Will Increased Marketing On Instagram Result In Filtered Brand Posts?

Although Instagram is considered one of the coolest social networks in existence, marketers have yet to flood the system due to its relative infancy.  However, it appears that the time is now for brands to expand their utilization of Instagram to connect with consumers.

Forrester Research analyst Nate Elliott explained the details of this shift in a new report.  “As users and marketers flock to Instagram, clutter will increase, and Instagram will likely begin filtering out brand posts in the name of relevance,” he explained.  Elliott’s concerns could certainly turn out to come true.  Instagram’s parent company, Facebook, has been increasingly filtering brand posts on its flagship property, which has had a profoundly detrimental effect on its reach rates.  Elliott further explains that, “Recent studies report that the average branded Facebook post reaches just 6% of a brand’s fans.”  Instagram currently doesn’t employ algorithms to determine what percentage of a brand’s followers will see their posts, but the speculation is that they will soon choose this route in a similar manner to Facebook.

Some have compared Instagram’s cool factor to the early days of Facebook, when it was the top social networking site for young and influential consumers.  However, with the expectations for future filtering of brand’s posts, Elliott suggests that, “marketers must use Instagram now, before it changes the rules.  And they must be ready to move on to another social site when Instagram’s phenomenal engagement rates disappear.”

It’s certainly true that the current engagement rates on Instagram are excellent.  According to Forrester’s research, top brands’ Instagram posts are currently experiencing a per-follower engagement rate that is 58 times higher than their Facebook posts and 120 times higher than their Twitter posts.  Elliott also explains that Instagram’s engagement levels are extremely high due to the younger demographic of users who are generally more willing to interact with brands than their older counterparts.  Currently, the median age of an Instagram user is 27 in comparison to the median age of 40 on Facebook.

Elliott’s report points to Ford and its “Mustang Monday” posts, which feature photos of vintage automobile models.  He also explains that Ford interacts with their consumers in an effective manner, stating that, “the company generates even greater engagement by reposting its followers’ images.”  According to Forrester, posting its followers’ photographs has helped the brand to reach an impressive average Instagram engagement rate of over 8%.

However, Elliott warns that the window is closing on Instagram, and that “clutter is coming.”  Another issue is that Instagram has experienced limited success with its initial paid advertising efforts.  Elliott explains that, “If Instagram’s users don’t accept ads from brands they haven’t followed, the site will have only one ready-made revenue stream: convincing brands to promote posts to their existing followers.  That could motivate Instagram to more aggressively reduce brands’ organic reach.”