‘Regramming’ is the perfect addition to your brand’s social media strategy

INSTAGRAM has been testing a handful of new features that could be rolled out over the coming weeks and months, as first reported by The Next Web.

Among these are the ability to post and search GIFs, the option to archive stories, a “closest friends list” in which you can share posts among your closest pals, and an option to share posts to communications platform WhatsApp. The Instagram Beta program is now opening to iOS users.

But perhaps the most exciting option being trialed is the long-awaited native “Regram” button – much to the delight of many Instagrammers.

Currently, users wanting to re-share the content of others have two options: they can save the image or video to their device and then re-share it from their own account, often hashtagging #Regram; or secondly, there are third-party apps such as Regram, which enable users to re-post the content of others.

How brands can effectively Regram

So, how could this new feature benefit your brand’s social media strategy?

Regramming content can reap great benefits when done correctly. With research showing that visual content gets 94 percent more views than anything else, it is clear why sharing others’ content could be good for your brand.

As well as this, the Regram feature allows others to share your brand’s content, which is obviously great for brand exposure.

Here are just a couple of ways your brand can leverage the power of Regramming:

Photo contests

Instagram contests are a fantastic way for your brand to increase engagement, brand awareness and followers.

For instance, a photo contest by American fast food chain Chipotle generated more than 20,000 social media shares. The “Wrap What You Love” promotion sparked more than 1,000 entries for the contest.

Photo contests allow you to promote your product or services in an exciting and engaging way for consumers. A key to successful photo contests is to put an emphasis on the requirement for contestants to Regram your content for a chance to win.

Essentially, your customers will be doing your marketing for you by promoting your brand and will ensure your post achieves a far reach among Instagram users.

Delicate doily snowflakes, Christmas trees made from vintage book pages and twinkly lights. See how @tamsynmorgans @alice.roberton @janiceissitt_life_style created these and other festive displays and decorations in our Christmas issue. And the celebrations continue into January as we turn the grand old age of two ???To help us celebrate, we’d love to see your images of your copy of Reclaim ( any issue) having a party. Balloons, bubbly, birthday treats – whatever says celebration to you. Post your image, tag #reclaim_birthday and we’ll choose six to appear in our next issue. Plus – those six users will each receive a 3 month subscription to Reclaim. ?…. ? @janiceissitt_life_style

A post shared by Reclaim Magazine (@reclaimmag) on Nov 28, 2017 at 7:26am PST

It is also important to use attention-grabbing content, which is more likely to stand out among the ever-changing feed of your followers.

A feature of many unsuccessful brand photo contests is the giving away of unrelated prizes. For instance, while advertising the latest iPhone handset as a prize will get you thousands of entries, the question remains as to whether any of these will still have interest in your company after the content. A better idea would be to give away products or services that are related to your brand audience’s interests.

Co-marketing relationships

An increasingly popular marketing strategy is connecting with other companies that share similar interests to your own. The result of building co-marketing relationships is ultimately increasing your reach through product awareness in the industry and being introduced to new audiences you would not usually have access to.

Through Regramming your partners’ content, you can share new and different material with your audience. And it follows that your content can be Regrammed by your partnering company, reaching audiences within the industry that could become potential customers.

Regramming customer content

According to a Forrester report, 70 percent of consumers trust one another’s opinions over brands when looking for recommendations. Following from this, encouraging your customers to share photos or videos using your product and service can be incredibly beneficial for your brand.

Style meets snack. #VanillaWhoopiePie Regram: @julesdenby

A post shared by Starbucks Coffee ☕ (@starbucks) on Sep 21, 2017 at 9:34am PDT

Regramming your users’ content also enables you to build deeper connections with consumers and shows that as a brand, you care about your customers’ experiences after they have made the purchase.

Tip: Be sure to ask permission from your customers to use their content before sharing.

Utilize branded hashtags

Following on from the benefits of Regramming user content is the importance of advocating branded hashtags. Including hashtags in your posts which represent your brand is one of the best ways of increasing audience engagement.

Using branded hashtags religiously will encourage your customers to also use them when posting about your brand. This will generate a list of user-generated content for you to choose and Regram.

Furthermore, you can use Instagram analytics tools such as Sprout Social and Social Bakers in order to track your brand’s hashtag performance. These tools allow you deeper consumer insights such as which hashtags associated with your brand are bringing in the most engagement.

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