brand uses content created by their community as an endorsement. UGC has been shown to increase customer loyalty and engagement as well as prove brands to be genuine. Think of UGC as a new branch of influencer marketing; users can post about a product and their peers and followers are not only exposed to the brand but get a firsthand review of products, services and brand ability.

UGC is coming up as one of the top marketing methods in 2017, and there are many big name brands that are using this method in addition to using their traditional marketing strategies. There are many successful examples of UGC in today’s market, but these are some of the most prevalent examples of UGC so far.

Apple

Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign brings the stunning photos taken by iPhone users to the world by placing them on billboards all over the world. The reach of this campaign even inspired the tech company to create their newly minted Instagram account, sharing even more “Shot on iPhone” images.  

Coca-Cola

The slogan “Share a Coke With” started in 2011, and has quickly become synonymous with the soft drink brand. Coke drinkers are sharing images of drinks with their names on them, sharing messages and more. The craze hasn’t slowed down after 6 years, especially after the introduction of the personalization option on Coke’s website.

Glossier

Emily Weiss’ makeup and skincare brand has had a cult following for the last few years and with each new product the community grows even bigger. Glossier’s social media features their customers wearing and using their products, reviews and discussions,  the lifestyles that their customers lead and many posts show off the brand’s signature “millennial pink” color.

GoPro

Action camera company GoPro is known for their stunningly cultivated Instagram page. But the amount of images on their page credited to members of the GoPro community far outweighs the images added by the brand itself. The company hosts giveaways using hashtags to track engagement with social media followers and does user features, where their instagram page is taken over by one group or person that posts their GoPro adventures for that day.

La Croix

This sparkling water brand had been around since the 1980s, but is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Social media accounts are full of posts from La Croix fans, and the craze even goes as far as Etsy, where you can find embroidery patterns, pins and other merchandise. There has even been a music video made that delves into the love for the sparkling flavored water.

Lay’s

One look at the Lay’s brand Twitter and you can see what the fans bring to the table. The “Do Us a Flavor” contest has been a yearly staple since 2012. Fans submit flavor ideas hoping theirs will be the winning flavor and earn $1 million. This contest has added to fans engaging and a community following that rallies around the unusual (and oftentimes delicious).

Starbucks

Instagram worthy drinks are just the beginning for the Seattle founded coffee company. Customer designed cups, “regrams”, and even the occasional customer designed drink all create a brand that is inclusive, creative and fun.

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Twitter is Dying, and Other Social Media Rumors

Social media gets a bad reputation for promoting the spread of fake news, but even the sites themselves get rumors spread about them. “Twitter is dying” has been a phrase that has been tossed around for years. The social media superpower has over 300 million active users, and more than 30 offices, so it certainly doesn’t seem like it’s dead. Find out what’s true and what’s false in the list ahead.

TWITTER

Twitter boasts a huge global reach and influence, but the reason people say it’s dying is because there have been numerous problems that have come up over the last few years. From issues with abusive users to leadership that makes decisions users dislike there seems to be a large disconnect between corporate decision makers and the users on the site. From a move to an algorithmic timeline (which introduced #RIPTwitter) to the potential introduction of a 10,000 character limit from the original 140 characters, taking away the core of what Twitter started out as, there is a general agreement that there is an inherent issue with how the platform works with those using it.  Twitter isn’t dead yet, but there have definitely been moves made that could cause a decline in use and eventual exodus from the microblogging platform.

VINE

The 6 second video sharing app and twitter go hand in hand. Twitter purchased Vine in October of 2012.  The short videos matched the short text posts perfectly, and the creativity began almost instantly. But the magic couldn’t last forever. In October of 2016, Vine announced that it would be phasing out its mobile app. This decision made users not only question Vine, but the longevity of Twitter as well.

FACEBOOK

No stranger to the rumor mill, Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg are under constant scrutiny.  There have been numerous claims that the platform will start charging for having a profile (untrue, but continues to come up), or that privacy and ownership of content rules will be changing (the site released a statement in 2012 saying that their policies have been and will continue to remain the same as they have always been), and most recently the rumor that Zuckerberg will run for president in the next election (which he denies).

SNAPCHAT

Snapchat is one of the most popular photo sharing apps, and as such has been in the news for all sorts of reasons, good and bad. New features, the whispers that the introduction of Instagram Stories has hurt the quick sharing app, an IPO which many are calling a flop, and the rumor that the apartment spaces the company was using as offices in LA were not being lived in, not complying with regulations. Snapchat is known for secrecy, but when the entire world is online, no one is immune from rumors.

What social media rumors have you heard over the last year?

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11 Instagram Accounts To Follow For Post Inspiration

GoPro

The activity-ready camera brand’s page is as versatile as their cameras. From skydiving, to scuba diving, and surfing to snowboarding, GoPro’s showstopping photos and videos take you into another world where any adventure is possible.

Nike

The iconic athletic brand takes their “Just Do It” slogan to heart, showcasing photos and videos that prove not only what it means to be an athlete, but what it means to overcome.

Warby Parker

Do you need glasses, but have terrible flashbacks of being called four-eyes? Don’t worry, because with Warby Parker, wearing glasses is cool. Their retro themed images and iconic eyewear shapes make nerdy chic happen. Their home try-on is revolutionizing the industry, and for every pair purchased, a pair of glasses is donated to someone in need.

Sharpie

Sharpie was known for making permanent markers, but now they’re known for their artistic ability, versatility and ability to personalize anything, from backpacks, to journals, to graduation caps. Their posts are relevant to everyday happenings and show the brand in use by people thinking outside the box.

Starbucks

Coffee giant Starbucks’ social media is more than just holiday themed cups and pumpkin spiced lattes. Their posts have turned Starbucks into a lifestyle brand, showing how coffee, food and other brand products fit into your life.

IKEA

Known for their build-it-yourself furniture, the Swedish home retailer’s Instagram is full of more than just individual pieces. Design tips and ideas, before and after room makeovers and contests fill this page with color, aesthetically pleasing images, and lots of inspiration.

Adobe

Creator of Photoshop, Illustrator and more, Adobe’s page posts great examples of content created with their products, showing how each can be used to create eye catching and exciting work.

Playdoh

This modeling clay isn’t just for kids anymore. See what everyone is creating with the colorful compound and even take note of how brands like Jeep and Nesquik use Playdoh to advertise their brands. Let creativity flow and see what Playdoh can do.

National Geographic

Already world renowned for their incredible photographs, what better way for National Geographic to expand their audience than by using Instagram? From nature to the many facets of human civilization, National Geographic is the pinnacle of world vision.

H&M

Celebrity cameos, colorful photos and a focus on fashion are key for the H&M brand’s page. The page description calls out the purpose of the page as beauty and fashion inspiration, and the photos do inspire, though absolutely for a specific demographic and lifestyle.

WeWork

Coworking spaces company WeWork posts images that speak to the brand’s slogan: “Make a life, not just a living.” Showing off the different locations, types of work and people that use WeWork spaces, your world view can grow just be seeing the possibilities these spaces provide.

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Building a Personal Brand

A personal brand is similar to a brand for your business, but building a personal brand has different benefits, strategies and reasoning. If you are looking to build your personal brand, these tips can help you to remain authentic to the image you are creating for yourself. A personal brand doesn’t even need to be something you are selling, it is simply a way to state who you are and remain faithful to that vision of yourself.

But first, why do you need a personal brand? This is a misleading question, simply because everyone already has a personal brand whether or not they have worked to cultivate it. Don’t believe it? Think of all the interactions you have had in your life and the impressions you have made. Take it a step further and Google yourself and your hometown. If you are on social media, many times your reputation will precede you. So, the important part of having a personal brand is the ability to showcase the most positive aspects of yourself and separates you from the rest of the crowd. This is how you can create a personal brand that will not only define the best version of you, but can also help to further your goals.

Identify Your Authentic Self

Don’t build a brand around the you that you want to be, as this can be too difficult to maintain. Instead, reflect your true self, and stay consistent with that image. Craft the wording in your social media and blog posts the way that you speak in videos and in person. Don’t change your core values to fit a standard you can’t consistently live up to. No one is perfect all the time. Be the real you and people will respect you for it, giving you even more influence.

Social Media

Social media is key to presenting an authentic version of yourself. Post what you like with your real voice powering the posts. Don’t post your meal on Instagram if you don’t feel a calling to do that, all that means is that it isn’t authentic to you. Brand authenticity is also important, so if you are running a blog about interior design you wouldn’t post a phone review. Consistency is key for building a successful brand.  

Networking

Meet others through networking events and get your name out into the world, find others to collaborate with and even make friends. This is a great way to present yourself as the brand you are working to craft in a professional way. Meetup.com is a good resource for finding networking events in your area.

Develop Value For Followers

Find your niche market and the value you specifically bring to it. If you are a makeup artist, you need to set yourself apart from the thousands of other makeup artists, whether that is by doing costume makeup, working with a specific product or specializing in one technique. By doing this, you cement yourself as an expert in this area, meaning that your name becomes synonymous with whatever it is you are doing, meaning more recognition as your brand gets more established.

Do What Feels Right for Your Brand

You can read thousands of blogs about how to craft the most successful personal brand, but that advice will not always be what works for you. If you are seeing return and not following every piece of advice that you see, or only following that which is useful for your situation then you are doing fine. You have full control of what your personal image is, so do the things that work to continue making your brand work.

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