A Case for Advertising on Instagram

We are living in a digital world where companies are competing against each other for the attention of millions of social media users. It is no secret that the digital giant in advertising with over 2 billion users is Facebook. Naturally, brands have gravitated to this platform to market their products. Yet, there is an underdog that has developed an incredible advertising reputation… Instagram. Despite the photograph sharing app being owned by Facebook, it has a life of its own when it comes to the way brands advertise on it.

Popularity has increased on Instagram mainly because of how personable it allows users to be with one another. The rise of influencers has also helped the app become a major advertising contender, allowing brands to select the perfect influencer and showcasing their product through them – reaching thousands or millions of followers.

At a glance, the numbers and costs of advertising on Instagram are not very appealing. Instagram has a click-through rate of 0.5% and Facebook has a 1.8% rate, and the average cost per click on Instagram is $1.08 versus Facebook’s being $0.33. These numbers would turn any company away from ever wanting to advertise on Instagram, yet it is thriving. This is due to the unique way you can market in the app; you can use a picture, a carousel, a video, or a boomerang… or a combination of any of these! What also makes advertising on Instagram so great is the lingo you can use with your audience. Instagram lets you be more informal with your followers, creating more engagement and longer relations.

Despite being more of a discovery platform, Instagram has shown its power with getting the message across by using a single image – perfect for an advertisement! Now it is up to the brands to create the perfect piece of content that will capture their market’s attention.