Strategy

Apple Finally Makes an Instagram and Here’s Why You Should Too

Under the heading of “better late than never,” Apple – one of the world’s most valuable companies and iconic brands – has finally created an Instagram profile. And if that’s not a big, flashing neon sign that maybe your company should too, we don’t know what is. Apple is known to keep largely to itself over social media, as its Twitter and Facebook page sport crisp minimalism – zero posts. But the company, known for its design acumen, is hopping on Instagram with an artsy flair to its posts.

Let the tech giant inspire you, because Instagram is a chance to brand, brand, brand – and that’s why Apple dedicated its Instagram presence to its memorable 2015 campaign, “Shot On iPhone,” by featuring amazing photos taken with the phones’ cameras.

Here’s some Instagram tips that you can take away from Apple’s Instagram feed:

  1. Invest in high definition photographs. This will set you apart from other Instagrammers who share photos of their day to day activities, and perhaps don’t have the highest quality camera. Business Instagram standards are higher than that of your old buddy from college. Quality matters. It will give value to your brand if you’re not only sharing photos of the great work that you do, but also great photographs. On Apple’s profile, you can scroll through the many examples of beautiful shots from users taking advantage of their iPhone 7s all over the world.
  2. Tell a story. Pictures are worth a thousand words, right? Make the photo worth it by telling a story – whether that’s a shot of a new promotional product or your employee of the month. Once you’ve captured the attention of a follower with your high quality photo, use the space for a caption to talk about why you’re excited about a new product or why your employee has done an outstanding job. Of course, using simple but effective hashtags that highlight the subject are crucial to potentially gaining more followers that care about whatever you’re tagging. But don’t overdo the hashtags or you’ll lose readers’ attention as they get lost in all the pound signs. Apple uses #ShotoniPhone to boost its campaign, and when the company sources another photo from a user to post, it keep its original caption in quotes.
  3. Post with integrity.Posting relevant content that accurately represents the vision you want to achieve, and that gives you integrity and value. Keeping your profile constantly updated, staying friendly with followers and communicating with them goes a long way. Look at Apple’s profile … sure it’s Apple, but the profile has been up for less than a week and has over 16 posts.

If anyone knows a thing or two about branding, it’s Apple. If you think that taking your business to Instagram makes sense for your brand and values, hopefully the tech giant inspire you to take the leap, and help you land on your own two feet.