Instagram: Not Just A Consumer App

What is the photo sharing buzz that has businesses wondering if they should invest? Instagram.

Facebook’s Instagram has recently reported powerful statistics that may peak the interest of many businesses across the globe.

90 million monthly active users
40 million photos per day
8,500 likes per second
1,000 comments per second

With numbers like that, you may be wondering how your business can utilze Instagram -- and if you're not, maybe you should!

According to Instagram, “It’s a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your photos with friends and family. Snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram. Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr too – it's as easy as pie. It's photo sharing, reinvented.”

Using a smartphone, consumers around the world are posting photos of their personal moments and major life events, and they are instantly sharing them with the rest of the world. According to eMarketer, in 2012, there were 115.8 million smartphone users. Their report forecasts more than 192 million smartphone users in the US by the year 2016. How can you and your brand tap into the ever-growing smartphone user market via Instagram?

Here are some helpful tips on how businesses can utilize Instagram as a marketing tool and not just a consumer app:

Build your brand awareness by posting photos of your product
Share through other social networks
- Twitter handle (@ ) or hashtag (#) to generate more views
- Facebook to share with broader audience
Showcase your company culture and employees
Engage with users through comments, questions, etc
Build anticipation for an upcoming event, product release, etc.

Instagram maintains a blog on Tumblr: Instagram for Businesses. Here, they share the latest on how businesses are using Instagram, provide tips, examples, and more.

Want to see how ExactTarget can help you connect and share with your social audience? Check out our Social Media Quick Plays.