Social media is a big deal. It is the primary activity that people engage in on a daily basis. According to Fast Company, 93% of marketers use social media to promote their business. The beauty of social marketing is the ability to leverage personal networks on a referral basis.
We have previously talked about the benefits of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and general ways in which to grow your social media fanbase.
Recently, Instagram introduced a new advertising platform that allows businesses to promote their services with sponsored ads. The initial results of this new program are very positive. Instagram’s new service focuses on reach, recall, and awareness which shows that the company feels that its’ marketing platform is more akin to TV ads, and print ads vs. online ads including banners, and google searches. The single largest advantage that Instagram has in this medium, is that the ‘likes’ don’t take the user away from the app’s experience like others typically do.
What does this mean for small businesses? Well for starters, nothing. Unfortunately Instagram hasn’t rolled out this tool for just anyone yet, but the initial results are very promising. They are taking a slow approach and making sure that the program works well for its ad partners. Although it isn’t available to everyone yet, all of the initial ad partners reported a very high impact with a very low frequency of ad impressions per user.
In the meantime, Instagram has posted some tools and tips that marketers can use to help drive enthusiasm toward your business here. Maximizing your online social presence is crucial for businesses and can really affect them in a positive way. The earlier you start, the earlier you can begin reaping the benefits of social marketing!