Let’s be real. On Instagram, Celebrities are better than brands because they are celebrities, not brands. Fame obviously offers celebs an edge over companies on social. However, that does not mean marketers could not learn a thing or two from them.
Similar to brands, stars have a stake in social media, too. Today, pop singers and movie stars are multi-hyphenate business magnates, cosmetics brands, running wireless networks, and eco-friendly water enterprises.
They are also mega influencers, promoting everything from Puma sneakers to Butterball turkeys.
We have rounded up a few of the best star-powered moves on the platform that brands could add to their Instagram strategies.
1. They get Internet humor
Being humorous on the Internet is always simpler than it looks. Many brands have discovered this out the hard method. Take the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which misfired by describing its otter Abby as a thicc girl.
The funniest celebs understand that audience, delivery, tone, and timing matter. Maybe nobody understands this better than Ryan Reynolds, saucy star of Deadpool and owner of Aviation Gin.
Within days of a Peloton exercise bike advert going viral, Reynolds posted a video response advert that put a deadpan spin on the original.
The quick turnaround earned Reynolds high praise from fellow humorous celebs, including Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness who commented, “That is the funniest quickest best thing ever.”
Humor isn’t only memorable, it is a bonafide method to elicit genuine LOL, comments or likes. Need further proof? Reynolds’s Instagram post, which was watched over 4.3 million times, got 8,932 comments and counting.
2. They get that the caption could make or break a photo
If humor works on Instagram, then a caption is a great place to deliver a punchline. It’s also a great place to add context, hype something, or even insert a prompt.
Take Blake Lively, a.k.a. Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl, and unlikely menswear icon in A Simple Favor. She also occurs to be married to Ryan Reynolds. Yes, she picked a great one.
Tom Hanks has mastered the Instagram caption art with his dad-joke infused lost-and-found series. In this case, posting these pictures without a caption would look particularly odd.
Leave it to Reese Witherspoon to deliver a few of the strongest caption form on the platform. Her New Year resolutions post checks some items off our Instagram caption checklist, consisting of a friendly call-to-action tasteful hashtag use.
Some stars might be better off leaving caption writing to their spawn. For a real ride, scroll through actor Rob Lowe’s feed, and keep your eye out for devastating comments from his sons, like this one or this one or this one.
3. They know how to work video on social
Many celebrities are just as famous behind the camera as they’re in front of it—and they have put this talent to use on Instagram.
Exhibit A: Jennifer Garner. The Alias and 13 Going on 30 actress has turned social video into fine art. From her #PretendCookingShow episodes to her everyday antics Garner’s quirky escapades are so captivating that websites such as Buzzfeed break them down still by still.
Unsurprisingly, Will Smith’s video game is as fresh as it’s fly and showcases epic range. Topics range from deep reflections to a wild night a Tokyo’s Robot Restaurant.
Greater than anything, these videos scream personality. Utilize video to tell a story, introduce your business, and endear customers to your brand.
4. They take you behind the scenes
Everybody wants to peer behind the scenes. Whether it is the backstage drama behind the gold-tassled drapery of the Academy Awards or just an unfiltered glimpse into everyday life, celebs could give fans the VIP treatment by taking them behind the scenes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuSlTGZgFPi/?utm_source=ig_embed
And, of course, Jonathan Van Ness’s famous coffee dance.
This idea applies to firms, too. Take your Instagram fans tour of your factory to tout your eco-friendly practices, or show them the noteworthy exhibitions and presentations of a conference.
5. They know that it’s all about the face
Instagram is a place where people tend to put their best face forward. No group of people does that greater than celeb models.
Anna Speckhart has been a true role model in this sense, jumping from round 50,000 followers to almost 80K in a short time with her face-forward feed.
(Turn the sound on for this one.)
However, selfies are not only about great looks, which Instagram celebrities tend to have in high supply. People connect with faces. Recent research by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Yahoo Labs finds that pictures with faces in them are 38% more likely to gain likes on Instagram.