Business and the Instagram Fad

One of the most common mediums of user-generated content is the picture. Millions of people are uploading and sharing pictures on the Internet every day. There are many sites that enable people to share and look at other’s pictures including Facebook, Flickr, and Picasa.

One site that has reshaped how we share photos is Instagram. Here is how instagram “introduces” itself on its webpage.

“Meet Instagram

It’s a fast, beautiful, and fun way to share your photos with friends and family.

Snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post it to Instagram. Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr too – it’s as easy as pie. It’s photo sharing, reinvented.”

While Instagram is a fun way for individuals to see what their friends and families are up to, many companies have also created a page or account in order to advertise their company and brand. Two such companies are Starbucks and Patagonia. Here is a photo of each of their Instagram sites.

Such sites allow companies to build up their brand identity without directly advertising their products and services. The majority of Starbucks photos are pictures of coffee being brewed outside of a commercial Starbucks setting, and Patagonia’s photos involve people going on various outdoor adventures. Through these photos they are indirectly advertising their company by using cool photos to increase their brand awareness.

Instagram is not a one-dimensional site. Companies can link their photos from Instagram to other sites such as their own personal webpage, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. You can also use hashtags on your photos so that you can track people who are promoting or talking about your brand. Some companies even have Instagram contests to promote their brand. Last summer Red Bull had a contest to promote their King of the Rock competition, asking it’s followers to “Take a picture of you holding a basketball in the most unexpected or surprising location you can think of to play ball” and the winner won tickets to the Red Bull King of the Rock Finals in San Francisco.

Have a favorite company that you follow on instagram? Let us know about it by writing why you love their photos in our comment section!