Let’s suppose you are searching for Instagram alternatives to embark on a new marketing career, or desire to get connected with people all over the world or capture amazing sightseeing and share splendid videos on social media sites. You must ponder over the reasons that compel you to seek out other social media options for sharing photos or videos, initiating marketing campaigns raising brand awareness, and building conversions. If you are a new Instagram user, you must look into the significant features and benefits of this dominant social networking platform that allow users to make alluring photos, videos, Instagram Reels, and much more!
If you are looking for the perfect social media to generate leads and gain limitless business possibilities, reading this article will let you know the reasons why many corporate firms are trying to reach out to other lucrative social media platforms to build a strong online community with potential audiences. Upsurge the company’s visibility in search engines, and drive more leads.
Overview of Instagram goals and benefits
Instagram, a prominent photo and video-sharing social media platform was generated by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger in October 2010. Facebook took charge of Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion. Initially, Instagram was launched on iOS, and Android, and then on the website. Many businesses have created an Instagram account to reach an extensive audience to digitally market their brand. Visual components in images, gifs, or videos capture the attention of consumers and give a competitive edge to the companies to build brand awareness on Instagram. They can track their sales and revenue proportion. While ad management including free advertising on Instagram enables companies to monitor consumer engagement and a higher number of potential leads. Instagram also allows businesses to build an emotional connection with the target audience.
Using Instagram Hashtags allows users to conveniently find the things they are interested in under different categories. Instagram audience share their stories, images, and videos along with attention-grabbing stickers, text, and interactive elements on Instagram Stories. The stories highlight their personal experiences, interests, and choices. Users can send private messages, photos, and videos to individuals or other groups.
Instagram live streaming is useful for both businesses and individuals to demonstrate their interactive engagement through live broadcasting the event. It includes making real-time videos for the followers. The users begin a live video by clicking on the icon and sending the live video to followers, partners, and clients. Companies who desire to opt for endless business opportunities, use Instagram reels. The short entertaining videos about the brand rapidly capture the attention of the audience. Interactive videos help optimize brand profiles and boost online marketing. Instagram has emerged as a dominating visual platform where users share their fabulous photos and short videos demonstrating their interests, hobbies, lifestyle, food choices, and daily life routines. Instagram Stories, IGTV, and Instagram Reels has revolutionized social media platform allowing more users to interact and share their experiences with millions of audience across the globe.
Modernized Instagram Features Allow Users to Create Captivating Visuals and Drive Engagement on Instagram
1. Introducing a Professional Dashboard
Mobile app development has developed innovative features for Instagram for Android and iOS users. The Dashboard was generated in November 2020 to monitor account performance and discover new tools to help businesses prosper. The educational resources including tips, guidance, and inspiration are centrally placed on Instagram. The app users can conveniently navigate Instagram to find the relevant tools and resources that best suit them. The additional advantage of a dashboard is that businesses can track analytics for the last 90 days using the calendar feature.
2. Instagram Shopping
If your business deals with e-commerce and selling online products, Instagram’s shopping features will help upsurge your e-commerce business to an extensive audience. Businesses tag shoppable products in feed posts and Instagram Stories. Instagram shoppable posts make it convenient for consumers to shop for items that are tagged in the posts. Instagram stories product stickers make story content more appealing to customers. Instagram’s shopping features allow brands to highlight their stunning brand story and demonstrate essential features of the products. Product detail pages in Instagram’s shopping offer relevant information to the customers including pricing and descriptions of the product. The attractive content drives buyers to explore collections and gain an interactive visual shopping experience.
3. Instagram’s Link in Bio
Another amazing feature is the Link in the Bio. It demonstrates the profile description of the company or the entrepreneur. The clickable link that appears on the app includes information about the business and its brands. The users also find the link to the corporate website or business page on Instagram. Moreover, clicking on the required product allows users to see more images featuring the product, and pricing information, and know about the purchasing process. As more consumers click the webpage, it drives traffic to the Instagram profile. Businesses can update the link in their bio by sharing new posts on their landing page.
4. Instagram Live
Instagram Live help new e-commerce businesses to boost their connections with online community. Companies use Instagram Live to broadcast numerous events that demonstrate the customer’s buying journey. Moreover, companies also share direct links to shoppable products during Instagram Live broadcasts and offer special discounts and offerings to Instagram users. Instagram Live Badges help promote the newest product launches among wider audiences and entice them to visit the social media page to make online purchases. Instagram Live badge sales bring more revenue to the company.
Instagram is a hub of inspiration, with a vast array of accounts dedicated to various interests, including fashion, travel, food, and more. You can explore new ideas, discover trends, and find inspiration for your own creative pursuits. Also, buy Instagram followers to expand your reach and visibility.
5. Gift Cards and Food Orders
Another alluring Instagram feature for small businesses is gift cards and food orders. Many businesses share gift cards, food orders, and fundraiser stickers in their Instagram stories and on their profiles. Using gift cards allows businesses to sell exchangeable vouchers on the app. Food Orders offered by the company create awareness regarding their food delivery services. And allow customers to place their orders. Once, users click on the profile button or open the sticker tray to get new Instagram story stickers, they can view the Instagram story and make online purchases.
6. IGTV
An outstanding channel allows businesses to showcase their brands, and services through content marketing. Striking content in the form of product descriptions, and interviews pulls in more clients. The video descriptions having clickable links enable viewers to discover the company’s brands and shop for the products tagged in the videos. The alluring content resonates with audiences and grows audience engagement.
7. Pinned comments and posts
Companies pin positive comments that endorse the products and create brand awareness among a vast audience. Introducing an innovative feature, the app developers build a strong community that enhances the online visibility of their brands on Instagram. Furthermore, pinning posts on Instagram profile makes the post appealing and boost the product visibility. Most businesses are now using pinned interpretations and posts on Instagram to interact with their potential customers. They engage in question-and-answer sessions and solve customers’ queries related to the product. Marketers introduce the brand and explain important features of the products to let consumers get familiarized with the creation. The engaging post reflects brand values, and mission, enticing new consumers towards the brand.
8. Instagram stories highlight
Since Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours, Instagram has developed a feature called Highlights. The feature lets business share their stories and content on Instagram feed for a long period. Consequently, social media marketers spend sufficient time planning how to create stunning content that promotes the brand and instantly hooks buyer’s attention.
Assess the Strengths and Weaknesses of Instagram
Instagram Strengths
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Integration
The integration technology in Instagram has been combined with other distinguished platforms such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. From sending automating responses with chatbots to engaging in real-time live chat, Integration empowers companies to provide remarkable customer support on social media platforms. Moreover, the technology offers flexibility to social media users to post their content on various platforms at similar times. The users can view the replies, and mentions, and add their comments or responses to their Instagram story. Hence, integration benefits the companies by improving their post-performance, enabling them to get more increased clicks and collaborate in real-time with the buyers.
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Multimedia-driven social media Platform
Businesses use Instagram as it has become a well-known visual platform where businesses create a public or private profile, and share images and videos related to their exclusive brands. Moreover, marketers engage with other users through liking, commenting, and sharing posts. The most important aspect of this multimedia platform is to develop short-form images and videos known as Stories and TikTok videos known as Reels that increase social media audience across multiple networks. Companies can respond to posts quickly and share real-time insights with a broad audience.
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Filters
Android app development services allow users to use the built-in filter feature in Instagram that allows users to adjust the lighting, and brightness while uploading photos and videos on Instagram. The filter feature improves the quality of the images and videos that attract large audiences.
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Hashtags
The Instagram posts having hashtags rank up the content in Google searches. The visual content attached with hashtags and captions reaches a wider audience. It helps promote and sell products and services while connecting with friends, partners, clients, and stakeholders across the globe.
Instagram Weaknesses
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Inadequate Communication
Instagram users cannot effectively communicate with other users. People can only send direct messages or make public comments. If more people frequently comment or send direct messages, the message may get lost in the threads and many users are unable to follow those comments.
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Paid promotions bring one-way traffic
Many businesses use paid promotions and sponsored posts on Instagram. Such posts are required to have links that connect users to their online store. Without webpage links, customers would not be able to visit the virtual store to buy the product.
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Data breaches, and privacy issues
The leakage of users’ personal information on social media has extensively increased. The data breach issues have negatively impacted Instagram. Therefore, new users are looking for Instagram alternatives that offer complete privacy of data. Consumers can share content including posts, images, and videos, and manage long conversation threads.
What Do Companies Consider When Choosing the Best Instagram Alternatives for Android and iOS?
Whether you are managing a thriving business or running a small enterprise, social media advertising is an excellent way to increase brand visibility and boost customer engagement with the brand. Businesses continue to experience numerous challenges such as privacy scandals, lack of visibility, limited communication between clients, lower productivity, and less web traffic. As more Instagram alternatives have emerged, they have effectively engaged smaller communities and strengthened social networking. Video and photo-sharing foster brand advocacy, allowing the company’s brand to stand out from the others. If you are considering choosing a new app that replaces Instagram, you are required to ponder over some factors that allow you to select the right Instagram alternative.
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Analyze demographics
Before choosing an app, you have to explore the choices and interests of the social media audience. You are required to know which social media platform is widely used by businesses for brand marketing and what Instagram alternative best supports your visual content. The alternative app should offer multipurpose opportunities such as improving communication and inserting personalized emojis in messages and stories. Discover new users and versatile content that captivate the audience’s attention.
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Alternative apps offer communication opportunities
Instagram focuses on sharing photos. The users should look for alternative apps that foster communication between different groups and communities. Both individuals and businesses create groups that initiate long conversations and send private messages to an extensive audience.
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Nurture your marketing goals
The alternative app must help companies to align their businesses with social media goals. Consequently, businesses should know how the chosen platform fits into the company’s social media plan.
Instagram Alternatives You opt To Choose
1. Snapchat
If you are searching for an appropriate Instagram alternative, Snapchat comes up as the best social media network. According to Google statistics, in 2022-23, Snapchat users have reached 397 million worldwide. It has become the most popular service; the active users create 4 billion snaps daily in the form of photos and videos. Like Instagram, the unique features of Snapchat keep the users engaged while navigating the app. For instance, creating outstanding stories, face filters, and self-destructive ‘Snaps and discovering the Snapchat Feed are some great features of Snapchat that make it the best alternative to Instagram.
2. 500px
500px comes up as an outstanding alternative to Instagram for photographers. The app serves as a community for digital photographers to develop incredible photos of different genres and diverse styles. Although 500px does not have Instagram features including Stories or Reels, the users can explore the tab, and create Quests that appear to be similar to Instagram Guides. Moreover, the website 500px allows photographers to explore the finest photographs on larger screens.
3. Behance
If you are a graphic designer, photographer, game designer, or motion graphics artist, Behance is a better option for you. It is a creative social media platform exclusively created for visual artists to showcase their creative work. The platform allows digital artists to share their creative portfolios with other artists. Compelling images generated by designers are discovered by millions of fans in the app’s Discover section which inspires them to purchase the creative photos.
4. ArtStation
Another impressive platform for creative artists is ArtStation. The users can download the app on their Android or iOS. The app is helpful for game developers, animators, and designers to share their outstanding works with other artists. Moreover, the ArtStation platform allows designers to build an ArtStation community that will help promote their portfolio among global audiences.
5. Pinterest
Many users may not find Pinterest as resourceful as Instagram. However, it brings some features that are helpful for users. For instance, many people explore Instagram to explore creative ideas related to home design concepts or a wedding theme. Pinterest offers thousands of creative ideas related to different genres. For many users, Pinterest appears to be the right choice.
6. Tumblr
It is a social networking website for microblogging. 347.5 million visitors from different countries contribute their creative works to this website. 465 million blogs are posted daily which indicates that this platform has grown popular worldwide. As compared to Instagram, Tumblr is not restricted to merely posting content. The users can also post text, audio, and articles to the webpage. Additionally, inserting links and hashtags helps create a community to initiate private chats between different groups. Thus, Tumblr is a niche creative social media platform for users to promote their creative portfolio on digital platforms.
7. Imgur
A leading photo-sharing website, Imgur is also considered an Instagram alternative by many users. It is a public platform, but users can hide photos and videos that cannot be located by other users. People can create a private link to share their content, images, and videos. Many users upload photos, videos, and GIFs and share them with their community through tags.
8. VSCO
The social media platform is also regarded as the best alternative to Instagram. It is helpful for photo editors and other creative users. Having a wide community of artists, editors, and designers, they post their works regularly. The Discover section is outstanding as it allows users to filter content with tags, and location. The video effect tool helps professional digital artists to share their creative works with a broad audience.
9. Steller
Through this platform, users can upload images and videos and share their stories and experiences. Just like Instagram, the users can create compelling stories using images, and stickers or add new videos.
10. TikTok
The current TikTok users have reached 689 million monthly. The short-video reel feature of TikTok allows users to create exclusive videos on different genres. Short-duration impressive videos appear to be more creative than Instagram. The other social media features comprising Remix Reels, and AR filters make TikTok the most preferable social media platform in comparison to Instagram.
Conclusion
According to Google statistics, the total number of users has increased by 310 million in the year 2023. The latest figure indicates that Instagram has become the second most accessed network after Facebook. The popular visual social medium is not just for personal use anymore. Instead, it has become the world’s top social platform today, enabling businesses to receive a high revenue that stands at $6.25 billion. Using various features such as Instagram Stories, IGTV, and Instagram Reels allows users to put stories, share images, and use filters to create amusing photos for their followers. Many users are looking for other photo-sharing services as an Instagram replacement. They have a variety of options such as Twitter, BeReal, Flickr, Tumblr, Pinterest, and TikTok that focus on sharing photos to establish brand visibility on social media. The alternative apps should build communities and offer more innovative communication options. Hence, choosing an appropriate social media platform should seamlessly integrate with the company’s social media goals, allowing businesses to increase their global reach.
