Instagram Stories is celebrating its first anniversary, and influencer marketing platform Klear has published a new infographic and research that shows exactly how brands across a variety of different industries are now using the image- and video-focused feature to engage with audiences on social.
Klear analysed 149 brands, including some of the biggest players in their respective sectors – Mercedes Benz, McDonald’s and IBM. It found that over a third of all the Stories published promote either a service or product, while almost a quarter provide unique access or “an inside look” into the goings-on at each enterprise. Influencer takeovers (14 per cent) and live events (ten per cent) also feature heavily.
Instagram’s strength as a visually oriented platform dovetails well with certain sectors that use the power of images to sell their brands. It is no surprise to see that the fashion and automotive industries lead the way in terms of using Stories to promote their products, compared to airlines, for example, which are more focused on insider looks and live events.
Brands in the tech industry appear to have the most unique outlet for Stories, as how-tos and fan contests are much more popular compared to the other sectors analysed. The marketing potential of influencers with Stories is also being more readily explored by food and drink and fitness brands. Meanwhile, product promotion is a primary use for Stories for every industry apart from tech.
A selection of the world’s biggest brands have embraced Stories during the last 12 months. Klear’s research found that McDonald’s is the most active brand in the food and drink industry, while Mercedes Benz (automotive), Kayak (travel), Columbia (fitness) and Lufthansa (airlines) have also regularly been using images and clips to entertain, educate and inform users.
Media management enterprise Sprout Social published its Complete Guide to Video Content Marketing on Social earlier this week, and it urged brands to publish short, sweet and relevant videos, bold and colourful photos and content with a humorous and playful tone to engage effectively with a target audience on Instagram. A quarter of ads on Instagram are now made up of videos, ranging from GIF-style loops to 60-second clips.
