Instagram is a new e-commerce channel

On Tuesday March 19 Instagram announced of a new feature in-app checkout. Isn’t it exciting? Now you don’t have to go to another website of a brand to make a purchase, but can seamlessly do it on IG. Now this function is only available in a testing regime for 23 business in the US, but expected to expand soon enough. 

Now businesses have a whole new selling channel, which gives them access to more than 1 billion users. Moreover, it addresses one of the pain points that is a website creation. For a small business it might be long, expensive, and cumbersome to create a whole new good e-commerce website and make people to go there. When the feature is launched for the big audience, they will only need to create an Instagram account. 

What is interesting, that at the rise of Instagram nobody expected it to be such a great business/advertising platform. Maybe someone did... It seems that IG slowly moves towards WeChat politics of "all in one". Now we have not only option of posting pictures & videos, but also of watching IG TV, chatting, and even buying items. The more services, the more people are attracted and tied up to the app, the larger is potential customer base. 

What I do believe in is people’s laziness. Customers do really appreciate products/services that make their life easier. When on brands’ websites cart abandonment rates are high, they are going to be lower for IG potential buyers, because the procedure is easier. 

It is expected that with this novelty a whole new bunch of advertising techniques will emerge on Instagram. Companies will start to think not only about number of followers and engagement level, but also conversion rate, some kind of cart abandonment levels, etc. Definitely instagram will leverage this opportunity!

Instagram Ad Performance Similar to Facebook

This article compares the ad performance of Instagram to it of Facebook and draws the conclusion that these two platforms have very similar performance in terms of click-through-rate and Instagram is slightly better in the mobile channel.

The study is conducted by Nanigans, a Facebook Marketing Partner and member of Instagram Partner Program, based on the data from its clients that advertise on both social networks from Aug.1 through Oct. 31.

http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/nanigans-instagram-facebook-benchmarks-report-december-2015/631104

Digital Marketing might soon become the only form of marketing

Snapchat and instagram are becoming exceeding popular channels for marketing. I was a skeptic of instagram marketing and I still feel like it is exploiting a channel that I thought was private and for sharing pictures but is increasing becoming monetized.

I have also always been amazed at the way presidential candidate or political figures around the world are marketed. I was the Indian Prime Minister try to reach the youth of the country through his use of social media and now it's interesting to watch the presidential candidates in the US presidential race do the same.


http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/here-are-9-eye-opening-digital-marketing-stats-past-week-167644

Lovestagram and Digital Marketing

According to the definition, “lovestagram” concept is one that revolves around a public or private couple sharing similar photos on their Instagram, hinting a a romantic relationship. So the key of Lovestagram is hinting. In other words, we do not know if these two people are actually in a real relationship, but we are able to observe some special connections from their Instagram updating. 

On the surface, Lovestagram sounds like a tricky game between couples, but right now it becomes quite popular as one of pop stars’ marketing strategy.  Fans are always crazy about their stars’ “unknown sides”, and they will try to find out more and more information through Instagram, Twitter, etc. And importantly, fans will rearrange those information and put them into new contexts, which are usually good at drawing more attention from public. Since truth and accuracy are not parts of Lovestagram’s definition, Lovestagram is especially useful for boy bands when we talk about catching eye balls. They are not only known for being close but also for consistently updating their fans via the photo-sharing platform.

Lovestagram can be the easiest and the most interesting way to create or make up a hot topic.