eCommerce Marketing

5 Successful Brands that will Inspire you to use Instagram to Build your Business

by John Larkin

John runs the blog here at eCommerceLift and is a verified Shopify Expert. Interested in an initial growth consultation? Click here

9 years ago

5 Successful Brands that will Inspire you to use Instagram to Build your Business

As social media is making the move from text-based interactions to pictures; companies are realising the value of putting well-photographed, attractive and relevant pictures online. One social media platform that is experiencing rapid growth in content from both the general public and businesses is Instagram. Since its acquisition by Facebook in 2012, this little app has made quite the dent in the social media world becoming the new marketing gem for online businesses. Here are a few stores that are making the most of Instagram.

Current Instagram Statistics

So why is Instagram the app that every online merchant should embrace? Here are some statistics to prove its worth:

Instagram’s number of users is rapidly growing with over 200 million active users each month.
It has 7.3 million average daily users
The average number of likes per day is 1.2 Billion
The average amount of time spent on Instagram by a user is 257 minutes a month
Brands account for 40% of the top 1000 most shared videos on Instagram

Fresh Tops
http://instagram.com/freshtops

Fresh Tops is an online store that has thrived on Instagram. The store sells quirky, individual and stylish apparel for young women. It is a business that knows its target market and made use of an amazing online community through Instagram.

With a large number of its target audience of young women using and interacting on the social media website, Fresh Tops has made its Instagram account a must visit by posting pictures and videos of models and their customers wearing their t-shirts. With the addition of hashtags such as #AreYouInHeaven that are specific to the brand, girls love posting pictures of themselves in their apparel; liking and sharing each other’s pictures.

This is ingenious publicity and promotion for the brand, as through encouragement of sharing, they are enabling their audience to do their marketing for them.

This marketing method has delivered major results for this brand as they currently have over 800,000 followers on the Instagram with content getting upwards of 46,000 likes in just a few days.

DODOcase
http://instagram.com/dodocase

DODOcase is another company producing innovative and stylish products that are ideal for marketing on Instagram. The company offer a unique product which involves bringing the tradition of book binding into the 21st century so that the craft can be used to cover digital devices.

With their products being unique and beautifully crafted, posting pictures and videos on Instagram has become the perfect platform for customers to see what the company has to offer and how their products are used. Snappy videos that are only a couple of seconds long generate hundreds of likes and effectively show off their merchandise in a speedy, tempting & valuable way.

Starbucks
http://instagram.com/starbucks

Starbucks is a massive brand with a very large audience and therefore has to be continuously engaging with their customers. One method that the company has used to cultivate a community online is through Instagram. By having engaging, idiosyncratic and inventive content that resonates with their customers they have become one of the most followed Instagram brands on the site.

Much of their marketing on Instagram encourages customer engagement. By posting pictures from their followers that encourage them to be creative and interact with their products, customers happily post about Starbucks in creative ways. One of the most popular posts they create is cup art, involving customers drawing and creating art on a Starbucks cup.

This approach has worked well for Starbucks as their posts get over 100,000 likes and the brand has established an invaluable following of over 2,300,000 followers.

Taylor Stitch
http://instagram.com/taylorstitch

Taylor Stitch is an online fashion store that is constantly updating its merchandise. With a constant stream of apparel for both men and women, the company has turned to Instagram to keep customers up to date with their trends while also giving customers a glimpse inside the company.

Pictures and videos that show their apparel, how it’s made and the fabrics that are involved gain hundreds of likes in just a few short days. Their pictures show the people working within the brand; their customers’ travels and also their lifestyles which gain multiple likes as they show off the brand as one that is fun and attainable.

Old Faithful Shop http://instagram.com/oldfaithfulshop

Old Faithful Shop is an eclectic store selling an array of products from kitchen accessories - to candles - to books and magazines. All of their products have an attractive aesthetic with an old-fashioned look to them. With such beautifully decorated products, Instagram has become the perfect medium for them to show off their ecommerce store’s offerings.

The company’s posts on Instagram reflect their merchandise as the pictures are artfully shot and fully captures the brand through this content. With the added edition of a lovable dog that appears in many of their Instagram posts, this has become a favourite for customers wanting an artistic twist in their Instagram feed.

Posts from Old Faithful Store receive up to a thousand likes each and generate hundreds of comments as customers and followers love the artistic, inspired nature of their pictures that is also reflected in their products.

With the app’s amazing features, the great potential opportunities to connect with customers and its continuous growth; every business should look towards Instagram as a possible marketing avenue. Does your online store use Instagram? Or do you know of any companies using it successfully? Share your thoughts in the comments below.