Robyn Pierce, head of social at The Crocodile offers some advice on using Instagram for B2B
When it comes to engagement, Instagram massively outperforms other channels. According to Forrester research on interactions with brand posts, the photo-sharing platform delivers 58 times more engagement per follower than Facebook and 120 times more engagement per follower than Twitter. Engagement rates on Instagram are growing faster than on other platforms too – by 15 per cent in May 2015 compared with just three per cent growth on Twitter.
Over 300 million people use the app, which has fast become a favourite among social media users. Many brands have cottoned on to its popularity and are reaping the benefits of this highly engaged audience. In the B2B world those include Maersk, GE, MailChimp, Oracle and Cisco.
Whether it’s showcasing the brand, nurturing employee engagement or sharing pictures from an event, there’s no doubt that Instagram is a beautiful place to be. Maybe it’s time you considered it as part of your B2B social strategy – so here are five tips to help get you started.
1. Caption contest
Images are definitely the name of the game on Instagram, but include a caption and you’re on to a winner. There’s an unrestricted character count too – so unlike on Twitter, you can say a lot.
URLs in captions aren’t clickable, but there are workarounds. For example, you can add the link to your bio and direct followers there. Or create shorter, easy-to-remember custom URLs using a shortening tool such as bit.ly.
Instagrams with 11 or more hashtags get higher engagement than those with less, so tag away. Identify and piggyback relevant trends to keep your Instagram feed relevant and ensure you’re reaching the right audience.
2. People power
Your product or service may be fantastic, but at the end of the day people buy from people. Consider including pictures of your team in your content plan to show personality, and to celebrate the culture and people that make your business. Your audience will enjoy and appreciate the behind-the-scenes view of your business.
Think reportage-style from events or exhibitions. You might even snap your staff enjoying Friday beers – if showcasing the sociable side of the business is appropriate. Don’t ignore product altogether – but show it in situ or being used by real people.
Remember, on social media your audience demands more than they’d get from a catalogue or a website. There’s a whole lot more to your business than contracts and POs – so get creative and have fun.
3. Beauty stakes
I’m sure you’ve heard it said – B2B is dull, right? Wrong. There’s beauty everywhere, whether you’re selling tunnel boring machines or beer pumps.
A key exponent of ‘beauty where you may not expect it’ is shipping container multinational Maersk Line. With over one million Facebook fans and 34,000 fans on Instagram, Maersk’s story is an inspiration for any B2B social media manager.
Quality images are important but you don’t need a fancy camera and you don’t need to be an expert photographer. Instagram has a bunch of tools that will make your images look good, and it’s amazing what a filter can do.
Every brand has a story to tell, so get snapping away. You can even raid your company image archives for #ThrowBackThursday fodder. There’s beauty in your brand if you look for it.
4. Trend watch
Companies pay thousands of pounds to sponsor trends on social media – but you can always save money by piggybacking on existing trends. A recent project for the social media team at The Crocodile involved tapping into trends at London Fashion Week. We were supporting the launch of a designer wristwatch collection themed around pets. With a canine mascot in a bow tie and a ‘pooch parlour’ for furry fashionistas, the opportunity to jump on the #dogsofinstagram trend was too good to miss.
Tactics like this are as applicable in B2B as B2C and help expand reach, amplify brands, improve SEO, and get content seen by the right audiences. Understanding how to strategically implement social media trends is a key part of delivering a meaningful and engaging experience to target audiences.
5. Moving images
We’ve discussed elsewhere the importance of including video in your social media strategy, and that extends to Instagram. You’ve only got 15 seconds in an Instagram video, but you’d be surprised at what you can fit into that time.
Get creative and explore stop-motion or Flipagram. Consider ‘coming soon’ teaser clips for product launches, and even short Q&As with subject matter experts.
Hopefully this has inspired you to give Instagram a go. A little upfront research into whether and how your target audience is using it will give you the confidence you need to get going. Once you’ve mastered the basics keep up-to-date with Instagram developments for brands such as the recently announced clickable ads, by following The Croc blog for monthly social media roundups.
