Soon Instagram will begin to filter the pictures in your feed based on an algorithm, therefore users will no longer be able to view images in chronological order.
The move is clearly to aid Instagram in prioritising posts and to monetise, much the same way Facebook did. The problem with these types of algorithms is that they create a feed that is tailored to the user – which sounds great, but marketers don’t celebrate yet! Gen Y (Instagram’s largest demographic) use Instagram in a way that complements the chronological feed, usually picking up from where they left off.
Instagram users expect a level of authenticity and accessibility that isn’t reflected in Facebook, and this disruption to the feed could potentially turn them off a network that has experienced a whopping 51% in revenue growth in the last year.
Moreover this could mean that for brand images to be seen in the feed a paid strategy may be necessary in the near future.
This change will affect thousands of brands that joined Instagram after realising that it out-performs other social networks when it comes to consumer engagement with brands.
Many brands have invested heavily in creating beautiful and shareable content for the platform and will now be whacked with a further advertising fee, for it to just be seen. But what else can brands do apart from investing in advertising spend?
Invest in an influencer strategy:
We’ve seen brands like Frank Body and Triangl dominate through simple product in exchange for a photo on an influencer’s feed. Getting brands into an influencer feed should still be a key goal for brands, however to get a bang for their buck, marketers should consider how to turn this idea from something simple like product for branded photo, into something long term with ongoing benefits.
At Nitty Gritty we have worked on client brand influencer strategies extensively to create relationships with influencers that extend from an image on their feed, to speaking at public events and guest blogging. It is this type of thinking that will keep brands in the feed in a way that is authentic and represents a real relationship.
Invest in unique content:
Content creation doesn’t have to stop at social media content. Brands should be considering strategies to create content for other brands in collaboration and up the ante with content created on their own platforms to encourage user visitation.
We have seen brands such as Westpac experience the benefits of branded content on their site The Cusp. Content has extended from blog pieces, to events and this type of investment has seen link referrals and high visitation.
Quality brand owned content means that brands will have purposeful and useful content to send through their social feeds and drive traffic back to their site.
More posts does not mean more engagement, by prioritising important and purposeful information in the feed, reach is likely to grow organically and less advertising spend is required for allocation.
If you need help with your content planning or influencer outreach, we want to hear from you! Get in touch with us at [email protected]
