Posts Tagged "Instagram"

Infographic: 10 Companies that Are Getting Instagram for B2B Marketing Right

Infographic: 10 Companies that Are Getting Instagram for B2B Marketing Right

by | Feb 19, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Social Media, Supply Chain | 0 comments

Need some Instagram for B2B marketing inspiration? These ten brands are getting it right.

Highlights

  • Instagram is a great opportunity for B2B businesses.
  • Avoiding blatant sales or advertising pushes is key.
  • Successful accounts engage users with interesting visuals and/or provide them with value through informative content.

Instagram now boasts over 1 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most popular social media platforms out there. It’s a tremendous opportunity for businesses. In fact, recent research has shown that 66% of brands now use Instagram.

But many B2B marketers are still struggling to find their footing on this highly visual platform. Since we could all use a little inspiration now and then, here are 10 brands that are crushing Instagram for B2B marketing — and what we like about their presence.

10 brands that are nailing Instagram for B2B marketing

B2B Instagram Accounts

1)      Adobe

With 681k followers, Adobe (@adobe) is a fortunate brand when it comes to Instagram in that its product naturally lends itself to the visual medium. Its account boasts some truly stunning visuals, highlighting what Adobe products can create.

2)      Intel

The tech giant Intel (@intel) cultivates a celebrity-style image, giving its over-a-million followers an inside glimpse into big events the brand plays a role in, like the X Games, Grammys, and glitzy tech conferences. Each of the carefully curated images reinforces the brand’s voice, and captions do a great job of detailing exactly what the brand does in the tech space.

3)      Hootsuite

Social media management dashboard Hootsuite (@hootsuite) does a fantastic job of showing brands their social media know-how, right in its Instagram profile. The company cultivates a casual, friendly image and posts content that demonstrates company culture. From team building photos to office dogs, Hootsuite makes followers feel like they’re getting to know the brand.

4)      CBRE

Global commercial real estate firm CBRE (@cbre) is a phenomenal example of finding beauty within the context of its operations. The brand’s Instagram feed features a stunning array of architecture from around the world, with clever use of hashtags.

5)      HubSpot

Here’s a company getting content Instagram for B2B marketing right. HubSpot (@hubspot) consistently provides value to followers, posting informational content. Rather than letting it get boring, the brand keeps content visually appealing and makes clever use of captioning and video.

6)      IBM

Tech juggernaut IBM (@ibm) has made highly effective use of reactive storytelling on Instagram. This method of storytelling combines a top-of-mind story or idea with a compelling marketing message. IBM uses it during popular or inspiring events, demonstrating how it’s making use of the brand’s technology.

7)      General Electric

It’s a household name brand, and it’s over a century old. General Electric’s (@generalelectric) Instagram presences does a great job of leveraging the brand’s history, highlighting its involvement with important developments in defense, aviation, and technology. It’s a great example of creating a powerful voice from a brand through storytelling and tapping into the audience’s nostalgia.

8)      FedEx

FedEx (@fedex) is a prime example of a B2B brand that makes the absolute most of what it does to create a compelling story for its Instagram content. The account features photos of airplanes and trucks all over the world, telling the story of how the carrier cares for and ships products in its care.

9)      HP

With over a million followers HP (@hp) cultivates a sleek, design-minded brand image on Instagram. It capitalizes on subtlety and style, with eclectic images that never feel overtly promotional but that highlight the brand’s innovation.

10)  Mailchimp

Email marketing company Mailchimp (@mailchip) truly gets the most out of its whimsical logo. Its Instagram content has given the playful chimp logo life and transformed him into a personality and voice for the brand. The image is quirky and fun, and Mailchimp’s Instagram presence reinforces and capitalizes on that.

What companies do you think are doing Instagram for B2B marketing right?

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Posts Tagged "Instagram"

Infographic: 10 Ways to Boost Followers on Instagram

Infographic: 10 Ways to Boost Followers on Instagram

by | Feb 7, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Social Media, Supply Chain | 0 comments

Looking to boost followers on Instagram? These tips will help supply chain marketers grow their following, build brand awareness, and nurture a loyal audience base.

Highlights

  • Instagram has over 500 million daily users.
  • Fake accounts won’t help in the long run.
  • Growing authentic followers requires commitment and strategy.

While it’s true that Facebook is a favorite for B2B marketing, don’t overlook Instagram. Over 500 million users browse the app daily — some of the most engaged audiences on the web. This is absolutely a powerful resource for supply chain marketers, and if you aren’t already, it’s time you start tapping into it.

But as with all social media platforms, there’s a right and a wrong way to go about using it. When it comes to Instagram, getting the most out of the platform has a lot to do with boosting followership.

Keep in mind that recent studies have shown that roughly 48 million Instagram users are fake. Inflating your audience with fake followers won’t serve you well.

Boosting engagement and growing your following takes time and strategy. The 10 tips in our infographic below will help you get the most out of Instagram, building an authentic, engaged audience.

10 tips to boost followers on Instagram

Boost followers on Instagram

1)      Optimize your account

Before we get to anything fancy, take a step back and make sure your Instagram account is fully optimized. This means you need:

  • a bio with a link to marketing or product pages related to a specific keyword or hashtag
  • image captions, which can reference the link in your bio
  • a search-friendly username
  • a compelling profile image that reflects your brand

2)      Use the right hashtags

One of the most effective ways to grow your Instagram following is to use hashtags effectively. Since Instagram gives users the ability to follow hashtags that interest them, and they function as links to other relevant content, choosing the right hashtags is the ideal way to reach and engage your target audience.

Keep an eye on accounts of peer brands to stay up to date with the best hashtags to be using. The most effective hashtags are short, memorable, and easy to read. You can also use a free online tool like InconoSquare or Websta to find relevant hashtags for the supply chain and logistics industries.

3)      Keep your content consistent

Posting on a consistent timetable is crucial to maintaining an active following. Posting irregularly means you risk your followers forgetting about you. And posting all at once can annoy and drive followers away. Ideally, brands should post 2-3 times a day. For more, check out our guide to when to post on social media.

4)      Use the right filters

We all know that playing with filters is fun. These lighting and color presets offered by Instagram have the potential to create mood and style in your image content. According to Iconosquare, these 10 filters are currently the most popular on Instagram. And it turns out that the filters you choose really do have an impact on engagement.

  • Normal (No Filter)
  • Clarendon
  • Juno
  • Lark
  • Ludwig
  • Gingham
  • Valencia
  • X-Pro II
  • Lo-fi
  • Amaro

5)      Get your competitors’ followers

Maybe it sounds like a dirty trick, but hear us out! Users who have already shown an interest in similar brands to yours are an ideal audience base. Engaging with them is a great way to grow your own following. Identify a peer brand with a healthy Instagram following; follow a segment of their audience; and like or comment on their photos. Keep track of how many users follow your brand back.

6)      Have other accounts post your content

Operating on the principle that followers of similar accounts to yours are an ideal audience base, getting these accounts to post your content is a great way to boost your followership. One way to do this is to sponsor user-generated content to get your brand in customers’ feeds. For example, hold a photo contest related to your brand, encouraging followers to post and caption your content.

7)      Invest in sponsored posts and product reviews

Optimizing your account and following Instagram best practices will go a long way toward getting authentic followers. But to really boost your followers on Instagram, it pays to take advantage of influencer marketing on Instagram. Create a list of large accounts in your industry, follow them, reach out to their marketing team, and ask about sponsored post pricing. Be on the lookout for influencers with a high engagement rate relative to number of followers.

8)      Put your Stories in Highlights

In addition to its Stories feature, Instagram now lets users create a featured group of “Highlights” in various categories on their profile. Stories have only a 24-hour lifespan, so featuring your most effective Stories clips in Highlights gives them a second life and a chance to engage future followers. One of the best features of Stories and Highlights is that they allow brands to view and analyze how users have viewed and interacted with their content.

9)      Post content your followers actually want to see

This one may sound painfully obvious, but it’s harder than it looks. Because brands need to publish content consistently to maintain an active Instagram following, it can be extremely difficult to generate fresh, interesting content consistently. There’s no easy trick to this one. Keep an eye on peer brands, and make use of Instagram analytics tools to track, analyze, and benchmark Instagram content.

10)  Start a conversation

It’s easy to forget that the fundamental benefit of social media is that it’s social. Users want to be part of a conversation. Encourage your followers to interact with you on all your social media platforms, including Instagram. This means responding to comments and brand mentions, as well as engaging with your followers’ content.

Final thoughts

Instagram is an extremely effective tool for supply chain marketers. These 10 tips to boost followers on Instagram will help you create and nurture a loyal, engaged audience base. In turn, an effective Instagram presence has the potential to grow brand awareness, improve your reputation, and generate qualified leads.

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Posts Tagged "Instagram"

Facebook Adds CTA Stickers for Page Stories, Twitter Plans New Conversational Features, and More Social Media News

Facebook Adds CTA Stickers for Page Stories, Twitter Plans New Conversational Features, and More Social Media News

by | Jan 31, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Current Events, Social Media | 0 comments

Also, this month in social media news: Instagram allows posts to multiple accounts; Snapchat shares research on social media use; and YouTube adds new swipe-to-view option.

Highlights

  • Facebook and YouTube are making changes that reflect a shift toward the Stories format.
  • Snapchat releases research revealing that users seek different types of content on different social media platforms.
  • Twitter is considering a big update to its conversational features designed to boost user engagement.

The new year is off and running in the social media world. As social media platforms vie to keep up with user behavior, we’re seeing a broad industry shift in favor of the “Stories” format. Facebook is attempting to ramp up the popularity of its Stories feature by giving users more options for direct response, while YouTube is introducing a swipe option, reflecting the growing preference for this kind of interface.

Businesses should take heed to the changes this month. The opportunity for CTA stickers in Facebook Stories — as well as Twitter’s plans for new conversational features and Instagram’s introduction of a feature allowing users to post across accounts at the same time — have important implications for how B2B businesses market themselves on social media. Additionally, Snapchat has released the results of a study examining how and why people use various social media platforms.

Here’s your social media news for January 2019.

Facebook Adds Call-to-Action Stickers for Page Stories

As Facebook continues to work toward making its version of Stories a success, the social media titan is testing a new set of Call-to-Action (CTA) stickers for Pages. The stickers let businesses on Facebook use Stories more effectively via direct-response tools.

The new buttons echo the CTA options already available to Pages in their header. Options include inviting users to “Shop Now,” “Book,” or “Get Directions” directly from within Stories.

Why does this matter for B2B businesses? This new feature brings direct action to where Facebook is pushing users to spend more and more time — Stories.

Twitter Releases Detailed Plans for Beta Testing of New Conversational Features

Twitter is looking to evolve its platform in line with usage trends, announcing the creation of a new beta program to test its conversational options. According to TechCrunch, Twitter will soon launch the beta program with a select group of users. Features to be tested include color-coded responses, algorithmically sorted replies, and status updates.

If the beta testing is successful and Twitter adopts the changes, expect to see a big impact on platform use. For example, color-coded replies would corollate with your connections, making them easier to locate within extensive threads. Algorithm searching would also assist with keeping users up to date with the most personally relevant parts of any discussion — all with the goal of boosting engagement.

Instagram Now Lets You Post to Multiple Accounts at Once

Earlier this month, Social Media Today and TechCrunch reported that Instagram is rolling out a feature allowing users to post a single update across multiple profiles at the same time. For social media managers responsible for maintaining several accounts, this is big news.

Instagram is rolling out a feature allowing users to post a single update across multiple profiles at the same time. For social media managers responsible for maintaining several accounts, this is big news. Click To Tweet

It’s now easy to post content to all accounts at once. But the question remains: is this good news for your audience? Of course, every case is different, but it’s yet to be determined if this ease of posting identical content across multiple platforms will broaden audience engagement or backfire, causing users to get bored and tune out your content all together.

Snapchat Shares New Research on How and Why People Use Different Social Media Platforms

Partnering with Murphy Research, Snapchat Business conducted a study of more than 1,000 of its users between the ages of 13 and 44. The goal was to gain insight into the social media apps they use, why they spend time on each, and how each makes them feel.

The research revealed three key insights:

  1. The apps people use can impact their moods.
  2. There’s a reason users tap on each app.
  3. And there’s a time and place for each app in this space.

What does this mean for B2B users? Being aware of the various platforms people use to find a specific type of content, for example, can help shape content creation and sharing.

YouTube Adds a New Option to Swipe to View the Next Video

As if it weren’t easy enough to fall down a YouTube rabbit hole. This month, the video giant is rolling out a new option that gives users the option to swipe left to view the next video or right to go back to the previous. Users can also get a “sneak peek” of the next or previous video by partially swiping. Currently, the update is only available to iOS users and is in line with a broader industry trend toward the swipeable Stories format.

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Posts Tagged "Instagram"

Top 10 Social Media Posts 2018

Top 10 Social Media Posts 2018

by | Dec 12, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Social Media, Supply Chain | 0 comments

Our most-viewed social media posts confirm there’s only one thing that stays the same with social platforms: they’re always changing.

Today, more than ever, companies are turning to social media to engage with customers and reach new audiences. But staying current with updates and new technologies is no easy task for marketers.

2018 was the year of video. From the soaring popularity of Insta Stories and Snapchat to the continued success of YouTube, users want to watch content (over reading it). In fact, video is the most popular form of content being consumed online today — and it shows no sign of slowing down.

From the soaring popularity of Insta Stories and Snapchat to the continued success of YouTube, users want to watch content (over reading it). In fact, video is the most popular form of content being consumed online today — and it shows… Click To Tweet

Here are the top 10 social media posts in 2018, including why (and how ) to start implementing video into your content marketing strategy.

Top 10 social media posts in 2018

1. 10 Social Media Statistics for B2B Marketers 2018

Social Media Examiner’s 10th annual study, 2018 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, surveyed more than 5,700 marketers from across the world in a variety of industries — including manufacturing, industrial goods, and a variety of other B2B verticals. Here are some of the most relevant social media statistics from that survey for supply chain and logistics marketers. Read full post

2. An Example of Successful Social Media in Supply Chain Management

Sometimes, a success story can be a powerful motivator. FIFA and Adidas have been extremely successful in using social media in supply chain management. Here’s how it works for these organizations and why your business should consider it. Read full post

3. 10 Tips for Using Instagram for Business

Recent research on social media use shows that 66% of brands now use Instagram. It’s the second-most used platform by businesses, up from fourth in 2017. If you’re considering using Instagram for your business, which you should be, here are some tips for getting started. Read full post

4. Video: Social Media Trends for 2018

As always, good content will be as important as ever. With over one million new-data-producing social media users each day, high-quality content is the only way to stand out from the masses. But we also think you should pay attention to a few social media trends that we have highlighted in the following video. We’re certainly planning to adjust our strategy and those of our clients to consider these things. Read full post

5. 4 Things Your Business Should Do in Light of Facebook News Feed Changes

Mark Zuckerberg once again rocked the world on January 11 ­— at least for businesses — when he announced that Facebook News Feed was evolving to include less public content, meaning content from Pages of businesses, brands, and media. The algorithm now prioritizes posts from friends and family (over public posts) and those that “spark conversations and meaningful interactions between people.” Here’s how you should change what you’re doing in response. Read full post

6. Infographic: Social Media Statistics Your Business Needs to Consider When Publishing Content

A strong social media presence is key to successful marketing in 2018. Social media is simply unavoidable these days. So, you jumped on board and you’re posting and tweeting. You’re creating content. You’re learning about search engine optimization and how to improve your rankings. But you’re still not reaching the audiences you were hoping to attract. What’s going wrong? Read full post

7. What Supply Chain and Logistics Marketers Need to Know About Organic Reach on Facebook

In a recent social media news post, we mentioned that Facebook was experimenting with an Explore Feed feature. You may or may not have heard about how this might affect businesses’ ability to achieve organic reach on Facebook. Read full post

8. Facebook Boosts Local News, Twitter Launches Sponsored Moments, and More Social Media News

Updates to the most popular sites have included longer character counts, more advanced conversational skills with chatbots, and new tools for easier sharing. All of these changes are working to improve user experience and help keep users active on the biggest sites. Read full post

9. Facebook Updates News Feed, Instagram Allows User to Send Live Videos, and More Social Media News

I’m sure by now you have heard about the updates to Facebook’s News Feed that are having major impacts on business pages’ organic reach. But the changes don’t stop there. Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram are trying to follow Facebook’s lead and enhance their user experience. Through updates that include video counts, enhanced data collection, and recommended posts, social media is working overtime to make sure its active users are staying active. Read full post

10. 5 Ways to Improve Your YouTube Marketing Strategy

I’ve written a lot about YouTube and how the supply chain should be leveraging it as a marketing tool. Of course, I don’t recommend just creating videos at random and throwing them up on your channel. Like any content or platform, you should approach YouTube strategically. Read full post

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Posts Tagged "Instagram"

Facebook Announces 3Q Earnings, LinkedIn Offers New Integration Tools, and More Social Media News

Facebook Announces 3Q Earnings, LinkedIn Offers New Integration Tools, and More Social Media News

by | Nov 29, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Current Events, Social Media | 0 comments

Also in social media news, November 2018: Instagram tests options to promote stories on business pages, Pinterest unveils updates to self-serve ad tools, and Facebook tests advanced analytics for Instagram.

November was the month of social media updates and the development of new tools aimed at helping brands. Though Facebook has vowed to boost content for individuals – think posts from friends and family – they are also making significant strides in helping businesses gain reach and increase engagement after a slow start to the calendar year.

For example, Instagram tested options to help promote Stories on Business pages. What does this mean for your company? Soon brands will have the ability to get Stories in front of new audiences, increasing followers and engagement. Building lasting relationships with prospects on social media means presenting your brand in a visually engaging way while linking them to useful and relevant information.

Building lasting relationships with prospects on social media means presenting your brand in a visually engaging way while linking them to useful and relevant information. Click To Tweet

Here’s your social media news for November 2018.

Facebook announces third-quarter earnings report

Facebook just revealed it has 1.49 billion daily active users in its quarterly earnings report. When you combine Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and Whatsapp, monthly active users total 2.6 billion. Though these numbers are the highest of any social media platform, Facebook significantly dropped active users in Europe last quarter.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, noted a growing shift in social media engagement including an increased focus on private messaging and stories. Another shift? Video. “We’re seeing video grow dramatically across the ecosystem, and while Watch is now growing very quickly, we’re well behind YouTube and still working to make this a unique people-centric experience.” writes Zuckerberg. Facebook will also continue to improve safety and security measures to address increased threats.

YouTube premieres now available to all users

YouTube premieres is a feature that lets you and your viewers watch and experience a new video together, much like a movie or TV show premiere. Premiering your video allows you to schedule a video upload and to create buzz around the video with a shareable watch page. Premieres originally debuted to specific creators but is now available to all users. Businesses can invite fans to use Live Chat as it counts down to the premiere of a new video that users can watch together while answering questions and responding to comments.

LinkedIn offers new integration tool with Google Campaign Manager

LinkedIn announced a measurement integration tool with Google Campaign Manager, a part of Google Marketing Platform. This new tool allows businesses to see LinkedIn ad performance alongside other paid advertising, and get attribution for LinkedIn ads across all impressions and interactions. “Earlier this year, we launched this integration for a few ad formats, but today – we are launching it for Sponsored Content,” writes LinkedIn.

Instagram tests Promote: a new way to share Stories on business pages

Instagram is giving businesses a new way to share Stories without much effort. Promote, a new ad type, allows admins to “auto-target users similar to their followers, specific locations, or use all of Instagram’s targeting parameters to inject their stories into the queue of more users.” The ads will also link back to a business’s Instagram profile or webpage. Instagram confirmed to TechCrunch that Promote for Stories is similar to Facebook’s Boost option that lets businesses pay to show their posts to more users instantly.

Facebook tests advanced analytics for Instagram

Facebook introduced Instagram Analytics, a new part of Facebook Analytics. With Instagram Insights, businesses can already see how audiences interact with posts and Stories, but what happens next and what does that mean for your business? Now with Instagram Analytics, businesses can track “lifetime value and retention rates for people who do or don’t interact with their content and create audience segments to see if people who commented on a particular post generate more value for them.” They can also analyze how audiences overlap with website visitors and Facebook followers.

Pinterest updates self-serve ad tools

Pinterest is working to make it easier for brands to reach the right audiences with their ads. In October, Pinterest unveiled updates to its Self-Serve Ads Manager to streamline the campaign creation process and give companies tools to track their progress on the app. “Over the past year, we’ve used your feedback to redesign our ad tools so businesses on Pinterest can define and size audiences, create ads and pull reports with ease.” The new features are currently available in English-speaking markets with a Pinterest business profile.

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