Anyone with a flip phone knows that the social photo sharing app Instagram is blowing up like the Fourth of July. And now with its $1 billion acquisition by Facebook, photos are even easier to share and like across platforms. This means gigantic opportunities for brands not only to share their products and ideas, but also to interact directly with their audiences. However, it should go without saying that some brands are doing this better than others. So with no further ado, and in no particular order, we present to you Cement Marketing’s Top 5 Instagram Brands.
1. Red Bull
The energy drink and action sports superstar engages its 553,000+ followers with action shots (naturally), behind-the-scenes photos, hashtags and shareable photos. Some of its photos, like the one above, have even trended Red Bull’s own hashtag, “FlyingFriday.” Its daily photos feature what its audience loves–not a bunch of product but beautiful locations, insane sports photos, famous athletes and humor.
2. Forever 21
This mega popular brand worshipped by teens to twenty-somethings knows how to engage its audience. Its Instagram boasts images from shoots like the one above, sneak peeks at new products, on-location shots, office shenanigans, Forever 21 models and more. Its 710,000+ followers are dedicated to the brand and use its Instagram not only to keep up to date, but to grab style ideas and be able to relate to the brand. Forever 21’s feed feels more like a friend’s rather than a company’s. The followers aren’t buying a brand–they’re a part of it.
3. Starbucks
There’s a reason Starbucks has over 1 million followers. While it doesn’t hurt that the brand already had a cult following in its brick-and-mortar stores, its Instagram is creating a lifestyle. Although most photos feature one of Starbucks’ products, it shows them in both creative and familiar locations that inspire its followers to use the #Starbucks hashtag. And tag they do. A simple Instagram search reveals nearly 5 million photos tagged with the moniker. Most of the tagged photos are shot and filtered almost identically to those featured on the original profile. Talk about inspiration.
4. W Hotels
While W Hotels may not have a huge following (about 10,500), we think Zesty really picked up on how the hotel is using Instagram in interesting ways. The brand features photos from special events, like the CFDA Fashion Incubator, as well as its inviable locations from New York City to Taipei. And what else is Instagram better known for (besides cats) than beautiful landscapes?
5. Burberry
With its 662,000+ followers, Burberry is one of the reigning high-end clothing labels on Instagram. And this is not just a numbers factor. Burberry was one of the first designer brands to jump on the Instagram bandwagon and it hasn’t looked back since. Capturing the essence of its origin in foggy London town, it posts numerous photos of beautiful scenery completely devoid of branding. It also gives behind-the-scenes looks into the coveted label’s photo shoots, candid photos of models like It girl Cara Delevingne (above) and on-the-street shots of other celebrities wearing the brand. What does Burberry have in common with the other four brands? At the end of the day, it always posts compelling content that its followers will want to like, comment on and share.
What is your favorite brand on Instagram? Is there a brand you think we left out?