Mediaboss Marketing

In our fast-paced digital world, social networking is taking over as the primary way most people receive information. Instagram, as one of the fastest-growing social networking platforms, is used daily by over half of its 600 million active users. And it's good for more than just posting selfies, brunches, and fur babies, as cute as they may be.

At a time when visual content is critical for any brand to execute on a successful marketing strategy, Instagram presents a unique opportunity to position your brand creatively and showcase its personality. Plus, it's a place where your consumers can see your curated content on the daily without feeling overwhelmed by emails and notifications. Half of the platform's users check their feed multiple times a day.

Companies have not only grown but have been born on social platforms like Instagram. So what makes them so insta-good?

We all know by now the basics for social content best practices. Create unique posts and engage users in a personal way that affects people on an emotional level. Know why you're posting what you're posting. And don't forget to participate in the conversation! It's invaluable to show your followers that you care.

You might be thinking, OK. So I'm doing all of that. What's next?

The Big Players in the Space

1. Nike (73.3M followers) is one of a handful of fitness brands that have really blown up on Instagram. Once the reigning champion of successful brands on this social network, it has recently slipped to second place, just behind Nat Geo.

Setting the bar for social brand identity, Nike posts images that embrace lifestyle, rather than focusing solely on product. Inspirational, motivational and inclusive, Nike uses creative copy that speaks both to professional athletes and exercise newbs alike, in all areas of life, not just at the gym.

2. Cosmetics retail giant, Sephora (12M followers) is super successful at engaging followers with visually stunning content that clearly reflect the brand's identity. Playful captions pair with colorful images and fun patterns. Sephora is not afraid of posting video content with the same playful vibe.

Made in Sephora, (438K followers) a secondary account for the brand, uses their handle to source user generated content (UGC) and hold contests that expand their evergrowing fan base and increases their daily engagement.

3. Vans (8.2M followers) is a great example of a brand that uses its social content to engage users outside of its brick and mortar stores. It's very successful at creating a brand identity around lifestyle, rather than product, staying true to their company roots and values established over 50 years ago.

Vans uses music, art and culture in its visual content, and takes advantage of user generated content that does the same. Vans hosts offline events (such as their famous Warped Tour) and meets customers and prospective customers where they live, work and play.

4. Finfolk Productions (173K followers) uses Instagram to build a community of mermaid followers (called the pod squad...can it get any cuter?). Finfolk is great at reposting photos of their customers in their product, getting buy-in from Instagram users that love to see their own photos on the Finfolk feed.

They also ask questions, requesting their pod members to leave comments, and post giveaways. Their most successful post included a long copy, heartfelt message written by the founders.

5. Yoga-focused athletic apparel brand Lululemon (2.1M followers) uses visually exciting content, shot in awe-inspiring locations, and motivational messaging to connect with their audience. They also walk the line between active wear and lifestyle, with a lot of content featuring regular people doing regular things - cooking, woodworking, painting - showing their passions outside of sweating. They build community around live events, festivals and group activities.

6. With over 79 million followers, Nat Geo is now the most popular brand on Instagram. Once considered an Instagram faux pas, Nat Geo proves that long captions just might be the new short caption. As a print publication dating back to the 1800s, Nat Geo has taken digital media and social content by the horns, demonstrating that flexibility and innovation can make you number one.

7. ASOS (6.2M followers) uses individual accounts as sub accounts, working as brand ambassadors. This means more personality, more visibility and more connection. The individual ambassadors are given a deal of autonomy, curating their own followers, but tying everything back to the main brand page. Using personal accounts creates authenticity and relatability, which makes users more inclined to engage.

8. Ah, Starbucks, the Instagram best practices model. One of the first brands to see the benefit in user generated content, Starbucks (14.9M followers) reinvented itself using social platforms, taking content marketing to a new level.

Once ranked the second most popular brand on Instagram (behind Nike), they remain among the strongest at leveraging creative hashtags and sourcing user generated content. Starbucks creates hashtags to promote new flavors and seasonal products, and users are more than happy to share their photos.

Now that you've seen how some of the most successful brands on Instagram are using creative content to build their brands, what will you do differently? #getinstafamous

Read this article:
How Successful Brands Use Instagram for Marketing - Inc.com