Brafton has reported that Instagram beats out the other social networks in terms of engagement. Though it is primarily used for B2C businesses, the lessons from its engagement can be applied to B2B businesses in through social media updates and marketing messages. Read the full report here.
Instagram is a photo sharing social app. Photos are taken, filters can be applied, and photos are shared with followers. Every user’s photo stream can be viewed online but photos have to be shared via the iPhone app.
Statistics show that Twitter has a .3 interaction rate per follower, Facebook has .7 percent, but Instagram has a 4.21 percent rate, says Brafton.
We have access to dozens of social media automation and management tools. Hootsuite, TweetDeck and SocialFlow are just a few examples. Instagram doesn’t integrate with these social management tools. Each photo has to be taken and uploaded by a person. It’s reactive, spontaneous and authentic.
There’s a higher engagement on Instagram because people appreciate authenticity. They are more likely to dismiss a social update if they think it’s fake or pre-planned. Besides the fact that if you’ve planned out your social media posts in advance, you may inadvertently post something light, humorous, or business-like during a tragedy or unexpected event.
While we know it’s time consuming and something you may not be thinking of during your busy day, take the time to post a spontaneous social update once in a while. Your followers will appreciate it, they’ll realize there’s a person behind the social account, and may engage with your updates more. Businesses are made of up people, and it’s important to make that come through in your marketing.