Instagram is a social media platform launched in 2010 that allows users to take photos, apply filters to change the photos' appearance, and share the photos on Instagram and other social networks. It has over 200 million monthly active users, half of whom are outside the US. Popular brands like Starbucks, Taco Bell, and Intel successfully use Instagram for marketing by posting visually appealing content that engages customers and increases brand awareness.

2. WHAT IS INSTAGRAM?
• Instagram was created Oct.6, 2010.
• Instagram is a free social media platform that allows its
users to create and share original photographs.
• Users can share their Instagram photos over various
other linked social networks, such as Twitter, and
Facebook.
• The application is compatible with Apple and Android
devices.

3. INSTAGRAM STATISTICS *AS OF 3/26/14
• Instagram has 200 million monthly active users.
• 13% of internet users use Instagram.
• Instagram’s user growth from Dec/2013 to May/2013
jumped 25%
• Instagram users are 50% male, 50% female.
• 65% of Instagram users are outside the United States
• 20 Billion photos shared to date, with 60 million shared
daily.

4. SETTING UP INSTAGRAM
• Downlaod the App from either Android Marketplace, or
Apple App Store.
• Choose a Username unique to you or your brand.
Select password.
• Search for followers and friends from other social
networks (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr).

5. HOW TO USE INSTAGRAM
• Users can either take photos directly inside the
Instagram App, or with their phone camera, and move
the photos over later.
• Once a photo is in the app, various filters and effects
can be added to change the look and feel of the photo.
• Hashtags can be implemented, and the photos can be
shared on Instagram, as well as any linked social
media sites. (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr.)

6. FILTERS
There are 17 available filters to overlay on your photos to change the look to suit you.

7. WHY DO PEOPLE USE INSTAGRAM?
• Users can connect with Family, Friends, and even strangers to
share things that interest them and offer a peek into their
everyday life.
• It can be utilized as an entertainment tool, as well as a
marketing tool to promote ones lifestyle, as well as a product or
service offered by an individual or corporation.
• Instagram is very user friendly, and gives its user a feeling of
accomplishment of creating a very aesthetically pleasing
photograph without the expense of photography equipment
otherwise necessary to create a comparable photo outside of
the application.

8. INSTAGRAMS MONETIZATION STRATEGY
• Instagram was acquired by Facebook in April of 2012 for $1
Billion in cash and stock. After which it grew by 23% compared
to the parent Application Facebook growing by only 3%
• In 2011 Instagram added hash tags thus creating a valuable
way to market items and services within Instagram, very similar
to what was already being used in Twitter.
• In November of 2013 Instagram added “sponsored posts” in
which companies pay to push select content to users. The
content has very specific standards it must follow so it mimics
that of a standard Instagram user and not the marketing push of
a giant corporation.

9. HOW IS INSTAGRAM USEFUL TO MARKETING?
• Instagram can promote goods and services with visually appealing pitches.
Can post on other social media networks.
• Once an audience is established content can be pushed out with relatively
no expense.
• Instagram utilizes Hash Tags, as well as Geotagging, and user tagging.
• Entire catalog of photos can be viewed thus increasing brand awareness
over time.
• Links can be utilized to drive customers from Instagram photos to websites
and product sites.
• Instagram is very clear with its analytics as far as the age demographics
using the app. 18-24 year olds are the highest percentage user at 42%.
This allows marketers to tailor their message to a more specific audience.

10. BRANDS THAT UTILIZE INSTAGRAM CORRECTLY
INTEL

11. TACO BELL

12. WARBY PARKER

13. STARBUCKS

14. KEY BENEFITS TO USING INSTAGRAM AS A
MARKETING TOOL.
• The social network has an audience of 80M+ users, as well as the capacity
to share content across popular channels such as Facebook and Twitter.
• Visual content is a great way to reach an audience – the popularity of video
and imagery content has dramatically risen in the past 5 years.
• Customers and stakeholders show greater levels of engagement when
content is visual and are more inclined to share amongst their immediate
community.
• Organizations can benefit from user-generated content when hosting
promotional competitions and giveaways.
• Brands have the chance to offer exclusive insight into their operations, thus
increasing transparency, with back-stage access to new products, services
and innovations.

15. KEY RISKS OF USING INSTAGRAM FOR
MARKETING
• Comments are not moderated and cannot be deleted – so negative
comments will forever be searchable, which becomes more important
were the platform to migrate to a website rather than simply a mobile-only
app.
• Imagery can easily be downloaded and then manipulated free of
charge – which could be used by activists or campaigners in a
defamatory manner.
• Similarly, Instagram photos hold no copyright to the origin whatsoever.
• If an organization doesn’t claim their username, a profile could be set-up
and used by a member of the public or activist group in a manner
that doesn’t best represent the organization.

16. JUST REMEMBER THESE TIPS
• Keep it simple.
• Be genuine.
• Don’t use bad photos.
• Don’t overbrand.
• Never misuse hashtags (too many, none at all, inappropriate
hashtags) #’s are your friend.
• Don’t neglect your community once its established. Follow your
followers.
• Embrace the culture of Instagram, embrace your inner hipster.

18. SOURCES
• http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/instagram-marketing-quickly-catching-facebook-
159249
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram
• http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/important-instagram-stats/#.VElcH16APnE
• https://bnfx.wordpress.com/tag/the-risks-of-using-instagram/
• http://www.toprankblog.com/2014/01/online-marketing-news-010314/