Social distancing has caused the world to interact with social media in a different way. With 66% of social media users anticipating their use of platforms like Instagram to increase during the pandemic, media consumption is continuously rising. However, with people and brands posting increasing amounts of content to social media platforms, feeds are being oversaturated which has caused a negative impact on engagement.
What brands need to do right now is create content that breaks through the clutter and captures the attention of their followers. This is a time to think outside of the box and get creative with the way we create, consume, and interact with content. With a captive audience, brands can use Instagram as a means to engage and deepen relationships with their community of brand fans and followers. Here are a few tips for brands who are looking to stand out on Instagram as we continue through this crisis:
Be Real
People are paying attention to how brands are reacting to this global pandemic — so much so that brands’ response will impact 65% of consumers’ future purchasing decisions. It’s important for brands to communicate to their followers with empathy, understanding, and support. For some brands, this means adjusting messaging and considering how the crisis affects your mission & goals. For others, this is business as usual. Regardless, this is a time for brands to give their messaging a more human touch to build trust and strengthen relationships with consumers.
Be real, and people will take notice.
Go Live
80% of people would rather watch a live stream than read a blog, so creating more dynamic, interactive content is crucial. Post content that allows your brand’s fans to see how your brand and team are living at home. Host instagram live events to let your followers get to know the real & authentic you. This is also a great opportunity for your brand to use a live platform to share information, keep your followers in the loop, and share resources. Having more interactive content like this allows you to build and deepen trust between you and your followers in a more engaging way.
Get Creative
Don’t be afraid to get creative with your grid! Feel free to play with color to brighten up your brand fans’ feeds, or post something thought provoking. Now can be a great time to test new looks, new types of content, or post things you might not normally have and involve your virtual brand community. Posting content that is different or more interactive than what your brand might typically post will turn more heads and turn into increased engagement.
Challenge Your Followers
It’s important to keep your community active and involved virtually. Challenge your brand fans to hold a DIY fashion show in their favorite outfit from your brand, or suggest a new color or flavor they’d like to see. Creating exciting challenges for your followers is a direct invitation for them to become more involved with your brand. It also offers your brand an opportunity to understand more about your brand community and build relationships with your biggest fans. Giving your community a voice and encouraging them to share will make them feel closer to and more inclined to engage with your brand.
Boost Earned Media
98% of millennials are going to interact with a friend’s post over a brand post. By challenging your followers to get involved and create posts involving your brand, you’re amplifying user generated content and building increased trust in your brand. Essentially, your brand is creating a content factory that will boost your earned media value and offer tons of reposting potential. Gaining access to this kind of content will not only help you enhance your social media strategy and boost earned media, but give you insight into what your brand fans want to see more of.
Stand Out
Standing out on Instagram can be difficult, but these tips will make it easy for your brand to break through peoples’ feeds and build stronger relationships with your audience. Sharing content that is real, interactive, and involves your community results in a more engaged audience, deeper ties to your community, and tons of content to use in your social media strategy.
Wondering how your brand can stand out to Gen Z? This quick clip below has a few tips from a real Gen Zer.
