Instagram filter is a type of Augmented Reality (AR) application that allows Instagram users to augment their surroundings or interact with virtual objects in real-time. Since Instagram opened up for brands to use filters for marketing in 2019 August, it has gained the attention of many brands worldwide as an innovative way to engage their audiences without making them feel bored. If this is your first time reading about Instagram filter, fret not! Because it is still relatively new and so it is not too late for you to get your brand on this hype train before it becomes the norm! So here are 6 reasons why Instagram filter marketing is ever more important for your brand now!
1) The whole world is spending more time at home & on our phones
We must face the fact that Covid-19 is going to change the world at least in the near future, as people are spending more time at home and on social media. Online digital marketing is therefore even more important for brands to remain relevant to social media users. According to Instagram, 1/3 of the most viewed Instagram stories are from brands and brands’ stories have a 85% completion rate. On top of that, brands which used interactive tools such as polling sticker increases the viewing of videos by 3 secs in 90% of its campaigns. Hence, being the latest interactive tool on Instagram, filters can help brands engage Instagrammers better by:
Providing a new form of entertainment for their audiences that are stuck at home (brand examples).
Promoting positive messages to help the community (example for Covid-19)
Hence, instead of a 15 secs video that would be easily ignored, brands can leave a deeper impression on Instagrammers by having an interactive filter which they can enjoy.
2) Multiplying Effect On Shareability
No recommendation is more convincing than one coming from someone you know. Users of Instagram have a high tendency to share it on their stories to their friends when an Instagram filter is engaging and interactive enough. In return, their followers would be likely to use and share the filter since they first saw it from their friends’ stories. This cycle will go on to reach a wider audience than you can expect because of the interactive nature of Instagram filters.
Instagram filters, like a normal story post, can also be used as a sponsored story advertisement to your target audiences. However, because Instagram filters provide a more personal experience by focusing on the user, it can be more effective than asking your audiences to just simply promote your products/services; which, let’s be honest, is something not many would want to do.
3) Instagram Filter Promotes Users’ Generated Content
According to Hootsuite, consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic as compared to content created by brands. Hence, having user-generated content for your brand will boost your brand’s credibility. Most brands use Instagram as their primary platform for user-generated content, such as reposting posts of their followers featuring their brands. This is still a great strategy to follow. However, it is not easy to get your followers to generate content for you unless the brand engagement is already strong.
Instagram filter can be used to get your followers to generate content for your brand! (Provided your filters are what your followers want to use) Just recently, Instagram also launched a new feature where brands can view a few selected stories of users’ using the brands’ filter in the past 24 hours! This is on top of those use the filter and tag your brand’s handle on their stories.
After sharing these user-generated stories on your brand’s stories, you can also save it as a highlight on your brand’s Instagram page for anyone that visits your Instagram page to view.
Thus, having user-generated content with Instagram filters can then boosts your brand’s credibility while also engaging your followers with interactivity at the same time!
4) Available Trackable Metrics For Your Campaign
On top of what the metrics you can see from your sponsored stories or influencer marketing, Facebook (Instagram is own by Facebook) also provides the following metrics which you can monitor via Facebook’s Spark AR Hub.
Spark AR Hub is an online platform where anyone with a Facebook account can log in and upload filters on either Instagram or Facebook.
5) Show Off Your Brands’ Personality
Instagram filter can be used to show off your brand’s personality by creating effects which match your brand. Below are just some of the examples of various type of filters with different personalities and themes that can suit your brand!
6) Customisable
Instagram filters are fully customisable according to your marketing campaign. For example, in GOWAAA, our work process is as follows:
By understanding your business needs and marketing campaign, we will be able to create a fully customised Instagram filter that suits your needs and fits your target audiences. We also welcome your ideas if you already have something in mind and we can advise on things to improve.
Now is the chance to find out how you can utilise the effectiveness of Instagram filters through GOWAAA! Contact us here to find out more.
GOWAAA is a Singapore-based Instagram & Facebook filters design company.
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