Instagram is the social media platform most popular amongst influencer marketers. It is a core component of a comprehensive marketing strategy and has been one of the most popular social media platforms for years now. There is a lot to like about Instagram. It has a huge user base that encompasses a broad variety of demographics. It has a great marketing infrastructure, as Facebook owns it. There is a vast array of different kinds of social media influencers on the platform, giving advertisers options to choose from.

Almost every influencer marketing strategy has Instagram as a major component. While TikTok influencer marketing has surged in popularity, there is no question that Instagram is still the dominant platform. While the reasons we mentioned above play a significant role in this, another factor is also a huge reason Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels for marketing: the different content formats available.

Brands can get multiple different kinds of influencer content on Instagram, as they have three primary channels for influencer marketing. These three channels are Posts, Stories, and Reels. Let’s break down exactly what these different formats are and what they can do for your marketing campaigns.

Instagram Posts

For a time, Instagram was entirely composed of Instagram Posts. These are the standard model for utilizing the platform. Essentially, Instagram Posts are fixed images permanent to a person’s profile unless deleted. When Instagram began, it was a photo-centric platform, but Instagram Posts can be either photos or videos. Typically, Instagram Posts will get the highest level of engagement, as they appear on social media users’ feeds and can reach a large audience, depending on the influencer’s following.

From an influencer marketing perspective, Instagram Posts are the most expensive option. This is because they remain attached to the influencer’s profile for the longest amount of time. That means if someone searches the influencer’s name on the platform and visits their profile, even if it is weeks after the post, they can still find your sponsored content. That could increase sales long-term.

Instagram Posts are a great option, depending on your influencer marketing budget. They are the most expensive content formats but could also have the highest value. They are fixed and long-lasting and are likely to yield the most results.

Instagram Stories

When Snapchat came out, it revolutionized social media with a new kind of content format. They changed the game with their disappearing messages, but what caught on most was their stories, which users make that will vanish after 24 hours of being up. Instagram noted this and released their own stories feature. An Instagram Story will show up on a separate feed from the primary one and last for 24 hours before vanishing. Many people do this to post day-to-day updates who don’t want to make fixed posts every day.

An Instagram Story has a lot of value in an influencer marketing campaign. They are more affordable options, as they don’t last as long, so influencers are more willing to offer cheaper pricing. They can also be linked with a swipe-up feature that will re-direct audiences to your website or a chosen landing page. An Instagram Story is an impermanent form of user-generated content, but that doesn’t take away its value.

With Instagram Stories, influencer marketers can have a lower-cost option with a high impact for a shorter period. It is a valuable content format that benefits any influencer campaign, and brands can even choose to spread their budget by getting several of these social media posts from multiple influencers rather than a fixed post from a single influencer.

Instagram Reels

If we’ve learned something from Instagram Stories, it is that Instagram isn’t afraid to take inspiration from other social media platforms gaining popularity. This is the case with Instagram Reels. The Reels feature was added as the popularity of TikTok was surging, and it is essentially the same thing. Reels is the short-form video content feature of Instagram, where an algorithm curates short videos for users based on their engagement with similar posts.

For influencer marketers, this type of content has a lot of value. For starters, short-form video is all the rage right now, and many users prefer this kind of content over all else. This makes it an ideal way to reach a target audience. Another component of an Instagram Reel that makes it valuable is that users don’t have to be following the influencer to see their content. The algorithm will recommend videos from influencers they don’t follow to users, meaning you can still attract a ton of views even if you are utilizing micro-influencers.

An Instagram Reel is a valuable new option for influencer marketing. It is using a content form that is trending across social platforms and can go viral regardless of the follower count of the influencer posting. It is a channel for influencer marketing worth keeping an eye on.

If you are looking to launch your influencer marketing strategy, partnering with an influencer marketing firm can help you hit the ground running. Influence Hunter is a top influencer marketing agency with high-level experience helping an array of clients develop successful campaigns. From development to deployment, Influence Hunter is with you every step of the way to ensure fully customized, high-performing results. Contact Us Today to find out how we can help your business.