Brands, get your cameras ready

Photo Credits: Neirfy / Shutterstock.com

Many people are aware of advertising via social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, but we can now introduce one more platform joining in on social advertising: Instagram. Instagram is interesting when compared to the other social platforms as it is focused so heavily on photos and video. Those shareable images are what get the most interaction, while the copy written with posts is sometimes irrelevant and often overlooked by users. If brands pursue Instagram advertising, their creative teams need to keep this in mind and develop a photo and video strategy. Unlike the other social platforms, where the copy can drive likes and comments and factors into search results heavily, an Instagram ad is most similar to a digital billboard or a print ad. However, advertising on Instagram is receiving backlash currently for a few reasons. First, the platform lacks analytics for brands. Some brands may pay thousands of dollars to run an ad campaign on Instagram but receive minimal analytics in return, making it hard to determine their return on investment. This is a huge issue that Instagram has been working on heavily to boost its ad revenue. Another big concern is that Instagram is rolling out ads too soon and could eventually ruin the platform for the users, who might bolt for other networks like SnapChat or Vine. Although Instagram may be receiving backlash, many brands still are trying to jump on the opportunity to be among the network’s first advertisers. Those companies need to consider several caveats before they produce their first ads. First of all, a brand must know if it is a good fit for Instagram and whether enough of its customers would engage with it on the platform. If the company’s marketing collateral and products translate well to a visual platform like Instagram, then a strong creative campaign needs to bring the best images forward.