8 Ways To Brand Your Instagram Beautifully
I have 8 tips from a consumer side of the fence when it comes to how brands market themselves on Instagram, you know, what I like and what I find annoying. But first, ever since my little boy was born, I've been shopping Petit Bateau because I just love their clothes for little boys. And aside from their gorgeous clothes (my son has this sweater and this sweatshirt), and how well-made everything is, I find their Instagram account so cohesive, beautiful and helpful for when I want to peek in and see what they're up to whether it be a new outfit or a photo shoot. That's why I follow them - I love their product AND I love how they present themselves on IG. In fact, I have found so many brands on IG that really market themselves beautifully, you don't even feel as though you are being sold to because they present product in artistic and creative ways. For this blog tip, aside from my 8 tips, I want to open up the discussion to all of you because I'd love to know how you are marketing your brand on IG (leave your IG @name too in the comment) and if you have any tips on what is making it work for you OR if you are a consumer/fan of a brand and want to highlight some brands that you think do it right and most importantly, why. I'll weigh in with my thoughts below.
Brand Marketing Thoughts:
1) Cohesive photography - a must! 2) Natural lighting so I can see products as they really are (no fancy filters or altering colors, for instance) 3) Sharing behind-the-scenes in a cool way, not showing big messes and chaos or anything that may make me feel like you are just like me. I actually WANT to believe in the dream when I buy from a big brand. I want to believe they are a fairytale and everything is magical at their cool company. 4) Have some negative space in some photos, or in all. I like the focal point of the image to pop and I don't like cluttered photos where I don't know where to look. 5) Don't be too vague. I get so annoyed when brands sorta kinda reveal something underway but don't reveal enough to excite, just annoy, you. It's a balance but a good brand manager can figure out how to do a teaser without ticking people off. 6) Don't re-gram my photos simply because I'm wearing one of your products without asking me first. I just may not want my infant or my bad hair day to be seen by your 200K followers. 7) Don't post a lot of sales, giveaways and new products in boring ways. Get creative and make engaging with you fun and memorable. 8) Don't have too many IG takeovers. I know these takeovers are trending, but some brands pick the wrong people to take over their accounts and so many times I have unfollowed brands because I cannot stand the images that start funneling in from the guest IGer. Make sure your guest grammers are as good as you, or better, and share your aesthetic.
Okay that's all I can think of, what about you? Care to weigh in? #20blogtrends
(images: petit bateau)