People are visual beings by nature where our sense of sight is our dominant sense. Cited from Bradford, William C., Reaching the Visual Learner: Teaching Property Through Art, it shows that 65% of the population are visual learners. This means that people absorb more information using their sense of sight rather than using any other senses.
Previously, Max Planck researchers also present the effect of looking at food evokes hunger in the brain. How people see colors also affect their behavior. This shows that visual presentation of your brand is one of the most important triggers to entice customers to your business.
One of the best ways to showcase your brand is to utilize the advantages that images can give you. And what better way to do that than featuring it through Instagram?
Based on L2 statistics, it shows that 65% top performing posts on Instagram are featuring a product. This cements the deal that when it comes to visual promotion for your company, Instagram is the social media platform you should use. Additionally, Instagram has now over 2 billion monthly active users.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to proof that visual posts are at a disadvantage from textual post.
Bottom-line: Images capture the attention of people much faster than textual headlines.
How Do Big Brands Win On Instagram?
Below are seven examples how the biggest brands use images on Instagram to their benefit.
1. User Generated Content – GoPro
User engagement is one of the essential factors that make people want to interact with a brand. GoPro has nailed this factor down by encouraging their users to contribute their experiences with their product.
Not only that this features how the product works out in the wild, it also serves as free advertising from their users. Additionally, experiences that users submitted on GoPro’s Instagram account serves as reviews and shows how they enjoy having the product with them. This will entice more viewers to also try it which ultimately increases conversion rate.
2. Superior Quality Photos – Airbnb
Instagram was made to focus on images and photos. Social Media Marketing industry report (2016) also shows that 74% of social media marketers utilize images in social media marketing. However, how will you product fare if you are posting low-quality, blurred and nondescript images?
Airbnb features high-quality and photos about events and places in their Instagram account. They also provide photos of tourist spots that boosts in enticing potential customers. Airbnb also gives their users a treat by keeping them engaged which enhances comments and further user engagements improving their reach further.
3. Feature In-The-Moment Moments – Saturday Night Live
Although having high-quality images is a must, viewers still wanted true-to-life images. Therefore, it is wise to leave the heavy photoshopping from your Instagram images. Sometimes, it also pays to keep it sweet and simple as well.
Saturday Night Live or SNL doesn’t really spend too much time in photography or preparing to stage some videography sessions. They are simply featuring behind-the-scenes and in-the-moment moments of their performances. This also serves as their sneak peeks on the skits they will be making for their viewers.
4. Creativity Promotes Shareability And Spark Emotion – Oreo
Who knows what one can do with just one(two or more) cookie? By combining their product with creativity, Oreo features unique ways on how they integrate their product with different other things. It is also one of the ways to portray their tagline “Wonderfilled.”
Creating something creative where it sparks some emotions within the viewers which makes it more shareable. Moreover, they also highlight Do-It-Yourself or DIY recipes with Oreo, projects and more which aims to urge out the kid in each and every viewer. Such sentimental emotions can enhance customer’s buying behavior along the way.
5. Inject Humor – Ben & Jerry’s
Another factor that attracts people to a brand is humor. Not all people wanted stuffy and overly formal companies. If you are engaged in social media, you have to arm yourself and get ready to be informal even just a little bit.
Everyone likes smiles and laughter. “Laughter is the best medicine” wasn’t made a saying for nothing. Ben & Jerry’s is one of the biggest brands in Instagram that features humorous and relatable image content and witty captions. By doing so, you will be able to showcase their brand’s personality as well.
6. Entertain And Inform – National Geographic
Just like Airbnb and GoPro, National Geographic relies on the content that is submitted by their contributors. However, what makes national Geographic different from Airbnb and GoPro is how they caption their content.
National Geographic encourages contributors to submit entertaining and interesting visuals that also provides users some educational facts along with it. Other than engaging with breathtaking images, viewers are also treated with information with regards to the images.
7. Sometimes It’s Not All About Selling – ASOS
There are times when people just want to take a break from companies that are always “Sell, sell, sell”. ASOS is well known on Instagram for showcasing Instagram posts which revolve around style and fashion that does that.
You may wonder, at first, what makes it different compared to other fashion brands on Instagram. Then you’ll notice that they post images unrelated to the fashion that they market. Aside from marketing, they also promote the usual user engagement. And that is to post something that doesn’t tell people to buy.
Boost Your Business And Sales With Instagram
As the saying goes, “Image is Everything” and it really is. An image of your product can make or break your customer’s impression of, not only your product, but also your business.
Improving your business sales and conversion rate through Instagram is just one of the ways that you can do. The internet is a big place and there are countless of opportunities that you can discover and explore to be able to enhance your businesses performance.
Therefore, whether you are marketing via Instagram, Snapchat or any other social media platforms, it is essential that you know where and when your customers are. Research is still the most important part of marketing before you make any marketing strategies.
These brands are good at what they are doing because they did their research. That gives them the knowledge in creating unique ways to attract the right people at the right channel and at the right time.
[Recommended reading: 7 Aesthetic Mistakes Your Brand Is Making On Instagram]
[Image Credits – Main Image by Jerzy Górecki from Pixabay; other images, videos and/or graphics are from their respective websites and/or social platforms]
SEO consultant Al Gomez is the man behind Dlinkers SEO Consultancy, providing help on various types of websites . With more than ten years of experience, he enjoys supporting smartpreneurs like himself achieve online success.