The $1 billion takeover of Instagram by Facebook took everyone by storm but all the hype finally seems to be setting down. Companies are now beginning to care less whether or not the decision to purchase Instagram was the right choice for Facebook. Companies are currently more concerned about leveraging this illustrious tool.
Facebook has not offered much information about how to optimize an Instagram photo. So at the moment, photos are being optimized the same way that a picture or a YouTube video on a blog post would be optimized, by using keywords in the surrounding tags, text and titles. However, optimizing Instagram photos for search engines is not what these companies are concerned about, but instead what they want to know is how the use of Instagram can be optimized for visitors.
Visitor optimization is a topic that has been discussed many times over the years. It is a well known fact that "content is King" and soon enough, the topic of the discussion switches to search engines. Nonetheless, the importance of photos on the website of a company is being brought by the buzz surrounding Instagram. Renowned brands like National Geographic, Pepsi, and Starbucks have already started using Instagram photos on their website.
The prerequisite behind Instagram is a mobile phone with a simple point and shoot camera. Once a photo is taken by the user with a compatible camera phone, a filter is added as a result of which the photo looks more attractive and eye-catching. A photo looks different depending on the filter applied to it and so, these filters have been given different names. Usually, a vintage or glossy look is given to the photo by these filters, something which is absent in a traditional photo.
One of the reasons behind the increasing popularity of Instagram is that a photo can be edited so easily by everyday individuals. The appearance of photos enhanced by it, making them attractive to those who are non-photogenic, and these photos can be conveniently shared over social networking platforms using the app.
Instagram can be utilized by any business that wants to include photos in a blog post, but a bit of effort has to be made for this. The end users of Instagram are after all people who love to take photos with their mobile phones, and for those running a company, they often do not have the energy or time to take photos. Nonetheless, it is possible to leverage Instagram more appropriately for a business, in the following ways:
Contests: This is perhaps the best way this tool can be utilized by businesses. A product can be sold by your company, customers can be asked to take photos of themselves with the product, and can be given the opportunity of winning a prize by uploading the photo. An element of interaction can also be added by giving people the chance to vote on the photo they like best.
Event Marketing: Another great way the tool can be leveraged is to ask people to take photos of an event being held by you. This will increase the excitement about the event in people and a layer of interaction will be added.
Social Media: Photos of your product/serve or your company should always been shared via social media. A hastag can be added to a photo when using Instagram as a result of which tabs can be kept on any photos of your business that you have shared on Twitter or any other social network.
Connection: Most people these days are using Instagram, so this is one more avenue where connections with your customers can be formed. Even if you don't think that posting pictures is valuable enough for your specific business, the employees should be urged to use this avenue as a means of connecting with customers.
Location: Location can be added to a photo by a company using Instagram. Thus, the location of your small business can be added this way, and this makes it more likely that some who is new to the area will see the photos. This can prove to be quite effective for entertainment joints and restaurants.
If you want to make the most of the photos present on your website, then you should use Instagram with hastags. Now is the perfect time to get started because of the buzz currently surrounding Instagram. Although particular brand accounts are not offered by the service, an individual account can still be created.
Facebook has not offered much information about how to optimize an Instagram photo. So at the moment, photos are being optimized the same way that a picture or a YouTube video on a blog post would be optimized, by using keywords in the surrounding tags, text and titles. However, optimizing Instagram photos for search engines is not what these companies are concerned about, but instead what they want to know is how the use of Instagram can be optimized for visitors.
Visitor optimization is a topic that has been discussed many times over the years. It is a well known fact that "content is King" and soon enough, the topic of the discussion switches to search engines. Nonetheless, the importance of photos on the website of a company is being brought by the buzz surrounding Instagram. Renowned brands like National Geographic, Pepsi, and Starbucks have already started using Instagram photos on their website.
Why Are Photos Taken to a New Level by Instagram?
The prerequisite behind Instagram is a mobile phone with a simple point and shoot camera. Once a photo is taken by the user with a compatible camera phone, a filter is added as a result of which the photo looks more attractive and eye-catching. A photo looks different depending on the filter applied to it and so, these filters have been given different names. Usually, a vintage or glossy look is given to the photo by these filters, something which is absent in a traditional photo.
One of the reasons behind the increasing popularity of Instagram is that a photo can be edited so easily by everyday individuals. The appearance of photos enhanced by it, making them attractive to those who are non-photogenic, and these photos can be conveniently shared over social networking platforms using the app.
Top 5 Ways Instagram Can Be Leveraged by Your Business
Instagram can be utilized by any business that wants to include photos in a blog post, but a bit of effort has to be made for this. The end users of Instagram are after all people who love to take photos with their mobile phones, and for those running a company, they often do not have the energy or time to take photos. Nonetheless, it is possible to leverage Instagram more appropriately for a business, in the following ways:
Contests: This is perhaps the best way this tool can be utilized by businesses. A product can be sold by your company, customers can be asked to take photos of themselves with the product, and can be given the opportunity of winning a prize by uploading the photo. An element of interaction can also be added by giving people the chance to vote on the photo they like best.
Event Marketing: Another great way the tool can be leveraged is to ask people to take photos of an event being held by you. This will increase the excitement about the event in people and a layer of interaction will be added.
Social Media: Photos of your product/serve or your company should always been shared via social media. A hastag can be added to a photo when using Instagram as a result of which tabs can be kept on any photos of your business that you have shared on Twitter or any other social network.
Connection: Most people these days are using Instagram, so this is one more avenue where connections with your customers can be formed. Even if you don't think that posting pictures is valuable enough for your specific business, the employees should be urged to use this avenue as a means of connecting with customers.
Location: Location can be added to a photo by a company using Instagram. Thus, the location of your small business can be added this way, and this makes it more likely that some who is new to the area will see the photos. This can prove to be quite effective for entertainment joints and restaurants.
If you want to make the most of the photos present on your website, then you should use Instagram with hastags. Now is the perfect time to get started because of the buzz currently surrounding Instagram. Although particular brand accounts are not offered by the service, an individual account can still be created.
