By: Ronald King

If you’re not familiar with Instagram, shame on you. To inform the unaware, here’s a tidbit of background—-Instagram is a photo sharing mobile application that allows users to digitally filter photos and share with other social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. 

Instagram allows users to dabble with the right, creative side of the brain and produce the art he or she may not have thought was possible.

One can simply take a subpar photo of a soda can on an office desk, play with a couple of filters and voilà, your followers go gaga over it.

 (mcramer7)

Since the introduction of Instagram in October 2010, this application has evolved to become a personal brand building agent. On that note, there is so much potential for brands with creating an account on Instagram, one mainly being that it provides an in-depth understanding of the brand image (no pun intended). After all, a picture is worth a thousand words

7 Ways to Feature Your Brand Image

• Products & Services- Gain the attention of your target audience by showing what your brand has to offer. Provoke the desire to buy and a transaction before the point-of-purchase with an easy snapshot!

                                                    (Club Monaco)

• Brand Vision- Here, your audience will get a hold of the overall view of the brand’s background. Your mission, your core and your values, what your brand is all about.

                                                     (Incase)

• Situational Appeal- Capturing an interaction or “still-scene” of models utilizing the product or service while evoking an emotion that fits the brand identity.

                                                     (Tiffany’s & Co.)

• Brand Development- Showcase the history and progress of the overall brand with vintage photos and interesting facts that will keep the table talk going. What changes has the brand undergone?

                                                    (Toyota)

• Advertisements- What once was a traditional form of captivating a public with a product or service has now been revamped. It is simply placing a recent, running ad used in other media vehicles on Instagram. It already has the intent to catch the eye, why not capture more eyes?

                                                    (Gucci)

• Unexpected Creative- Surprise your audience with cool and different content that will keep them involved with your brand. It is always best to keep your target audience on their feet wanting more from your brand.

                                                   (Starbucks)

• Engagement- Strike up a conversation with your audience! This can be executed by asking the audience for content relevant to the brand or that which fits within a particular shared theme. Such engagement is monitored via sharing of posts, likes or comments on Facebook, mentions or hashtags on Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram.

                                    
                                                          (Marc Jacobs)

All in all, Instagram is a great tool that connects a brand to the consumer on a personal and visual level. For as simple of a vehicle as it is, why not join and create some likeable interactions?

Which of the seven brand image features do you enjoy seeing in a brand? Share your thoughts in the comments below!