Is Instagram currently a simple social media solely for sharing pictures and video? This manmade software that was build and run on several 1’s and 0’s has become the source hub of lifestyle, large movements, promoting businesses and even earning income for a living. With roughly a billion users all over the world accessing it for various purposes, the app is not just for sharing pictures and videos.
Instagram as a developmental tool
It has become a common phenomenon to get advertisements and recommendations ofvarious products and services in our feed on a daily basis. For the past few years, Instagram has developed into an app downloaded to garner an audience and for businesses to gain the attention of their target audience. In simple language, Instagram has become a free source of advertisement and marketing.
Business organizations from sizable to small-scale have created an account to inform, entertain, and keep in check with their clients, customers, and followers. With the advent of the global pandemic that shut us all at homes, Instagram as a developmental tool secured millions of new users.
Organizations, individuals, groups, companies and businesses started functioning by dint of this app. Small and start-up organizations can get the appropriate clients when advertised via Instagram. Offline shops started online outlets in Instagram, which helped them fight the pandemic generated strains. Staying under the comforts of one’s own home and office is quite an added advantage for businesses run via Instagram.
Communities like LGBTQIA+ can raise a global level voice. Various forums have come up to reinforce their community and awareness is spreading in a much rapid manner. Instagram has inexorably become a part of our survival kit in this world.
Small business
Small businesses are run by companies that work on a small-scale basis. They are not funded by large financial institutes and do not acquire large annual returns. In most cases, it is run by a single person who does all the work from creating the product/service to marketing it. Small business can have quite a tough time juggling all together yet the returns can be quite fruitful.
Instagram has paved way for innovative, cheap, and ingenious methods for small business owners to gain potential customers. They are provided with potential customers and other pages via which they can spread their business. A huge flourish of small businesses was seen especially during the time of the pandemic. Activities that remained as hobbies became business in full bloom.
Product/service advertisements they was confined to pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, television and outdoor banners, now appear as posts on Instagram.
Business owners are introduced towards a vast audience across the globe who could be potential clients. In addition, users of Instagram gained the access to an ample array of options without stepping out of their homes. In terms of business development Instagram is surely helping out both the buyers and sellers. With the addition of “support small business sticker,” Instagram initiated a fresh option to quirk up the small business. The stickers enable users to promote their favorite small business via stories by giving a preview of their account.
Although much has flourished and small businesses in Instagram are gaining momentum, they face certain adversities too. With the ongoing pandemic, people began experimenting with arts and crafts within their homes. This lead to a cutback in orders. Along with it people tend to take advantage of the small business owners by trying to obtain discounts although such companies are run on minimal funds.
Despite having the option to share in Instagram, which is an effective method of advertising, the algorithm requires the business owners to post content every day, preferably twice a day to reap sales. In order for pages to acquire reaches, this method can be slightly difficult considering those who took it up as a side job along with studies or other forms of work.
Features that enhances development
A startup business on Instagram can blow up and gain several audiences simply via the 30/60 second reels. From small businesses, social enterprises to various communities, reels have become a paramount tool to gain attention and momentum.
The biggest advantage that Instagram has provided to these business owners is the option of paid Instagram ads. Although it requires financial input at the beginning, this method has proven to be effective. One can notice that within our own Instagram pages, we tend to receive ads related to our searches, likes, saves and the category that we visit the most.
This in turn benefits the businesses as their products reach the potential audience without much effort from the seller part. During offline or direct advertisement, either the sellers has to send ads to everyone or has to do a detailed analysis and research to find out and target their required customers. Instagram does the work now.
The small business owners only need to pay a minimal amount and Instagram rightly places the ads right under the nose of the potential customers. Instagram has reached a point where even our mere thoughts appear as ads. it is true right?
Instagram as a developmental tool is surely bringing about several changes to adjust along with the needs. Within the span of 2019 to 2021, IG has changed its layout quite a few times to give prime importance to reels, IG TV and other necessary factors. This alone proves the point that Instagram is surely a major developmental tool in its making.
instagramFrom its humble beginnings as an app for sharing pictures and videos and chatting with friends, Instagram has developed to become a hub of all online market activities. It has become a product/service seller, marketer, advertiser, manager and client simultaneously. It has become the voice of the people. It has become a mainstream of discussions and developments. Small business is no longer small as they are able to garner the attention of people around the globe. Instagram is no more an app used by young adults alone. It has a wide variety of audience accessing it for various purposes.
Lastly, in order to grow the small business community do not forget to support, to like, share, and save their content!