Has marketing changed over the past few years? Yes, drastically. It’s important to realize that the change in consumer behavior has led to this drastic change. People have access to all the knowledge in the world with just a single click. Customers make well informed decisions before buying a product. People get influenced by social media a lot. With the rise of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, companies have unlocked unprecedented opportunities to captivate and engage millions of users worldwide.
Social media has become an integral part of their business strategies, influencing purchasing decisions of consumers by a staggering 73% (Oberlo)
Why instagram specifically?
Let’s just simply agree that everyone’s on instagram. Everyone includes individuals, businesses and even pets! And instagram is a great place to discover brands. 71% of US businesses are on instagram (Oberlo.com). It gets really difficult for brands to market themselves on this platform due to heavy competition. As social media became more integral to a brand’s business, some of the savvier brands began to unlock a new way to use these new platforms. Below we list a few social media profiles that could inspire you to build a unique social media strategy to appeal to your customers.
Instagram Inspiration - 3 Brands Setting the Bar High
Glossier with a whooping 2.7 million followers on instagram has created a cult for itself through community building. They have done so, by understanding and mastering their consumer persona and aligning their aesthetics with it. They utilize user-generated content featuring every day women that use their products and they post relatable humorous memes keeping the audience engaged. Glossier tries to keep their brand approachable and authentic appealing to the general mass. They use the social media strategy of prioritizing personalities over product placement.
Strategy used by Glossier: Unique brand identity, fostering engagement, and embracing a sense of community.
Gif on the Left: “Get ready with me” reels by an influencer showcasing a casual woman getting ready with glossier’s skin product. Also, they have tagged the product making it easy for the viewer to shop the product
Image in the middle: Visual aesthetics, Diversity and posting relatable memes to keep the audience engaged
Gif on the right: “You look good” campaign, creating a positive vibe around the brand creating a unique brand identity
Black, an all-black lifestyle luxury streetwear brand has a very appealing instagram profile.Their visual aesthetics speaks for itself. In order to build momentum, the brand organizes frequent giveaways on their social media handles, even before the product is actually launched on its official website. And they only sell a limited number of merchandise which creates a sense of urgency when launching these giveaways. This lifestyle brand even curates and regularly updates a spotify playlist with songs that match the lifestyle of their consumers. That’s how committed they are towards giving a black inspired luxury lifestyle to their consumers and followers . And their frequent collaborations with other brands whilst maintaining consistency in branding is top notch.
Strategy used by Blvck Paris : Visual Aesthetics, Consistent branding, and Keeping the hype up always
Example of Visual aesthetics embracing the what the brand stands for
CEO of blvck paris, Julian O’ Hayen “Be creative don’t underestimate the power of storytelling and marketing. Blvck Paris has accumulated just under 600k followers in two years with an exceptionally high engagement rate of 8-10% (as an average, 1-2% is considered to be good). This is thanks to posting high-quality content and always thinking outside the box in order to stand out”
Patagonia
Patagonia is an outdoor wear retailer known for its various environmental sustainability efforts. It does things differently on its instagram. Social media has been salesy for a while. But when it comes to Patagonia, their content has always been void of anything that shreds light on their products. They always focus on how people can save the environment and embrace nature. Patagonia stays away from using influencers and instead they often feature hikers and explorers and their instagram and share quick snippets of how they were able to achieve their goals. (for example, a reel of a hiker hitting the road) From day one, patagonia has been incorporating this strategy which has allowed this brand to crack even the most difficult subcultures
Strategy used by Patagonia : Voicing Values, Future led content, Location specific social media accounts
Key takeaways
- Authenticity: Brands should remain authentic and stick to what they stand for. Featuring user generated content, showcasing real-life experiences, and maintaining a transparent brand image are key to keeping up authenticity.
- Community building: Understanding the audience, capturing their persona and posting content around it and building values would fosters dynamic relationships and cultivates brand loyalty
- Storytelling: Compelling storytelling is at the heart of their Instagram presence. Through visually appealing posts, videos, and captions, Brands can effectively communicate their brand story, values, and mission.
- Visual Aesthetics: Consistency in visual aesthetics is a hallmark for all brands. From one glance at our profile, people should be able to guess what your brand voice is and your brand personality is. First impressions are always the best impressions.
Staying Ahead
Social media marketing is constantly evolving, and businesses must stay ahead of the curve to remain relevant. In 2023, augmented reality, live streaming,gamification, influencer marketing, social media stories, and personalization are expected to be the top trends in social media marketing. By incorporating these trends into their social media strategies, businesses can create more engaging and personalized experiences for their customers and stay ahead of the competition.
Any other Instagram Profile that is awe-inspiring? Comment below!
