Instagram campaigns failing? Learn from these highly-successful brands

Companies around the world are beginning to discover something special about Instagram campaigns. They’re not just a visual way to capture your audience’s attention with filtered selfies and lunch photos. They’re a powerful method of igniting your brand. With about 800 million active users per month, Instagram is your door into a world of engagement, where visual content remains to be a pivotal part of the modern marketing strategy.

As one of the most popular forms of social media for the younger generation, Instagram delivers a unique opportunity to celebrate the personality of your brand, find your “image” and keep your company in the minds of your customers every day.

The only problem? There’s a huge difference between posting a picture and creating a viable marketing campaign. The good news is that sometimes, all it takes to revitalize your Instagram campaigns, is a little inspiration.

Learn from these nine highly-successful Instagram campaigns to get your creative side going:

1. Samsung #UnboxYourPhone

On March 29, 2017, Samsung ran an Instagram campaign called #UnboxYourPhone, which gave people a sneak peek into the new Galaxy S8. The promotional pictures created for the campaign were wonderfully creative, focusing on the immersive experience of having technology within the palm of your hand.

The Instagram campaign was successful because it took advantage of the social platform as a truly visual medium. The idea was to help customers imagine what their life could be like with the latest device, and the images Samsung shared captured that feeling perfectly.

Key Takeaways:

• Creativity kills on Instagram. The more unique your pictures are, the more engaging they become.
• Try using imagery to immerse your customers in the experience that your product or service can give. Let them visualize their life with your brand.

2. Nintendo #OnlyOnSwitch

Video game experts, Nintendo, took to Instagram this year to build love for its latest console, the Nintendo Switch in the UK. Following up from their #12Switch launch, the #OnlyOnSwitch campaign asks people from around the globe to share images of them using their switch in a unique place.

The concept drew attention to the fact that the Switch is an entirely portable console—one of its unique selling propositions. The company encouraged user-generated content by telling people they could win a top prize of four Nintendo Switch consoles, four pro controllers and £1,000 in credit. The campaign generated awareness, and engagement at the same time, showcasing what makes social media so special for brands.

Key Takeaways:

• Companies get more success when they include their audience in their promotions. Engage your customers by using competitions to inspire user generated content.
• Your social media efforts can be a great way to highlight your unique selling proposition. Try to design Instagram campaigns that showcase what makes your brand special.

3. AirBnB #WeAccept

A strong marketing campaign not only raises awareness for your brand, but also draws attention to your company values in a way that resonates with your audience. Following the heavily political debate on immigration in the US, many companies began to send messages of love into the social media sphere.

AirBnB showed their stance with the #WeAccept campaign. The creative social media movement shared photos from different ethnicities, with messages of acceptance.

The AirBnB marketing stunt was successful because it responded to the emotions of their target audience. It also recognized the universal desire that humans have to belong. While getting political on social media isn’t easy, AirBnB showed that it could be a great way to raise awareness for your brand.

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Key Takeaways:

• When used correctly, political ideas can spark a powerful movement on Instagram, turning your followers into a community. However, keep in mind that, according to the Sprout Social Index: Edition XI, 71% of consumers find brands engaging in politics on social annoying. So be tactful.
• Campaigns that get your audience involved in a social movement are more likely to ensure engagement. People are more compelled to stand with a brand when that company is fighting for what they believe in.

4. Amazon ‘Big Thanks’

Instagram Campaigns don’t have to just be a way of improving brand recognition. While they’re great for growing your brand, they can also be a useful way to connect with your audience on a deeper level, and improve relationships. Amazon showed this with their “Big Thanks” campaign, where they thanked its customers for rating them No. 1 in corporate reputation.

One of the most appealing aspects of this campaign for customers, was that it included a discount code. However, for Amazon, the effort allowed them to use Instagram successfully as a way to improve sales and generate awareness for their authority.

Key Takeaways:

• Brands can use Instagram to reach out to their customers, and strengthen their connections with their audience. This can be a powerful way to outshine your competitors in today’s marketplace.
• Free codes and giveaways are a great way to inspire your customers into action, and improve sales with your Instagram Campaigns.

5. Adidas #Originals

Adidas is one company that really knows how to make the most of their Instagram campaigns. In fact, the brand runs one of the most successful marketing accounts on the entire platform. The Originals posts are a great example of how the business redefined the concept of “normal” one image at a time.

Adidas paired up with huge hip hop names like Snoop Dogg and Stormzy to promote its lineup of new clothing. The campaign was successful because it used influential figures to establish credibility for the company.

Key Takeaways:

• Influencer marketing can be a great way to give your Instagram campaigns more authority when you’re building your presence online.
• Intriguing visual content that brings people together to consider a key concept like normalcy can inspire discussion around your brand, which is great for engagement.

6. DJI #Phantom4Pro

Global leaders in the world of drone technology, DJI is well-known for the consistently high-quality content shared on its Instagram profiles. Recently, DJI partnered up with a number of filmmakers across Instagram to promote its latest product, the Phantom 4 Pro.

The DJI campaign wasn’t just successful because it created some pretty incredible images, but it also made the most of video on the platform too. Now that Instagram has expanded video length from 15 seconds to 1 minute, the potential for video marketing have drastically evolved.

Key Takeaways:

• Companies can take Instagram campaigns to the next level by making the most of video alongside images.
• Encouraging customers to produce user generated content featuring your product is a fantastic way to boost engagement, and increase the high-quality portfolio on your Instagram page.

7. Xbox #MakeItYours

A crucial part of making your Instagram campaigns work is ensuring they look the part. Xbox kept this in mind when they designed the marketing campaign for their Xbox Design Lab, a service that allows users to design their own Xbox controllers.

The Xbox Instagram campaign was successful because it made the most of a unique Instagram style. These images don’t look like they were simply copied and pasted from Twitter. They were crafted uniquely for Instagram, with users of the platform in mind. Additionally, the #MakeItYours hashtag helps customers to feel as though Microsoft genuinely cares about them, and their needs.

Key Takeaways:

• Design your campaigns specifically for Instagram, and you’ll get more attention from your customers.
• Keep your audience in mind, and try to show them that you care about their needs with your Instagram campaigns.

8. Disney #BeOurGuest

As a huge household brand around the world, Disney is a company that rarely needs an introduction. However, it still knows how to use its Instagram marketing efforts to engage and inspire its followers. In one of Disney’s most recent campaigns, they invited Luke Evans to take over their account and promote the “Beauty and the Beast” live action remake. Throughout the day, Evans posted images of his time at the world premier for the film.

Hosting an Instagram takeover on your Instagram campaigns is a strategy that has constantly proven itself to be effective. Not only does it draw more people to your account, but it also helps you engage with your customers on a deeper level.

Key Takeaways:

• Get involved with influencers where you can and ask them to take part in takeover campaigns to improve your following online.
• Find a way to focus your influencer campaigns around your latest market update, such as a new product or service.

9. Orangetheory #TransformationTuesday

Finally, fitness company Orangetheory uses their Instagram campaigns as a way to inspire its audience and motivate success. Capitalizing off of the popular #TransformationTuesday hashtag, Orangetheory encourages followers to post images of their successful fitness experiences with the brand. Customers are asked to share their exercise routines and weight loss goals on Instagram to inspire other users.

Not only does this approach based on user generated content help to inspire more engagement from customers, but it also shows the human side of Orangetheory, every time they show support for their followers. Additionally, each post acts as a word of mouth testimonial that the brand can use to build on their marketplace authority.

Key Takeaways:

• User generated content on Instagram can be a powerful way to showcase testimonials and reviews for your company that build trust in your followers.
• Inspiring images of customers can not only engage your followers, but also help to show your credibility and humanity as a business.

Evolve Your Instagram Campaigns With These Inspirations

Sometimes, all it takes is a little social media muse to help get you back on track with your Instagram campaigns. Whether you want new ways to get customers involved through user-generated content or by discovering a way to showcase your next product, there’s always something to learn from other campaigns.

We hope the examples above will help to motivate you toward marketing success. Have any Instagram campaigns you want to share? Hit us up in the comments or reach out to us on Twitter!