@ mentions — and why they matter more than you think
The Instagram API has been changing continuously over the past couple of years, which has opened up possibilities and guided both marketers and partners, like Flowbox, on an always up-to-date visual marketing path.

A universal truth for marketers today is: the power lays in the hands of the customer. This is nothing new, but we certainly got a reminder when GDPR came into effect a little while ago. The outcome of the new law gives companies the opportunity to use data privacy concerns and changes in the industry to create a closer dialogue with their audience.
A well-planned and thought through visual marketing strategy is one way for brands to gain trust and improve transparency, and an efficient tool for this is UGC (user-generated content). But in order to get the maximal effect out of UGC in this ever-evolving digital landscape in this post-GDPR world, you may want to rethink your current strategy.
Did we mention the @ mentions?
Exciting times and new game rules lie ahead of us regarding the ways brands can request rights for utilizing visual content from their fans and customers.
After years of hashtagging everything and everyone — everywhere, the previously very broad API access is getting a bit more limited. The new API is encouraging brands to create dialogues with their audience only when the content includes a @ mention, as opposed to a hashtag.
You may think this is a negative thing, but the matter of fact is that even though the possibility of aggregating user-generated images and videos from loyal audiences and ask for rights at a larger scale will become slightly more limited, the new API will namely reduce spam and improve the user experience.
These API game changers will help companies to become more aware of who they are communicating with. Companies will no longer be able to put any message out there and hope it will reach the right audience, but they will actually have to communicate with users who want to be engaged — though the @ mention.
Let your audience know that the @ mention is the new normal
In order to maximize the positive effects of these API changes, a good idea is to let your audience know what’s going on and to show them how to use the @ mention. Highlight it in your social channels and e-mails as well as on your website. Also, include your brand’s mention on packaging, receipts, bags etc. to remind your customers to use the @ mention to communicate with your brand on social media.
Despite all of the above, it’s important to remember that the hashtag hasn’t died. However, instead of being used as a primary content collector to obtain rights, it has developed into primarily becoming a way to categorize content. The hashtag will and should still be used alongside with @ mentions to create more dimensions of the customer-brand dialogue.
At Flowbox, we believe that this is one step towards creating a safer environment for users and brands. Also, this will help brands to create more meaningful dialogues with their audience. To find out more about how Flowbox can help businesses to gain success through UGC — get in touch with us!

