At the start of 2013, Instagram reported having 90 million users. This number has increased dramatically since that time, reporting in at 800 million in September of 2017. The majority of these users are younger, with 41% being under the age of 24. This high number of users has launched the photo sharing service into one of the most popular social media platforms currently in use. The platform is highly popular because it is highly visual in nature. Users can take, edit, and share photos or videos and interact with content from other users. Because users go into the platform expecting to be engaged by videos and photos, visual advertisements tend to perform well on Instagram. Users expect to see content on their feed involving photos of coffee, food, products in use, people doing exciting things, etc., which means they are more willing to interact with it while in this platform.
The advertising tools on Instagram are the same as the ones available on Facebook. This means an advertising campaign is easy to set up as long as you have a Facebook business profile. Static photo advertising is the most popular way to advertise on the platform. Instagram reports that photos tend to see 36% more user engagement with the content when compared to video advertising. Photo advertisements are successful because they allow you to display products or brands in a user’s feed with minimal indication that the image is an ad. As long as the images in the ad are high quality, they often look just like the content users expect to see on their feed and interact with it accordingly. Often, the only indicator of a post being an advertisement is a sponsored label in the corner and an option to click a button below the photo to learn more. Although images tend to have more engagement, video advertising is seeing an increasing amount of success because the time people spend watching videos has increased in the last few months. Now, people spend 40% more time on videos, which makes video advertising an excellent way to expand brand recognition and introduce a new product. Videos can demonstrate a product or brand in use and provide even more information in a short burst of time. Again, people are already willing to watch engaging content, the trick is creating something that will make a user pause and pay attention while scrolling down their feed.
Direct Placement, LLC is a digital marketing agency dedicated to helping you with your advertising needs. Our video marketing service is ideal for promoting your business online and our social media marketing can be used on a number of different social media platforms. Contact Direct Placement today and learn more about how you can start increasing your online presence now! Or, follow us on Facebook or Twitter for more regular content on digital marketing.