When it first came out, I hated it. I refused to join, in spite of my friends nagging me. To me, it was the most vain social media platform to date. And maybe it still is. Maybe that’s why I like it. Or maybe I just allowed myself to stop being so oppositional to change and to allow my love for photography and nerdiness about social media marketing to take control. Now, I’m obsessed.

Instagram has quickly become my most updated social media platform, and I’m not alone.

What can I say? I’m a sucker for pretty pictures and inspirational quotes. And as a #SocialMediaQueen, I’ve learned that it’s a great tool for marketing, in spite of the #selfie and #foodporn phenomena.

Why I ❤ IG:

1. The audience is pretty broad. Yes, it really caters to the younger generations, but the age range is still fairly large. I mean, who doesn’t love photos?
2. Opportunities to reach new followers is so much better than on Facebook. There are also more Instagram users who will follow people/brands they don’t know personally, as opposed to Twitter, where many people really just follow people they deeply care about.
3. With a few well-placed hashtags, you can get a huge reach for your post WITHOUT utilizing their ad services. Unlike Facebook, Instagram’s algorithms are still relatively unbiased.
4. From a user-perspective, it really helps to personalize brands. People love the “homegrown” approach and Instagram gives you the ability to make your brand feel accessible to your audience while maintaining your professionalism. Brands take advantage of this by showing #BehindTheScenes (#BTS) images as well as offering exclusive deals and contests for followers. Especially for brands with a younger audience, this is not only good for business but it’s also fun for customers!
5. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on photo shoots to make the most of your Instagram account. I hated Instagram because of the “pseudo-photographer” aspect, where suddenly everyone thinks they’re a professional photographer because they can apply a filter. Bitterness aside, Instagram does make it excruciatingly easy to take and post a beautiful photo. If you’re a small business with a tight budget, rest assured that you can definitely spend a little less on your Instagram photo sessions if you play your cards right.

What’s your favorite social media platform and why? Let me know! You can follow me and send me a Direct Message on Instagram at @MarieRCarlson or shoot me an e-mail at MarieRCarlson@gmail.com! I’d love to hear your thoughts, and if there are any writers/marketers out there, maybe we can work together on a guest blog! 🙂

Happy posting!