TMI: Instagram for B2B Marketers

One billion people use Instagram. Of that group, 38% of users check Instagram multiple times a day and 72% of users have bought a product they saw on Instagram. Those are the kind of numbers that make marketers sit up and listen. B2C marketers have demonstrated that a smart social strategy on Instagram can support business objectives and deliver a strong ROI. Over the past few years, Instagram has been where airlines have driven user-generated content (UGC) campaigns, retailers have earned celebrity endorsements and many other brands have capitalized on delivering valuable content to their audiences. Despite their success, Instagram was stuck squarely in B2C marketers’ courts — until now. Here are 5 Instagram success stories to embolden the B2B marketer.
On Instagram, visuals are king. There’s no better B2B brand to take on that challenge than Adobe. Their Instagram strategy involves highlighting what products like PhotoShop, InDesign and AfterEffects can do by creating stunning visuals, which makes even the most ungifted artist itch to try out Adobe’s suite of design products.
B2B marketers often feel they have to be professional, straight edge and color so strictly within the brand lines that their promotions lack that ever important creative flare. Mail Chimp’s Instagram account is an excellent reminder that, as a B2B marketer, you’re still talking to people. And with 85% of millennials claiming they made a purchase after watching a marketing video, Mail Chimp’s smart to embrace creative video content.
IBM’s Instagram account is an excellent example that user-generated content isn’t just for B2C companies. Through various campaigns, IBM has repurposed UGC to showcase the human side of their brand. This is especially critical if your company, like IBM, produces products and services that can’t be easily visualized. When properly leveraged, UGC increases brand awareness beyond your social media followers, populates your feed and – best of all – is free.
If you’re scrolling through Instagram on any Monday or Wednesday, you are almost guaranteed to come across motivation quotes tagged with #MondayMotivation or #WednesdayWisdom. There are literally thousands of Instagram accounts solely dedicated to creating and sharing inspirational content. Accounts like LinkedIn recognized the trend early on and joined in. By sharing inspirational posts, LinkedIn spreads their message and organically increases brand engagement and awareness.
Fun fact: LinkedIn Tech is one of our clients! Check out some of our recent work with them here.
Instagram stories are becoming as important on the platform as the posts themselves. In fact, 300 million users interact with Instagram Stories daily and 15-25% of Story viewers swipe up to follow a link and engage directly with a brand’s website. Armed with this knowledge, Appsee, an app analytics company, ran ads in Instagram Stories tailored for their B2B target audience. The result was a 3.4X higher click-through rate and a 25% lower cost per qualified lead with the new ad placement.
So what are you waiting for? Start building your B2B Instagram account today! Need a little more inspiration? Give us a follow on our own B2B Instagram. You can also find us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook too!
Author: Carolyn Kaleko, Senior Account Manager
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