Is Instagram the New Google for Products & Services?

I’ve started planning my wedding. Yay! Which means I’ve been intensely researching venues, vendors, dresses and more. But, what I’ve noticed recently is that I’ve been doing the majority of my search on Instagram, not even visiting the websites of these people and places.

As a marketer, it caught my interest. How many other people are doing research this way? How influential is Instagram in decision-making – not just in the wedding industry but in retail, e-commerce, etc.? Is Instagram the New Google for these products & services?

Fact: 60% of users (that’s 600+ million people) seek out and discover new products on Instagram

Fact: Eight of the top 15 most followed brands on Instagram are in the business of retail.

Instagram is playing a whole new role in how we find brands. Content appears in real-time, giving users the most recent information on a brand or product to make better decisions. We like that! Hashtags also allow you to find specific content quickly, and searching by location can find places near you. Instagram is also just an amazing place for inspo and ideas. That’s genius for the wedding industry and beyond!

Another part of Instagram is its visual context. The platform gives us an idea of the life we’d live if we could have certain things – another word for it is FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Seeing a product or idea in the context of a real-life setting helps us picture it in our lives. User-generated content (UGC) also adds a deeper layer to this – making us really want products or services for ourselves that other people have. That venue, that dress, etc….

Search on Instagram generates a huge amount of brand visibility and eventually trust. Here are a couple of tools you can use to make sure your Instagram is bride-worthy:

• Hashtags – Help curate content into streams that are easily searchable
• Stories – You can use the swipe up feature to send users to specific destinations
• Saved Photos – Strong photography is key here, so people will want to save down your images into folders they can reference later. The “Pinterest Effect” as I like to call it.
• Personality – People want to work with cool people who match their style. Show some personality and your values on Instagram too.
• Tagging  – Tag vendors, partners, media, influencers, etc., so your content can then show up on their profile, as well as lends credibility back to you.
• Location Check-Ins – Helps people find you who are searching for your services around your location

Instagram has been amazing for my wedding planning research! I found my dream venue there first! This idea could work for your brand too. Reach out to Tribu to make your Instagram totally bride-worthy.

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