Instagram has and continues to have a major influence on marketing. Millions of users are on that app daily, posting pictures and browsing other’s pictures and videos. Social media influencers are often given brand deals, getting paid to promote a brand on their Instagram page has opened new doors for marketing. I use the app and I see it happening all the time. This is a way for companies to get their name out there. Oftentimes, people won’t just take the companies word, they want to hear it from someone who they trust or see support it outside of the company. If an app sponsors enough social media influencer, people will continuously see it being posted on Instagram and want to see for themselves what all the excitement’s about. This is what happens with most marketing that occurs on Instagram. Companies realized that if they had celebrities or well-known people promote their products/events on such a popular app, they’d gain a lot more attention. That’s where influencers and social media celebrities come in and promote brand and business’ products. There is a big money in influencers market that why they use legit and illegitimate ways to increase their fan following on Instagram e.g. they start buying Instagram followers and likes on their photos. Another example is models or workout gurus that will promote dietary supplements, protein powders or food subscriptions. These models will then post pictures of their toned figures, saying how the product helped them achieve their physical goals and all the benefits (how easy it is to use, how good it tastes, the quality, etc.). People will be more willing to buy it because if these Instagram models are using it and getting those results, then it must be authentic. Instagram is an incredible marketing opportunity, it reaches such an extensive, broad audience. There are other influencers that will create and record skits that are centered around one’s clothes to promote a clothing line. Those videos end up getting thousands of views on Instagram, from their followers or those people just scrolling through the “explore” section. From personal experience, it’s always risky purchasing clothing online. Many people get scammed, the material may be cheap, or the item may turn out completely different than advertised, therefore the majority is often turned off by the idea of buying from unfamiliar brands. However, when they see a video of a “reliable” influencer wearing the clothes in videos is almost like proof to the public that that brand is genuine.
Relationships between internet Marketing & Companies
Marketing relationships like this between companies and influencers are mutualistic; both sides benefit. The brands get promoted and the people posting on Instagram get paid or other perks. It’s not just marketing material things either, it’s marketing a show or a movie, a person’s brand, it’s marketing music and places to visit or see. Music festivals will have their own pages set up, and they’ll ask people to use a specific hashtag when they post photos that involve that festival.
If a lot of people are posting about it, the festival will get a lot more attention. The experiences of those that visit the festival are reaching their followers, and their followers will spread the word as well. People seeing these fun experiences will want to participate, resulting in the festival getting more business and profit. It’s the same with hotels, resorts, or other events. Over spring break or vacations people will post pictures showing off how much of a fun time they’re having. More often than not, they’ll tag the resort they’re staying or where they’re doing their activities at as well. The more exposure people get to things they desire, the more they’ll want it. Those posts will give people ideas of where the best place is to go, what’s the most fun or fitting for what they want to do. It’s almost like an online review, but more visual and backed up by photos. Instagram’s influence on marketing has turned out to be a lot more detrimental than anyone could have ever anticipated. Another example of marketing on Instagram is how music artists will post teasers of their music before it comes out, or their cover album photo to spike more interest. When their music does drop, they will have drawn out the suspense for so long that everyone will flock to hear what it’s all about. Television shows will also do the same, posting sneak peaks of the next episode or movies will post previews to get more views. Those users of Instagram go on the app to curve their boredom or to see what’s going on in the world. If they’re scrolling and a movie preview catches their attention, or their favorite celebrity posts about a new album, they’ll stop and pay attention.
I am guilty of doing this myself. Dramatic movie advertisements peak the public’s interest, Instagram is another way for movies to get their promotions out there. People also now get a glimpse into celebrity’s daily lives as well, as everyone has begun to post more about their personal life. They’ll share what their eating, what they’re doing, where they’re going, what their feeling, and much more. Any celebrity now has the power to reach millions just by posting a photo, through Instagram, Twitter, any social media site really. They can have more control over their personal brand now, versus when they were only portrayed through paparazzi. It’s astounding how invested fans will get. They’ll buy a music artists’ new line of makeup or clothing if that artist promotes it on Instagram, even though their main career is focused on music, because the public feels as they know and trust the person, even though they’ve never met them.
It’s all about smart self-marketing, and Instagram is giving these celebrities an easier, more efficient way to do that. Instagram is a marketing gold mine. There are so many ways to reach people through it, the methods to do so are extremely effective and efficient. I believe Instagram is one of the top influential social media sites (if not the most influential), due to it being very visual. For people to trust a company, they want to see the product to make a judgment themselves and see others they trust review that product as well. Seeing these pictures and videos on Instagram is better than someone tweeting about it if they wanted to read reviews they’d just google reviews. Instagram took a huge step in opening doors and improving online marketing, and with social media progressing every day, there is so much more potential for the advancement of online marketing.
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