Why You Should Consider Instagram and Pinterest in Your Marketing Strategy

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last ten years or so, you’ve at least heard of Facebook and Twitter. If you’re on our site reading this article right now, you are probably aware from being a regular reader of ours that social media is a rapidly growing industry and marketing tool for any business, be it large or small. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have become so commonplace these days that virtually every successful company has one or both integrated into their marketing and advertising strategy. In short, Facebook and Twitter have become the cornerstone of most digital strategies.

However, at NG Media, we are not interested in doing what everyone else does–and we believe a well thought-out digital strategy is essential, including deciding which platforms to use to increase our clients’ digital influence. The combination of social media platforms we recommend for clients is driven by many factors, including:

• The client’s industry
• Objective of campaign
• Demographics of clientele
• Budget

We continue to increase the number of clients we recommend add Instagram and Pinterest into their total social media strategy, and more often now it is built into proposals as essential platforms. We are cautious moving our clients into an unproven social media platform, so we weren’t immediately recommending as these sites started to build a presence. When Kelly started working in the digital space, Pinterest didn’t even exist; now it’s the 5th largest social media platform and an essential part of many of our clients’ social media campaign strategies.

The user base for Instagram is one of  the fastest growing, in part because it is the second most popular social media platform for Millennials. It boasts 150 million users and over 100 million unique monthly visitors (data: January 2017). 65% of the world’s top 100 brands are already using it, and it is clear that it’s not just for young teens anymore. With visual marketing a new crucial element of advertising, it’s easy to see why a social media site that deals mostly in images can be a benefit to your organization.

The other platform, Pinterest, is growing just as fast and is a virtual godsend for businesses for one simple reason: it is one of the most successful social media sites for internet browsers converted into customers. The engagement rates are unusually high, with many users who are just seeking to “try it out” end up becoming extremely active rather quickly. Best of all, Pinterest integrates seamlessly with your website and other social media accounts.

Part of our corporate work is research to stay abreast of algorithm changes, shifts in trends within the digital space, and more–including watching start up and smaller social media platforms. We never know what’s going to become the next big thing, what’s going to be all the rage and then bust as quickly as it started, or which new platforms have promise for even greater customer conversions for our clients. Pinterest and Instagram are great examples of us watching platforms in the early stages grow into becoming an integral part of an increasing number of digital media strategies for clients in varied industries.

If you have questions about Pinterest, Instagram, or what we think will be the next big thing–contact us!

Article Data Last Updated: January 2017.