Worth a Thousand Words? How Excited Should YOUR Business Be to Advertise on Instagram?

Instagram first introduced ads on its platform a year and a half ago, but it had been limited to only the largest advertisers — the Coca-Colas and Burger Kings of the world.

An announcement made Tuesday changes all this:

“People want to connect with businesses of all sizes on Instagram, from their favorite local clothing stores and restaurants to the largest brands in the world. To give all businesses the opportunity to reach the right people, we are working to make Instagram advertising available through an Instagram Ads API and Facebook ad buying interfaces over the coming months.”

So, what does this mean for those local clothing stores and restaurants? And what about medium-sized firms with a national or international customer base? Time to drop everything and begin advertising on Instagram?

Slow down.

The power of a brand’s story is what always must come first. And Instagram advertising may not always support a business’ overarching story. Here are a few tips to make sure your business is staying true to itself, and not just hopping on the next big thing:

Do you photograph well?

For some businesses, this is a no-brainer. Retailers, artists, Realtors, and restaurants — these are just a few businesses whose offerings can truly come alive in a photo. And since Instagram is just a stream of photos, this matters. It matters a lot.

Other businesses, particularly professional services or highly technical products, might not come across as well as say, a gourmet meal, when reduced to a single photograph. So businesses considering advertising on Instagram should be mindful of the nature of the medium, along with the technical considerations and knowhow required to produce the sort of quality photographs that succeed on Instagram.

What’s your target?

Consumer brands are literally salivating over this announcement: Instagram gives them access to a younger, upmarket demographic. A researcher quoted in a New York Times article about the announcement summed up its user base as, “High-income teens and people in their 20s.”

A bit overly simplistic perhaps, but this does point to something that brands must consider before jumping aboard the Instagram ship. Namely, does your typical customer fit that mold? If not, then perhaps it’s better to focus your energies on other avenues until Instagram grows up a little bit.

Are you action oriented?

Instagram’s singular visual emphasis made the limited functionality of its ads worthwhile for large brands eager to raise awareness of their products with the platform’s prized demographic. But many wanted more direct means of measuring response and spurring action.

Instagram is answering by introducing a series of direct response ads — the choice being “Sign Up,” “Install Now,” “Shop Now,” and “Learn More” — that will hopefully offer brands more options for connecting directly with their audience.

Still, Instagram ads will likely be limited compared to other mediums. Your business’ products or services may require a more detailed explanation than the typical photo and brief description permit to inspire action. If this is the case, you may want to rethink the wisdom of advertising on Instagram.

At the end of the day, Instagram will be great for businesses targeting younger, digitally savvy consumers whose product’s visual image is sufficient for driving action.

Doesn’t sound like you? Then you can probably take a deep breath and stop worrying about how to crack the Instagram code.

But if business as usual hasn’t been productive for your marketing department and you were expecting Instagram to deliver a shot in the arm, give Woden a call today. We can discuss how a well-told story can provide the rocket fuel for any marketing effort, on any channel.

Best of all, we excel at articulating our clients’ underlying values and core principles. For these drive growth — and can’t be easily captured in just a photo.