Since its founding a few years ago (October 2010), Instagram has become extremely popular. According to the social medium’s own Web site:
“Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. Snap a photo with your mobile phone, then choose a filter to transform the image into a memory to keep around forever. We’re building Instagram to allow you to experience moments in your friends’ lives through pictures as they happen. We imagine a world more connected through photos.”
How popular is Instagram today? According to Craig Smith, writing for DMR, Instagram:
- has more than 300 million active monthly users, about 80 million in the United States.
- is used by roughly the same number of males and females.
- skews toward younger people, with 90 percent of users younger than age 35.
- is utilized by 30 percent of social media users in the United States.
As a result of Instagram’s popularity, more and more marketers are including Instagram in their promotion strategy. For example, Lindsay Kolowich — writing for HubSpot — notes the following:
“There’s a reason food is such a popular subject for Instagram posts. Who doesn’t like scrolling through pictures of neatly arranged acai bowls, pastel-colored dollops of ice cream, and sandwiches bursting at the seams with sprouts and peppered tomatoes? Let’s be honest: We all love a good food picture. The emphasis is on ‘good,’ though.”
“If you’re in the business of selling food products — or drink products, for that matter — then it’s incredibly important to know how to take appetizing pictures. Today’s consumers expect you to use visual platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to promote your products, offer recipe ideas, announce events and promotions, and show off the human side of your community and culture. (Check out this list of photo editing apps for help.)”
“What does a great food brand Instagram account look like? To give you a little inspiration, we’ve found 15 food and drink brands that are getting noticed on Instagram. Check them out see how to use the visual platform to and gain fans, followers, and loyal customers.”
Here are Kolowich’s top 5 food brands on Instagram. Click the image below for the full list of 15 food brands.
- Bien Cuit — “The phrase ‘bien cuit’ is one French chefs often use to describe the darkest, crunchiest loaves of bread. It’s also the inspiration behind the name of this New York City-based bread company,
- FOMU — “FOMU markets itself as an ‘alternative ice cream’ company, so it’s no surprise they use their Instagram account to post pictures of their non-traditional flavors, such as mulled cider, cardamom pistachio, and maple bourbon walnut.”
- Forequarter — “Forequarter is a restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin, known for its unique and ever-changing menu. They keep their customer base up-to-date on the most delicious new offerings by taking teaser photos of them, which are always colorful and meticulously organized.”
- Oreo — “This well-loved brand uses its Instagram account to get creative with the classic cookie. They tend to use bold, block colors like bright blues, pinks, and yellows to form a contrast with its black and white cookies. Scroll through the Instagram feed, and you’ll notice they post a handful of photos on a single theme for a short time.”
- Pabst Blue Ribbon — “For only posting about one product — a can of beer — Pabst Blue Ribbon sure knows how to get creative. Its Instagram feed is chock full of crowd-pleasing photos in keeping with the brand’s cool, artistic vibe. For example, the drawing of a Capri Sun filled with PBR is a great example of nostalgia marketing to the coveted millennial audience.”
