Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Two Great Instagram Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them

Instagram isn't just for people who love to take pictures of their shoes or their food. Big brands have been using the platform to create highly engaging campaigns. As a marketer, there are lessons to be gleaned from each of these advertising efforts. Here are two great Instagram campaigns and what you can learn from them.

Ben & Jerry's #CaptureEuphoria

Earlier this year, ice cream makers Ben & Jerry asked their followers to snap pictures of euphoric moments, as euphoria is the emotion they want their customers to associate with their product. Images did not have to be related to their product. Winners of the contest had their photos pictured on outdoor advertising campaigns in their local areas.

Pictures depicted a wide range of euphoric moments, from jumping up into the air, to toes in the sand, to a dog with its face stuck in a Ben & Jerry's container. They received more than 17,000 entries and, even though the contest is over, the hashtag is still in use today.

What You Can Learn

Even if a contest isn't related to your brand directly, it can still increase awareness of your brand. Those 17,000 photos were seen by thousands more people, spreading the word about the contest and, thus, the brand. When you create unique and engaging hashtags, their staying power can long outlive your contest, ensuring that your message is spread even further.

Giorgio Armani #FramesofLife

Giorgio Armani has harnessed the power of Instagram to promote their eyewear. Although they've ran a Frames of Life campaign before, last year was the first time that the brand incorporated Instagram. The fans responded well to the campaign even though there was no product to win. Their pictures are simply featured on the luxury brand's website along with the corresponding eyewear from their line that can be used to achieve the same look.

What You Can Learn

You don't always have to offer a prize in order to get good engagement with your followers. If your corrosion prevention coating for metal is good enough, people will be more than happy to promote it in a creative way. Campaigns like this can also offer insight about what your customers are into.

This can provide you with a valuable opportunity to create products for your company according to their tastes, or learn which features of your product to highlight based on the customers' preferences.

Instagram, like other social sharing platforms, offers a wealth of opportunities for marketing campaigns. If you’re not sure where to start, taking a look at successful campaigns from other brands is a great way to get inspiration.


Adrienne Erin is a social media and internet marketer who loves to share the tips she’s picked up over years spent growing with the industry. She writes regularly for SiteProNews and Search Engine People.

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