Instagram: not just for fun
Photo sharing site, Instagram is popular for its vintage filters and snazzy tools that make any dull photo taken with a smartphone look interesting. While most people use it to take pictures of their food, brands have hopped into the mix to use Instagram to portray life at their company, or tell their product or service’s story better.
But the truth is that most professionals using Instagram in the hopes of improving business are mostly just praying and wishing that their efforts aren’t in vain. While there is fun to using Instagram, it is like any other shiny web object in that it can take time away from doing legitimate business… unless it is done well. Let’s take a look at how to add analytics to your mix to make sure your use is productive.
Two free analytics tools
Simply Measured offers free analytics for Instagram users that offers a variety of information:
- Top performing filters and photo tags
- Best days and time for engagement
- Engagement outside of Instagram (on Facebook and Twitter)
- Top photos based on total engagements across all channels
- Your most active commenters
Likewise, Statigram offers Instagram analytics for free, revealing:
- Number of likes and comments received
- Top 5 most liked and commented shots
- Filters you use most – or don’t use
- Your most engaged followers. Ever or recently.
- People who don’t follow you back
What do you do with this information?
Using either service, there are some ways to make Instagram productive, whether you are sharing images of your daily life to give your blog readers or Instagram followers a sense of who you are as a means of personal branding, or if you are sharing images of your retail product, and the making of so consumers are reminded of its existence, amazingness, and availability.
You may think that the Kelvin filter you’re using is amazing, but using analytics, you might spot that when you use Lomo-fi, you get better responses. Knowing your top photos can tell you what content is a hit, and what is a miss, without you having to rely on your gut – maybe your images of your messy desk are not performing as well as pictures of you pranking people around the office.
Get productive by knowing who your most active commenters are, and continue to give them a reason to interact, and perhaps use it as an opportunity to research them as potential brand ambassadors – connect with them on other social networks if possible. Recognize them in any way possible – perhaps even share their pictures on your Facebook Page, or blog about them if it appropriate for your blog. Connect, connect, connect.
Taking the extra step to know your audience, who they are, and what they like, can make Instagram more of a productive business tool rather than just a fun, shiny toy.
