From Guest Blogger & Bowe Digital Intern, Marissa Weiner:
Like ghosts, ghouls and goblins, Instagram is feared because it’s unknown to many. Though the photo sharing app launched nearly a decade ago, many businesses remain reluctant in entering the “new” platform. Additionally, with most Instagrammers using Facebook as well, some business owners see no pressing need to join the Instagram realm if they already have an online presence on Facebook. However, if you want to reach a younger demographic, particularly millennials, creating a free Instagram account is paramount, as 71% of the app’s users are under the age of 35.
Instagram shouldn’t be spooky; it doesn’t have sharp fangs or long claws. It has red eyes, but those can be easily edited and removed. Though creating an Instagram feed followed by many may seem alien to the inexperienced user, the guide below will help your business stand out above the rest.
DO: Utilize Instagram stories to tell your story
No matter what your business is selling, your brand has a story-- consumers want to flip the pages. Did Veronica, your sales representative, just have twins? Thanks to Veronica, you’ve just gained 15 new followers. By sharing the little moments that make your company unique, people want to literally follow along. Along the way, your company builds trust and credibility, associating faces and memories to what was once just a company name and cheesy slogan.
DO: Filter your photos consistently
The word “aesthetic” seems to spew out of the mouth of every Instagram user nowadays. While building an aesthetically pleasing feed worth following may seem impossible if your company sells and manufactures toilet plungers (or title insurance), it isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Consistency is the key to Instagram fame and fortune, so it’s essential that each photo is filtered using the same preset. But b filter photos judiciously , careful not to oversaturate an image.
DO: Show company culture through Instagram’s Live Stories
It’s no coincidence that The Office is Netflix’s most watched show—broadcasting the mundanities of everyday life is appealing. Did Phil just spill his coffee for the second time this week? Kevin spilled his chili in season five episode 26 of The Office, and I’m still laughing. No, I’m not saying you should use Live Stories to bully your colleagues. Instead, use Live Stories to give consumers a real-time behind-the-scenes glimpse at the characters of your company. If your office has its own Kevin-esque character, consider yourself (and your Instagram) lucky.
DON’T: Use stock photos
Stock photos have a place in your marketing plan, but it’s not on Instagram. The photos may be better utilized on a platform like Facebook, in which an older generation is targeted. Millennials, however, will take one look at the photo of your “receptionist” and know there’s no way “Miguel” is smiling that wide on a Monday morning. Rather than finding artificial photos on Shutterstock or Pixabay, take real, in-office photos. Maybe you spend one Friday evening having a photoshoot, allowing a database of photos to be locked and loaded for future use.
Marissa Weiner is a senior Butler University student pursuing degrees in Communications and Media and English Creative Writing. She interned with Bowe Digital during the summer of 2019.
We’ve all heard about the American Dream, but do you know where that patriotic phrase came from? Author James Truslow Adams coined the term in the aptly-named 1931 bestseller, The Epic of America.
Adams wrote this American ideal was, “a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” Or as he put it later in the book, a “dream of a better, richer and happier life for all our citizens of every rank.”
For decades, the achievement of the American Dream included buying a house – it’s why lots of you in the land title industry proudly proclaim yourselves as protectors of the American Dream. For many millennials, the achievement of that ideal has been delayed. Student loan debt has forced this generation to make financial sacrifices, but many in this age group are finally finding their footing and buying homes in the suburbs, just like their parents did. They do their homework before deciding where to go out to eat, so you know they’re researching who to give their business when buying a home.
Why the constant focus on millennials? They will likely account for “the largest share of homebuyers of the next decade.” It's a message we know you've heard a lot lately. Agents need work smarter to attract the attention of younger homebuyers.
The title industry is largely unknown to people who have never bought a home. It doesn’t have to stay that way. Innovative professionals can prove their value in today’s market by helping educate future customers on the best way to be a conscientious homebuyer. Offer education for all the costs involved in a new home purchase. Teach them about mortgage pre-approval, title insurance, amortization, appraisals, closing costs and escrow. These are terms millennials are Googling right now. Be the one that provides them with a succinct and accurate answer any way you can. Whomever they learn to trust in the process will get the sale.
Be the superhero of attaining a better, happier life for your customers. Show potential buyers the value you can offer them using social media, through email and in person.
Bowe Digital knows how to tell your story better and then get that message to the right people. Contact us today and ride a new wave for marketing everything your company has to offer. It is time to step out of the shadows and end the stigma that no one knows what a title agent does. Seize the opportunity to attract new buyers and potential future employees. It’s time to tell – no, show – a new generation just how valuable you are.
