Everyone knows the brands. They re cool and fun—and they never seem to run out of ideas for creative Instagram content.
The truth is that not every brand has services or products that are as simply “gram-able” as a company like Airbnb, with their endless supply of gorgeous user-generated travel images. However, that does not mean a security firm or a bank cannot also make engaging content that their customers love.
Let find out six Instagram accounts you would not expect to be awesome but totally are.
1. King Arthur Flour
You would not expect a flour firm to have over 190,000 Instagram followers, however, King Arthur Flour’s social media group knows what they are doing.
Not only are the images of delicious baked goods mouth-watering, however, but many of them are also offered by King Arthur Flour customers themselves.
The brand’s Instagram bio encourages its audience to tag their baking photos with the #kingarthurflour hashtag for an opportunity to get featured on the brand’s page.
Utilizing a branded hashtag is a great method to curate user-generated content while building brand awareness. To do that for your brand:
- Make a hashtag that includes your brand (this does not essentially have to be your company’s name).
- Include a line in your bio encouraging your audience to use the hashtag in their relevant content.
- Repost the best-submitted content and highlight the fact you found it with the hashtag.
- Ensure you use the hashtag on your own Instagram posts.
2. Dictionary.com
There are at least 143,000 Instagram customers smarter than you. At least that is how many are following Dictionary.com’s account for their word of the day.
The popular vocabulary website has an easy, however, effective strategy to their Instagram accounts. Every day they publish a word and its definition on a brightly colored background.
While this exact format will not work for every brand, there are key takeaways that may be utilized to most business’s Instagram accounts:
- Use text in posts. Whether you are sharing an inspirational quote or a piece of advice, switch up your Instagram content by adding posts that use text. When you are looking for new tools to help you design visual content for Instagram, Hootsuite integrates right into Adobe’s Creative Suite.
- Share educational content. It will be hard to search out anyone who does not want to be smarter. Like Dictionary.com, make a habit of posting valuable content that boosts your audience’s knowledge on a certain topic.
- Work with the format. Instagram was built for quick and easily-digestible content. Do not attempt to fit feature-length films or lengthy paragraphs of text into your posts as you most likely will not be able to maintain your audience’s attention.
3. 3M
When you hear the name 3M and immediately think about a tape, it’s time to take a look at their Instagram accounts.
3M is a leader in industries “from health care and highway safety to office merchandise and abrasives and adhesives.” In other words, they are about a lot more than tape.
Their Instagram feed is a carefully curated combine of fascinating technology and science posts, along with more lifestyle-oriented content.
You could defy expectations like 3M by:
- Carefully curating content. Give your audience a fascinating combine. For instance, in case you are a furniture firm, you can mix up beautiful interior design pictures with content that shows how a couch is made.
- Highlighting what defines your brand. 3M is about innovation and science, and they’re constantly discovering new methods to feature both in their content. Figure out what makes your brand unique, and consider different ways you could highlight these qualities.
- Standing behind related social justice issues. 3M shares numerous posts that include their diverse culture and commitment to equality and inclusion. While I do not recommend attempting to tie your brand to every social issue, championing those that you genuinely care about and practice is an effective way to differentiate your business.
4. Trader Joe’s
How exciting could a grocery shop’s Instagram accounts be? Just look to Trader Joe’s page to search out.
It’s generally recommended that brands not fill up their Instagram feeds with photos solely that includes their products, however, that’s exactly what the quirky American grocer does.
This would typically make for a boring account, however, Trader Joe’s does it in a creative method that keeps their followers of over 234,000 followers engaged.
Make your product or brand the star of your Instagram by:
- Concentrating on lifestyle. Show your followers how your product would fit into their life—or the life they want. For Trader Joe’s, this means sharing posts of elaborate charcuterie boards utilizing their products, romantic table settings that include their wines, and healthy breakfasts fit for world-class athletes.
- Know your audience. You should know who your target audience is and what drives them in order to be able to engage them. For instance, Trader Joe’s knows they are reaching many busy parents so they create content showing tiny luxuries (like a glass of uninterrupted wine) that this audience could easily obtain.
- Mix up the format. While their Instagram page is full of beautiful pictures, Trader Joe’s also incorporates fun videos, intelligent illustrations, and slide shows. Do not be afraid to pepper your Instagram accounts with a mix of formats, as long as your overall aesthetic stays on-brand.
5. Sharpie
Sharpie is an enormous brand with a small product—and their Instagram accounts bring it to life with incredible creations by employees and followers of the pens. Like King Arthur Flour, Sharpie encourages their audience to share related posts with their branded #StartSomething hashtag.
With this hashtag, Sharpie is able to discover and share compelling content made with their merchandise. For instance, lettering artist Adam Vicarel designed a denim jacket with Sharpie markers and pens. He accompanied his post of the jacket with a story about his struggle to become a professional artist, and Sharpie was capable of share his story.
How could your brand follow Sharpie’s steps to making engaging content?
- Share a story. Think about the story your brand is telling. Sharpie’s story is one of creativity without limits, and they share this with their artistic posts and user-generated content material. Your prospects are an countless supply of highly effective narratives, you simply need to know methods to get them to inform them.
- Encourage others to make use of your services or products. Showcase the possibilities of your product and encourage your audience to think outside the box. Sharpie functions clothes, shoes, and non-traditional canvases for their markers.
6. TSA
A mere mention of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) could make you sit up straighter. However, this traditionally no-nonsense organization uses Instagram to show the lighter side of their firm.
While any organization related to security is liable to have a top-secret vibe, the TSA pulls back the curtain with their personable, behind-the-scenes content.
Moreover, their humorous Q&A posts, the TSA shares photos of confiscated items, fascinating (and permitted) luggage, and other snapshots of their day-to-day experiences on the job.
In case your organization’s Instagram content can use more personality, think about these questions:
- What makes your brand unique? The TSA deals with countless travelers (and their fascinating luggage) every day—a goldmine for content.
- Is there an internal part of your enterprise you wish others can see? While I would not recommend this strategy when you are a butcher, the behind-the-scenes content of many organizations makes for good Instagram fodder.
- Who are your employees? The TSA usually features their own employees on the account, which helps bring a personal touch to a big organization. Think about your employees and their stories, and consider sharing these on a regular basis.
As Henry van Dyke once said, “If only the best birds sang, the forest would be silent.” Even if your brand is not regularly classified as fun or exciting, there are no limits in terms of making engaging Instagram content for your customers.