The Importance of Instagram

The following discusses the social platform and the role it plays in implementing a successful digital marketing strategy on a global scale. It also looks at the benefits that the platform offers to independent publications in the wider industry, and analyses the analytics of milk.

Instagram is an important platform for independent publications as it offers free publicity. Indeed, “Instagram has emerged as one of the most important social media networks in marketing” (Moore, 2017). The purpose of the platform is to share high-quality images to promote the content of an organisation; images that prompt further conversations, engage with an audience and lead to growth and influence.

Globally, there are around 800 million active users on Instagram, 34% of which meet the target demographic of milk (Benson, 2018). As marketing “works through visibility” (Moore, 2017), the platform allows for free and unlimited exposure with an emphasis on visual content. Certainly, milk is a publication that boasts strong visual content, suggesting the benefits of the platform and the strengths of the magazine are symbiotic.

The platform also allows for instant engagement with the target audience of organisations through the comment and story features. It allows organisations to respond in real time. This interaction assists in building a lasting community as well as making links with industry professionals. In regards to milk, this is a feature of the platform that is beneficial both to my role as Social Media Manager and the wider team as it's a form of networking.

Finally, the platform gives organisations a global reach. Independent magazines have a global following as a result of diverse subject matter, passion for creativity and the ability to publish content in a digital landscape. Daniel McCabe of Magalleria states that “print and digital go hand in hand” (McCabe, 2019), and Instagram is ideal to promote content from independent publications without the need for paid subscriptions from readers. Again, the platform offers free publicity. As independent magazines often have small marketing budgets, Instagram provides an alternative platform to promote and encourage circulation.

Through an analysis of Instagram Insights, 3% of our audience is from the United States of America, with 1% coming from Austria, 1% from the Netherlands and 1% from Kenya. Whilst a 6% global audience could be seen as a modest number, it is significant that milk has a global reach. It proves how a small magazine can have a bigger impact.

Largely, this global reach is a result of hashtags. They allow images of similar content to be found by a wider audience, attract “followers in your niche” (Forsey, 2019) and increases the chance of discovery. Research shows that a post with “at least one hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement” (Forsey, 2019) than a post without. This is because images with hashtags are not limited to the followers of a feed.

Looking at the audience of milk, the top five locations of our audience include 41% in Bath, 8% in Bristol, 6% in London, 1% in Plymouth and 1% in Frome. A large portion of our audience is in the south-west. This is significant as a high concentration of the publishing industry is established here, suggesting that milk is connecting with industry professionals.

Further analysis of Instagram Insights highlights key demographics. The distribution of our followers sits at 76% women and 24% men. This is perhaps due to the gender demographics at Bath Spa University, which is largely female due to the creative arts nature of the university.

Analytics highlighting location and gender demographics.

To conclude, Instagram has many benefits for independent publications like milk, chiefly as a result of its ability to connect with audiences on a global scale. The number of daily active users also means that independent publications can build communities, interact with the wider industry and promote content without cost.

Bibliography

Benson, Z. (2018) 10 Reasons to Use Instagram for Your Business. Available at: https://www.business.com/articles/10-reasons-to-use-instagram-for-business/ (Accessed: 14 February 2019).

Forsey, C. (2019) The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Hashtags for 2019. Available at: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/instagram-hashtags (Accessed: 6 April 2019).

McCabe, D. (2019) Making Magazines. 1 April, The Gallery Café, Bath.

Moore, W. (2017) 5 reasons why your brand needs Instagram marketing. Available at: https://oursocialtimes.com/5-reasons-why-your-brand-needs-instagram-marketing/ (Accessed: 6 April 2019).