For almost a decade, Instagram has been part of everyday lives one way or the other. These days, the social app has proved to be more marketing tool than just posting selfies or food.
Acquired by Facebook in 2012 for $1 billion, the photo-sharing app has redefined the fashion industry, becoming the most important social media platform for many fashion brands as it relies heavily on robust visuals and graphics.
This exposure provides designers with an opportunity to make an impression on an audience with exciting content.
“It democratises fashion. There’s a greater connection to the customer now. Instagram enables brands to build a voice and speak more specifically to their audiences. Designers are not just thinking about the people at the shows.” Said Eva Chen, Instagram’s head of fashion partnership, quoted in an article by launchmetrics.com.
According to a report by Exane BNP Paribas, for luxury fashion brands, the social media platform produces significantly higher consumer engagement at 93 percent — measured as the combination of likes and comments — than posts on either Facebook (six percent) or Twitter (one percent).
During fashion month, the stakes are higher in the ‘dress to impress’ industry producing savvy designs to move and engage followers. For example, from February 12, 2015, to March 12, 2015, fashion week-related images attracted over 140 million likes and comments, according to Instagram.
In this day and age, social media is replacing print journalism. Instagram does the job that fashion magazines used to do. Bringing exclusivity to a mass-market audience, streaming live videos or taking pictures from the catwalk is fulfilling as fashion magazines used to.
In an interview with The Economic Times, A Lot to Like Fashion commentator Prasad Bidapa says digital dissemination of content will only get stronger. And Insta will figure high in the fashion business.
“It has a buzzy new feel with its limited content and quick storylines. Facebook is considered the platform for parents. Instagram as a marketing tool is efficient and has the ability to reach its target customers in a focused manner,” he says.
According to statista.com, in September 2017, Instagram reached 800 million monthly active users — and they have the highest level of engagement (time spent on the app) vis-a-vis other social media platforms.