Instagram – Digital Marketing Technology

Tag: Instagram

02
Jan
2022

Instagram Marketing Trends for 2022

Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched Instagram in 2010. Their main goal is to create a photo-sharing app that allows people to post statuses through visuals. In 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram. A digital marketing speaker Hong Kong noted that it is because the king of social media recognizes its potential as a marketing platform.

Today, Instagram has 1.074 billion monthly active users (MAUs). It makes it a better platform to promote products and services, according to a social media agency Hong Kong. A video marketing agency Hong Kong even highlights that Instagram is a critical tool for video campaigns. Recently, the platform rebranded as a photo-and-video-sharing app. Below are some Instagram marketing trends for 2022.

LIVE SHOPPING

Instagram introduced “live shopping” in October 2020. An “Add a Bag” button allows viewers of an IG Live to instantly check out and make a purchase. By making the buying process easier for customers, this Instagram marketing trend will likely continue in 2022.

To help brands and businesses better understand live shopping, Instagram initiated live shopping Fridays last September and the holiday pop-up live shopping in early December. These made shopping more interactive by showing customers how brands and businesses collaborate with others.

Using Instagram product stickers during a live broadcast allows customers to browse a featured product catalog. It also allows them to save any content for future reference. A live shopping event also appears in the live tab of Instagram’s Shopping portal. It can be a great way to promote Instagram Shops.

PAID MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS

Instagram is a popular platform for affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, and paid partnerships. Such an Instagram marketing trend is predicted to rise in 2022. The new creator tools make it easy to tag sponsored content. Currently, the platform is testing a separate “DM’ feature for paid partnerships. It also allows content repurposing to further advertise a brand or business.

Instagram currently removed the 10k follower requirement for link sharing. This means that every Instagrammer can now be an affiliate marketing partner. This also paved the way for easier collaboration on Instagram. A new collab feature allows users to add a collaborator on any IG feed post or Reels.

SHORT-FORM VIDEO MARKETING

Instagram short-form video formats like Stories and Reels will continue to be a trend on IG ads and campaigns. This is because they are very effective in catching the audience’s attention and boosting brand awareness. Last October, Instagram announced the retirement of IGTV. IGTV videos are now integrated on feed posts and have a time limit of 15 minutes.

Swipe-up stickers make it possible for brands and businesses to promote their products and services through Stories and Reels ads. Like the “Add a Bag” button, such CTAs significantly boost conversions on Instagram. Stories are ephemeral IG content that disappears after 24 hours. While Reels are short music clips that are similar to TikTok clips. Both short-form videos are now trending among Instagram users.

USER-GENERATED CONTENT

UGCs have consistently been an Instagram marketing trend and are set to continue until 2022 and more. It is because such consumer content is very authentic. Today, Instagram opened up native affiliate programs that eliminate the need for third parties. So, whether you are a loyal customer or influencer, it will be easier to collaborate with a brand or business on Instagram.

Many consumers consider UGC as more impactful and influential. It appeals to their emotions by relating to a real-life scenario. The best way to create user-generated content on Instagram is to encourage the use of branded hashtags. As such, it will be easier to find relative UGCS to a brand or business.

Reference: https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/leverage-these-instagram-marketing-trends-in-2022/

09
Nov
2021

10 Instagram Stories Stickers to Improve Engagement

categories: Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing

Instagram Stories are massive. Around 500 million users tap into their power daily. 70% of Instagram users watch them, while 86.6% post stories every day.

According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, the best performing stories are those with 1.3- second single frame to a 4.1-second dual frame. It is because modern viewers have a shorter attention span. A quarter of Gen Z and millennial Instagrammers also use IG Stories to find products and services. One out of three IG users become more interested in a product after seeing them on Stories.

Instagram Stickers have been a great way for marketers to boost conversion and engagement on Stories. A social media agency Hong Kong notes that you can use stickers as CTA, to add text captions on Stories and spice them up with graphics. Stickers can also convey emotions to appeal to the viewers.

Below, let us take learn how to use 10 Instagram Stories Stickers to improve engagement!

Countdown Sticker

Countdown stickers on Instagram allow users to set a reminder on Stories at the last minute of an event. It is by using a timer to show the remaining seconds left ticking until zero. Countdown Stories stickers can improve engagement by generating interest in what’s coming up next. They create a sense of excitement among Instagrammers. Countdown Stories stickers are also perfect ways to promote an event or launch. It gives Instagrammers a sense of urgency to take action.

GIF Sticker

GIF stickers are looping animations. They can add flair and visual interest to Instagram Stories. Brands and businesses can use GIF Stories stickers to improve engagement by showing off their fun personality. Instagrammers are generally interested in fun and interactive brands and businesses. GIF Stories stickers can also be used as CTAs to point viewers to the right path. For example, using a “New Post” GIF influences users to check the latest IG feed of the story’s host.

Hashtag Sticker

Hashtag initially originated on Twitter. But they prove to be a great help both on Facebook and Instagram. Hashtag Stories stickers allow Instagrammers to discover similar content. Tapping a hashtag sticker directs a user to a dedicated paid for the specific hashtag. It will show the latest content and Stories on IG feeds using the same hashtag. As such, they can improve engagement by highlighting brand campaigns and collaborations.

Location Sticker

Today, modern consumers generally search for nearby brands and businesses. That is why location stickers on Instagram Stories can be a passive way to engage Instagrammers. Location Stories stickers are best for tagging physical locations of brands and businesses.

Mention Sticker

When you want to tag an IG friend, you use the @mention feature. When it comes to tagging brands or businesses you are collaborating or working with, you use mention Stories stickers. They can improve engagement by highlighting the Instagram Profile of brands and businesses. Mention Stories stickers stand out instead of simply typing the brand or business name.

Questions Sticker

Are you hosting an IG Q&A session? Do you want to learn more about your audiences on Instagram? Question stickers on Instagram Stories can greatly help improve engagement on these two scenarios. First, you can allow your followers to ask burning questions through pop-in stickers. Second, you can also share a question sticker on an IG Story to invite your audience to share something about themselves.

Quiz Sticker

Give a unique twist on your Instagram Stories by using quiz stickers. They can be an effective way to share discovery and learning. Quiz Stories sticker can improve engagement when educating viewers about a brand, product, or service. They are also great when conducting market research.

Poll Sticker

Poll stickers on Instagram Stories encourage active engagement through audience participation. By giving clear instructions on what actions to take, brands and businesses can learn more about the interests and preferences of target audiences. They can be best used for getting feedback on a new idea or playing games to create fun.

Sound-On Sticker

96% 0f viewers on mobile generally watch videos with sounds off. But if your IG Stories have great audio clips and voice messages, you may want to use Sound-on Stories stickers. It makes sure that the viewer puts the sound on because there is something worth listening to on the IG Story.

Support Small Business Sticker

A partnership is one of the best strategies to promote brands, products, and services on Instagram. With small businesses bouncing back to the new normal, a support small business sticker on IG Stories is always a good idea. It can increase active engagement because you can include images and details when featuring a small business.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Instagram stickers make Stories more engaging and fun. Don’t just use boring text captions on your Instagram Stories. Try adding any of the 10 Instagram Stories stickers above to improve engagement. Putting them on relevant posts can take off your engagement faster.

Reference:

https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/10-stickers-that-improve-instagram-stories-engagement/

17
Jun
2021

How Instagram Algorithm Works

categories: Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

Michael Krieger, a computer programmer, was in Mexico for a holiday in 2010. Together with a friend, Kevin Systrom, who was a former Google employee, they have developed a location-sharing platform called “Burbn.” During that holiday, Michael thought of sharing a photo on Burbn. But Kevin protested because the photos taken from Michael’s iPhone were not standard. To convince Kevin, Michael applied some filters to standardize the images. Alas, Burbn turned into Instagram. Its main selling point is adding filters to mobile phone photos.

Instagram is an online photo-sharing social network that Facebook acquired in 2021. It is entirely a visual platform relying on images and videos with text captions. Today, there are around 1.074 billion IG users. It is one of the most influential and popular social media platforms. Instagram has also played a major role in influencer marketing. According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, the Kardashian clan, K-pop enthusiasts, and a lot more loyal fan groups have made Instagram an important marketing platform. Around 500 million Instagrammer use Instagram Stories daily. This made affiliate marketing and product tagging very effective on Instagram.

Yet, a lot of brands and businesses still can’t understand how the Instagram algorithm works. Most of the time, they face the challenge of what to post on the platform. To get a better understanding of the algorithms of Instagram, we’ve got you covered here.

What Is Instagram Algorithm?

A social media agency Hong Kong defines the Instagram algorithm as using pieces of interactions to prioritize posts that Instagrammers care about. It covers a variety of classifiers and processes designed for different purposes. Using AI technology, the platform personalized a user experience in the best ways they can. Back in 2010, the Instagram algorithm depended on the chronological order of the stream of photos posted on the platform. As Instagram users grew, it became impossible for users to see everything. So, in 2016, the platform introduced a feed algorithm that ranked posts based on what a user cared about most. Little by little, Facebook added explore, feed, stories, and reels on the app. Each feature uses a different algorithm and ranks things differently.

How Instagram Feeds and Stories Algorithm Work

Feeds and Stories are places where people want to see content from the people close to them – their family and friends. Here’s how the Instagram algorithm on feeds and stories work. First Instagram ranks recently shared posts and stories. Second, Instagram Ai uses signals and they have a thousand of them. For feeds and stories, the most important signals to rank posts are the following:

The people who made the post. Instagram ranks family, close friends, groups, etc. on top of users’ feeds and stories. This also includes posts and stories from accounts a user has previously followed or liked. For a video marketing agency Hong Kong, the most liked Instagram Stories commonly rank on the top of an Instagram feed.
A user’s recent activity on Instagram. Instagram AI takes into account the number of interactions a user has in the past weeks. This includes the history of the user’s interaction with other Instagrammers and the type of posts that a user commonly engages with. From these signals, Instagram will make the posts of previous interactions more visible on a user’s feed and even the type of content the user commonly consumes.

How Instagram Reels Algorithm Work

In August 2020, Instagram launched Reels. They are 15-second music and video clips that mimic TikTok. As they are designed for entertainment and fun, the Instagram Reels algorithm differs from that of feeds and stories. Under the Reels tab, Instagram users may see posts of people they don’t follow or know. Under the Instagram Reels algorithm, the most important signals are the following:

Information about a Reels’ post. Instagram AI looks at the audio track, frames, and pixel of every Reels content. It also considers the popularity of a Reels content as compelling. As such, any Reel that received the highest number of comments, likes, and other interactions may rank higher on the Reels tab.
A user’s activity. Instagram AI looks at things a user comments, likes, or engages with. It also looks at the recent Reels and videos a user has watched. These signals rank Reels content relevant to the user’s activities.

The Bottom Line

How the Instagram algorithm works depends largely on a user’s activity. Because Instagram strongly values a user’s experience, they rank feeds, Reels, and Stories based on your interests, preferences, and usages. As an Instagrammer, you can control what you see on the platform. This is by picking your close contacts, muting accounts you would like to stop seeing, and marking recommended posts as not interesting. For brands and businesses, creating content tailored according to a user’s interests and preferences can bring your campaigns to Instagram success.

Reference: https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/shedding-more-light-on-how-instagram-works

04
Jun
2021

Targeting High-Value Audiences in Instagram

categories: Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

A large part of digital marketing today covers social media marketing. According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, out of 7 billion people on the planet, 3.78 billion are social media users. Each day, the average time spent by a user on social media is 145 minutes. It is how they connect with the world, do online transactions, shop, and even work. Among the top four social media platforms for marketing are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. With 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is the best choice among product-based brands. Yet a social media agency Hong Kong notes the importance of targeting high-value audiences to succeed in Instagram marketing. Here’s how!

The best way to target high-value audiences on Instagram is to determine the group’s awareness level. These can be categorized into three:

Top of the Funnel (TOFU) for audiences who are not yet aware of the brand.
Middle of Funnel (MOFU) for audiences who know the brand but need more information.
Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU) for audiences who already know the brand well and are ready to make a purchase.

From these three groups, brands and businesses can set the right goals according to the segmentation of the target audiences.

Account-Based Custom Audiences

These high-value audiences are those who have engaged in a brand’s IG post, sent a message through Instagram Direct, or visited a brand’s profile on Instagram. Account-based custom audiences who engage on a brand’s IG post can be a good target for booking a demo ad. An account-based custom audience who sent a message through Instagram Direct can be a good target for brand awareness campaigns. While account-based custom audiences who visited a brand’s profile on Instagram can be a good target for conversion ads.

Events-Based Custom Audiences

Online events have boomed since the outbreak of COVID-19. Brands and businesses commonly host product launches and promotions through live broadcasts and virtual presentations. From the participants of these online events, you can build high-value audiences that can be targeted for conversion and engagement. These prospects have higher buying intent and can increase conversion. They can also offer a lot of values among brands and businesses like loyalty and recommendations.

Lead Form-Based Custom Audiences

These high-value audiences include people who subscribe to a marketing newsletter or updates. Brands can extract the said list and integrate them on an Instagram retargeting list. Through a “Consideration” objective, brands can start messaging these prospects via email, Instagram Direct, or phone to boost brand awareness.

Lookalike Audiences

This group is people who match a brand’s target persona. Brands can tap into the power of lookalike audiences by going to the “Custom Audiences” tab when creating an ad and creating a lookalike audience group. These groups can be based on any of the brand’s existing customer groups. Advertising to Instagram’s lookalike audiences is a great way to increase brand reach and retargeting campaigns.

Saved Audiences

Most social media brands saved a list of their customers and loyal followers. These are data coming from a previous conversion or purchase. Brands and businesses can use the persona of these customers to retarget them through demographics. These include age, gender, language, and location. They can also be retargeted based on their interests, online behaviors, professional associations, etc. Saved audiences are the perfect group to achieve any goal of a brand via Instagram but can be high-value audiences on reach campaigns.

Video-Based Custom Audiences

According to a video marketing agency Hong Kong, even though Instagram is popular as a photo-sharing app, it is also one of the top 3 social media platforms for video marketing. Instagram’s video-based custom audiences are very extensive. Those who have watched at least 25% of an Instagram video can be a good target for informational blog posts. Those who have watched at least 50% of an Instagram video can be paired with ads aiming to boost conversion and website traffic.

Website Visitor-Based Custom Audiences

Brands and businesses can also leverage their website data to boost the success of Instagram ads. By offering small value to your website visitors via engaging Instagram content, you can turn them into high-value audiences through Instagram blog links, events, and specific offerings.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Instagram offers a lot of ways for brands to expand and segment their audiences based on a brand’s marketing goal. The rule of thumb is for a brand to create the right buying persona for its Instagram ads and campaigns. By using Instagram insights from your previous ads and campaign, you can create high-value audiences that can boost awareness, consideration, conversion, engagement, and traffic.

Reference: https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/instagram-ad-targeting-8-valuable-audiences/