Instagram is the one social media platform consistently creating engagement and sales. Businesses want to be part of this increased brand recognition that also offers active conversion but are often unsure of how to get into the Instagram game.
To “win” on Instagram, pretty has always mattered. Presenting a beautifully curated feed of pictures and videos has traditionally been what it has taken to gain traction on this image reliant platform. While the highly edited feed style is visually appealing and gets engagement, does this highly edited Instagram aesthetic lead to conversions?
The short answer is no.
Today, a brand’s Instagram feed is less about conversion and more about new user attraction. Once they are drawn in by the feed, it is the Instagram Stories — which have taken off in a big way — that are the main tactic brands are using to exploit the selling capabilities this platform has to offer.
With Instagram Stories ruling, the highly posh and polished look of the feed doesn’t play as heavily because the two visuals — the stories and the feed — need to be harmonious and, in turn, real. A brand’s Instagram feed still needs to be thoughtful, but today it must look and feel real to the viewer and have a congruent aesthetic with the brand’s Instagram Stories.
How does a brand win with Instagram Stories?
They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words” — and knowing how, when and where to use that picture is key to winning on Instagram. While opinions on the subject vary, it seems that the secret formula to Instagram success is posting anywhere from five to 15 Instagram Story posts a day. Simply creating snapshot experiences of the process, work and transformation a brand offers is the way to convert followers into cash by making Instagram work for that brand.
Ali Craig (www.entreventure.co) is an international consultant and brand strategist, with clients who range from industry titans to underdogs. Her Neuro Human Branding™ method weaves science, psychology, design and human nature into an easy-to-apply system that any brand can use to grow its audience’s connections, conversions and community
Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash (top)
