Facebook has been making the headlines recently for all the wrong reasons. With users feeling betrayed and violated by the social media giant, brands have heard the cries of millions of unhappy consumers and are now jumping ship.
For businesses who are hesitant to diversify and expand their social media presence, the last quarter has been a teachable moment. Putting all of your eggs (or in this case social media marketing tactics) in one basket could mean the demise of your brand’s presence on social media.
With Facebook losing the respect of desirable demographics like Millennials and Generation Z, the target audiences of most brands are now leaving the platform in droves. Brands who want to retain their connection to these audiences are looking elsewhere.
Is Instagram Where the Cool Kids Hangout?
Instagram is currently enjoying a huge increase in user base (more than 100 million users joined the platform in 2017). And, this photo sharing app is turning out to be more than just a place to post pictures of your lunch. Brands and celebrities alike are seeing more exposure and engagement from posting on Instagram. Here are a few reasons for this:
- Our brains respond very positively to visual stimuli.
- Instagram’s UI is clean, simple and easy to navigate, and best viewed on mobile devices which is how much of the population gets online.
- With the ability to post still images, GIFs and “Stories”, Instagram offers versatility for brands who want to incorporate multiple forms of visual media in their marketing strategy.
- More than half of Instagram’s users follow brands.
- Online shoppers will often use Instagram as a resource for promo codes, deals and discounts.
- Instagram’s developers have expanded the tools available to advertisers to allow for data collection and monitoring.
The Main Takeaways
In response to the recent backlash, Facebook has placed more restrictions on branded content and ads in general. On the other hand, Instagram is making changes to entice more brands to join up. Ads, sponsorships and branded content in general is welcomed and even encouraged.
Creating content for Instagram will mean stepping up your visual content game. Invest in graphic designers and artists with a keen eye for the types of posts Instagram loves. If you are determined to target the over 50 crowd, Facebook will do your brand just fine. If you want to join the other hot brands that have successfully won the loyalty of Gen X through Z, Instagram is definitely the place to be.
Learn more about social media branding with SocialEyes Communications! We offer training servicesthat cover the basics of social media and personalized assessments for more advanced users.
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