Apple Finally Joins Instagram: Social Media Lessons to Learn

Apple has finally joined Instagram, causing surprise in marketing circles. Apple is known for its lack of social media activity. It has resisted creating accounts on platforms owned by competitors. Even when it does open accounts, it often posts nothing.

The Instagram account will promote its “Shot on iPhone” campaign with photographs curated from iPhone users. Some observers call the decision a brilliant move and a significant moment in social media.

Brilliant or Desperate?

Others call the move a desperate, belated decision that underscores Apple’s creativity decline. The brand once seen as synonymous with innovation has not produced anything noteworthy lately, says Jack Morse at Mashable. Its HomePod smart speaker fails to inspire.

“Apple is just the latest in a long line of Instagram influencers, the difference is that it has a tendency to take an obtuse amount of credit for reinventing whatever process or tech it improves upon,” writes Forbes contributor Curtis Silver.

Instead of leading the pack, Apple is now following the example of other lifestyle brands: Asking people to contribute free content. Cynics question why people would contribute free photos to promote products from Apple, one of the world’s most value brands with billions of dollars in cash reserves. Being included on Apple’s Instagram profile offers a tremendous opportunity for exposure, others note.

Join the Instagram Bandwagon

Instagram is the perfect platform for Apple, known for its design and presentation acumen, says Andrea Miller for the Advertising Specialty Institute. Its decision will likely inspire other businesses to join Instagram.

Apple’s account, Miller says, offers these lessons:

Invest in high definition photographs to set you apart. Many other Instagrammers don’t have the best cameras or photography skills. “Business Instagram standards are higher than that of your old buddy from college. Quality matters,” she says.

Use captions. Use the caption to provide background information. Explain why you’re excited about a new product or why your employee has done an outstanding job. Apple keeps the original caption in quotes when it sources photos from others.

Remember your image. Post relevant content that accurately represents the vision you seek and the image you wish to project. Effective Instagram marketing requires frequently updating your profile, staying friendly with followers and constantly communicating with them.

More Instagram Tips

Be unique. People want to see something different (unless it’s a cat). Photos of food are all too common. “In contrast, I would love to see what a forest ranger’s hut looks like, or a photo taken in the early days of the morning by a fisherman,” says Marat (Mark) Arguinbaev at The Merkle.

Learn from Apple. Apple’s YouTube account has instructional videos on how to shoot the best pictures possible with iPhones. The series includes shooting with and without flash, doing close-ups and other advice.

Add a photo to your profile. If you don’t, the ghost-like image appears every time you make a comment. “A missing profile pic is a perfect symbol of lackadaisical attitude. It plainly means you are not very keen on growing your user base. Forget about attracting new users; you’ll lose out on the existing ones if you keep your profile pic blank,” warns Jini Maxin, senior writer at OpenXcell, on the Single Grain Digital Marketing blog.

Add hashtags. Hashtags bring increased interactions more than on other networks. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post. However, stuffing posts with irrelevant hashtags can backfire. Add at least five hashtags and stick to relevant words and phrases, Maxin recommends. Local businesses benefit from adding location-based hashtags.

Work on your bio. Include a link or call-to-action or both as well as your location in your bio. Links in bios are key to winning more website traffic. Also include your location, a marketing must for local businesses, and a brief description of your business.

Bottom Line: Social media marketers were surprised at Apple’s decision to open an Instagram account to promote its iPhone. Its account offers marketing lessons to brands hoping to boost their presence on Instagram, a photo-centric mobile app that pretty much owes its existence to the iPhone camera.