Instagram- a visual social network and recent addiction to our generation. Statistics say that six in ten online adults have Instagram accounts and the platform has a total of 1 billion monthly active users and 500 million daily active users. With 25 million registered businesses it has become one of the most popular ways of online marketing and advertising. Many brands nowadays use Instagram to show off their products and connect with their target audience. It is a great way to build a community and a strong relationship with customers as well as show your brand’s personality and anything related to your business. We have outlined six brands who are definitely killing their Instagram marketing. Check them out!

Forever 21 

Followers: 15 million

One of the best, biggest and most followed fashion brands on Instagram, with their 15+ million Followers. They create user-generated content giving access to thousands of different looks and linking all of the items directly through images and their bio. They inspire the audience by collaborating with influencers and customers to propose ideas for a new outfit every day. 

Anthropologie

Followers: 3.6 million

An iconic clothing retailer operating over 200 stores worldwide consistently delivers excellent content, inspiring their followers around the world. They change their Instagram theme every season during the year, for instance they use orange and brown tones for autumn and festive colors during winter and Christmas holidays. They have come up with some great social media campaigns such as #Anthropologie, allowing a customer to play an important role in their online presence.

Airbnb

Followers: 3.6 million

Their philosophy is to stay in amazing houses around the world and meet interesting people on the way. Why are they so successful on social? Instead of posting images from magnificent places around the world, they repost content from real customers and travellers who used their service, making everyone a part of their journey. What is more, they always provide a link to all locations which makes the brand very trustworthy and reliable.

Frank Body

Followers: 688k

A fast-growing beauty brand that had a great response to their line of body scrubs. They encourage their customers to share images of the products in action, promoting no-make up look, natural beauty and imperfections, which has become one of the best Instagram campaigns in 2018. They follow a consistent pink and orange colour theme and repost beauty content with a mix of funny quotes, fashion and luxury product photography.

The 5th 

Followers: 481k 

Their bio says “The time is what we make it” which is a very thoughtful message for a watch retailer. In that way, they have created a lifestyle brand which shows that their product can travel, eat, laugh and do sports resting on your wrist. Scrolling down their Instagram makes you want to hop on the plane and start your next adventure. Simply inspiring!

Canva

Followers: 204k

An app providing free design templates for registered users is definitely doing it right. Bright, eye-popping Instagram feed, regularly following different colour schemes and mixing excellent content- lifestyle and art photography, creative designs and funny quotes.

What’s trending- Instagram Stories

Recently launched Instagram Story and Live features have received great response to date- according to Hootsuite, every day, over 300 million people use Instagram Stories and one in five Stories gets a direct message. Is there a better way to connect with your audience than going live behind the scenes or sharing moments, tutorials or giving shoutouts to the followers? What is more, some brands host takeovers which means partnering with an influencer who posts on behalf of the company. Great marketing strategy which can certainly get a lot of attention and engagement from the audience. 

Why are these brands doing it right? There are 3 simple steps you can follow to start with your Instagram marketing strategy:

1. Tell a story– not only through Instagram Stories, but also through your feed! Show the audience who you are, what is the purpose of the product and what message you want to be associated with your brand. 

2. Be authentic- not everything has to be perfect! Just like Frank Body’s strategy- be real so people can trust you. If you are promoting your products, don’t make promises you can’t keep.

3. Be creative- build your own theme and don’t be afraid to experiment with fonts, designs and colours, just like Canva does it. The more colorful and eye-popping your feed is, the more people will go back to your page!

You should definitely consider investing your time and money in Instagram marketing strategy and developing your personal feed theme. Research from Forrester analyzed how social media users engage with top 50 global brands and user interactions were the highest on Instagram, when compared to other social media platforms. The numbers are still rising and so will your sales and brand awareness if you do it right on Instagram! 

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