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Useful Instagram examples

Hello, this is Haga from the BtoB team.

Nowadays, our daily lives are filled with things and events that are "Instagrammable." Instagram has become a familiar SNS (social networking service) that has spread into our lives without us even realizing it. It now has 800 million monthly users worldwide, and has grown to 20 million monthly users in Japan alone (as of October 2017).*

※ Instagram users in Japan exceed 20 million "Linkage with online shopping" - Nikkei Newspaper Online Edition (Updated 2017/10/3 15:14)

Instagram is already becoming commonplace in B2C industries such as apparel and food service, but its explosive popularity is also attracting attention in general B2B, with an increasing number of companies beginning to use Instagram.

How do companies position Instagram and what kind of information do they send out? In this article, we will introduce how companies are using Instagram by looking at examples of companies that have opened and are operating official accounts.

Communicating a "realistic atmosphere" to job-hunting students
Sky Corporation

Sky Corporation - Official account ( @sky_recruit )

Sky Inc., a company that develops software, has set up an official account as a tool for disseminating company and job information. The main purpose of the account is to convey to job-seekers the "company atmosphere" that cannot be conveyed through corporate and recruitment websites alone.

A notable feature of the site is that it contains many realistic scenes that you would not be able to experience unless you join the company, such as new employees receiving training or working while receiving work advice from senior employees, and many of the posts allow users to imagine themselves working there.

By making effective use of Instagram, which has a high affinity with the younger generation, in recruitment activities, job seekers will have more opportunities to naturally come into contact with companies in their daily lives, which may reduce mismatches after joining the company.

Appealing quality by showing the "experience"
Tamron Co., Ltd.

Tamron Co., Ltd. - Official account ( @tamronjp )

The official account of Tamron Co., Ltd., a lens manufacturer headquartered in Saitama City, mainly posts photos taken with the company's lenses.

What is noteworthy is the high quality of the photos. They beautifully capture a variety of scenes, including nature, landscapes, animals, and people. Photos taken by general users are sometimes posted, including winning entries in the company's own photo contests, so you can enjoy looking at works taken from a wide variety of perspectives.

The corporate website clearly explains the lenses, and Instagram posts beautiful photos taken with those lenses. By using Instagram as a tool to communicate the "experience" of purchasing the lenses, the company is able to naturally promote the quality of the lenses while also raising awareness of the company.

Reaching out to a niche demographic expands the fan base
Tokyo Electric Power Company Group (TEPCO)

Tokyo Electric Power Company Group (TEPCO) - Official account ( @tepco.official )

The official account of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Group (TEPCO) mainly posts about the company's facilities, such as towers, power lines, and pipes.

Photos of facilities may not seem familiar to the average user, but the photos actually posted are all impressive. The composition is well thought out, so you can't help but stare at them. Recently, there has been a term like "factory moe," and hashtags have been carefully chosen to allow users with niche interests to see the posts.

By strengthening communication with a small core fan base, that communication can spread and reach general users. This is an interesting account with such potential.

Increase your contact points with unique hashtags
Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT)

Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) - Official account ( @jt_official.jp )

Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT), a manufacturer and distributor of tobacco products, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, and more, communicates with its users through a variety of approaches on its official account, including introducing its social contribution activities and user-participation posts.

They hold photo contests on an irregular basis, inviting general users to participate on Instagram using their own hashtags such as "#ThinkingOfPeople'sMoments". They also post pictures of social contribution activities that involve people. It seems like a company that values its contact with general consumers, without creating a barrier between SNS and the real world.

I think that the fact that they value relationships with many people, regardless of whether they touch their company's products or not, is what draws people's interest in their company's activities.

Until now, Facebook and Twitter have been the main social networking sites used by companies, but Instagram has an advantage in that it allows users to communicate primarily through images.

Rather than simply thinking of Instagram (and other SNS) as a tool for disseminating information, think of it as a key piece of content that appeals to the appeal of your company. It is essential to properly promote product/service information and company information on the corporate website, but it is worth considering the content of your company that can only be distributed on Instagram.

All four of the companies introduced here have their own unique characteristics and seem to function as tools to promote the appeal of their companies. Since B2B companies have limited contact with general consumers, using Instagram effectively can be an opportunity to make your company known. Why not consider using Instagram as a tool to interact with general consumers and introduce your company's activities?