The Swipe Hype

How to leverage Instagram for your benefit

Have you wondered where all your Facebook followers have gone?

If you’re a retailer – or just an average user – you may notice that you’re seeing more ads, political content, and puppy pictures than usual. And most important, fewer younger users.

That’s because the graphics-based social media platform Instagram has swooped in and begun dominating social users.

Instagram claims over one billion monthly active users. ONE BILLION. That’s a tough figure to ignore, and it illustrates why so many smart retailers are taking notice.

Instagram’s early days offered a somewhat rudimentary vertical display of pictures. Period. Ultimately its potential grew, and combined with forward-thinking strategizing of its leadership, it now has become a major player in advertising and marketing.
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What drives most of Instagram’s appeal are “influencers,” or celebrities and others who have massive followings. Not willing to mess with the litany of issues that keep making Facebook more of a chore than a pleasure, these high-profile dazzlers maintain captive audiences. Some may be compensated to plug a product, but others are self-financed, and they honestly promote their favorite clothing, cosmetics, household décor, and just about anything they think of.

So what is “swiping up?”

The Swipe-Up feature applies to users who reach the 10,000 mark in their followers base. Once that happens, they may expand their postings to include direct call-to-action links allowing users to simply swipe upward and hit on a brand landing page. This is huge; we all know that the fewer steps your customers need to take, the more likely they are to actually pay you a visit. It’s simple to add the swipe-up feature to your “Instagram Story,” which is a primer for potential or even existing customers.

It’s not just product retailers who love this feature. Business service providers, alternative academic course providers, and musicians have taken a shine to it.

E-Commerce merchants should take note. The swipe-up feature will take an interested party straight to your point-of-purchase page without having to leave Instagram.

Naturally, getting to the 10,000 mark takes time. But this is a lesson in how to leverage interest and explore the possibilities of social media beyond the standard Facebook ad. It’s possible to take a shortcut and actually buy followers from professional services who will maintain safety and security of your account.
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One tip to making use of this great feature: be conservative. Roll out your ads and entries slowly. Saturating new users with an aggressive ad campaign may lose you customers on a permanent basis.

For more information on how to use the Swipe-Up Instagram feature, go here.