Instagram's role as a marketing tool for companies and consumers

Instagram impact role in marketing/Advertising/PR

Instagram's impact on modern life:

Its role as a marketing tool for small and large companies and the way it has changed how people see the world

What is Instagram?

Instagram is a relatively new social media tool that has exploded in popularity. The development of smartphones equipped with their own cameras means that everyone has the potential to quickly upload visual snippets of their life with relative ease. The speed with which Instagram was adopted by users, even in comparison to Facebook and Twitter, was phenomenal. As one Internet website noted in 2011, "although Instagram has only been around for a little over three months, you've most likely heard of it, if not used it" (Lux 1). It was soon acquired by Facebook, further increasing the ease and ubiquity of how it could be used. Within 24 hours of its 2010 launch it was #1 in Apple's App Store.

Instagram enables users to "take pictures within the app or use photos that already exist in your camera roll. You can give your photo a title, which is helpful and fun. Photos can be instantly shared, not only on Instagram, but also Facebook, twitter, Flickr, Posterous and Tumblr. You can also connect with your foursquare account and tag your photos with location" (Lux 1). This visual platform seamlessly integrates the most popular social media platforms amongst the critical twenty-something set with a touch of a button. But Instagram's appeal is not solely relegated to the desire for 'sharing.' It also allows users to craft their own unique images for their photographs. "The 'cool' factor of Instagram is the fact that they have 11 different filters you can use to up the interest of your pix. Even boring photos can look amazing with some of these filters" (Lux 1).

For example, creating vintage-style Instagram photos is extremely popular with many people. An ordinary picture of a glass of ice tea in a Mason jar might seem relatively pedestrian, but given a vintage 'look,' that same glass can have an oddly compelling appearance thanks to the fact that it appears old. For people who are uncomfortable with some of the more technical aspects of Photoshop, Instagram can provide a wonderful tool to engage in special effects without making the commitment to learning about the new technology.

Instagram deliberately fosters social connections and sharing. "On Instagram you 'follow' people" (Lux 2011). Of course, Facebook also allows for sharing of information and Twitter allows users to connect with a wide array of followers based upon the dissemination of relatively inconsequential information. But Instagram's visually-driven nature, combined with the relatively low commitment demanded of followers makes it a particularly potent source of connectivity. People may wish to connect with people they follow, simply based upon what they see, even if they have nothing in common with the person. The verbal interactions are so minimal there is no fear of clashing cultures or clashing political views, as might be the case on Facebook or Twitter. "The only other things you can do are 'like' photos and comment on them. & #8230; People ask questions in the comments, like 'where was this taken' or 'what app did you use for that?'" but arguments and more specific forms of engagement are relatively rare (Lux 2011). For this reason, many people have touted the democratic and universal appeal of Instagram, in contrast to other platforms on which to share media.

Instagram's impact on business and social life

A number of media analysts have stated that the impact of Instagram on people's social lives and upon commerce has been nothing less than seismic and is likely to grow. In particular, people in visually-oriented fields like fashion and food have quickly learned to leverage Instagram to realize their aims of peaking customer interest. "Instagram in particular [versus other social media has]…changed the way entire industries communicate with their customers…Social media has changed fashion…it's everyday fashion on the streets. We all have a camera in our pocket now, and I could snap a picture [of someone with an outfit I like or someone with a nice hat], bring all these images together and show them instantly online. In some way, it democratises how fashion spreads across the world. All of us can participate" (Laurent 1). Of course, street fashion has always had an impact upon the runways, but now the impact can be instantaneous.

A major label can see a fashion trend in Japan, post it on its Instagram site, step back, and watch the powerful positive feedback mount. Then that same company can use that image in its new collection. Or it can post pictures of people using its current trends in the real world of the street, versus simply depicting pictures of models on the catwalk. Fashion has long been criticized for its unrealistic body images and the income level demanded to follow fashion. Today, through Instagram, a more democratic vision of fashion can be offered, enabling fashion to remain more relevant.

Fashions in food can be more easily transmitted via Instagram. Of course, the official company source of images for a restaurant can showcase tantalizing images of its food. But it is also possible for users to post their own visions via personal accounts. Through tagging their posts, the restaurant can re-share them as proof that once again the 'person on the street' actually loves the brand, not simply an official company 'shill.'

Professional photographers have found themselves empowered by Instagram. Freelancers can develop a devoted following online, which enables them to better promote their photographs for sale as sources of relevant journalism to media outlets. "In professional photography, Instagram has also had a strong impact with an increasing number of photojournalists using the image-sharing mobile platform to build large groups of followers" (Laurent 1). But semi-professional and amateur photographers can also use Instagram to generate buzz about their products. Even bloggers in other industries can use photographs to draw traffic to their sites.

However, rather than merely being an extension of a brand, some individuals have actually used their popularity on Instagram as a source of fame, from which they then build a blog, write books, and create a media empire through crowdsourcing their images. According to one food blogger, after her first posts on Instagram: "a week and 1k+ followers later…there was even a whole Vegan Food community on Instagram that was already sharing what they we're cooking and how proud they were of it. 6 months, 13k+ followers, a website, a cookbook and a book tour later, I have all the love in the world for a social network that has made my tiny dream a huge reality" (Mattern 1). The visually-driven nature of Instagram was a compelling tool to 'brand' an author even before she capitalized upon more conventionally verbal sources of fame in the food world.

Conclusion

Despite this perhaps inevitable backlash against a company which has enjoyed such stratospheric success so swiftly, Instagram remains a potent and popular tool for PR and marketing. Marketers are even willing to cope with the less-elevated challenges that Instagram poses to optimal use: "You can't include links in captions or comments. You can't copy and paste inactive links from captions and comments. Users can't easily share your content to their personal networks. Even search is limited, mostly to hashtags" (Janssen 1). The simple fact that such a large mass of users is present on Instagram is argument enough to use it, regardless of certain less-than-ideal aspects of the platform.

Although Instagram may become an unhealthy obsession for some users, there is a growing expectation that at least some significant aspect of people's lives will be lived online and placed upon public display. Photographs are a way to get to know someone, whether they are of a good friend on Facebook or because the user's hashtags drew you to their artistic work on Instagram. The line between personal and corporate, between public and private life, between friends and strangers has all been blurred through the sharing enabled by Instagram and there are no signs of it stopping any time soon.