Why your brand should be on Instagram

The mobile-based social network, which Apple named its app of the year, is growing faster than any other.

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All of which means it’s a pretty big deal. But is there a way to use the app, which applies filters to images to give them a retro look, as a commercial communication tool? You bet there is.

“Its visual immediacy means that it’s a great way of really capturing someone’s attention,” says Katie Moffat, an independent online communications consultant and blogger. “From an organizational point of view, you can show the other side of a business, behind-the-scenes, its people, and so on.”

Lots of companies are using Instagram to do just that.

How it’s different

Unlike Facebook, which is a “walled” network, Instagram is open to everyone, which makes it easier for brands to connect with strangers, says digital marketing strategist Melonie Gallegos. She calls the site something of a micro-blog for images, given that Twitter is mostly text. However, brands can cross-post their Instagram photos to Facebook and Twitter, she notes.

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