Instagram: How can retailers use the platform?

The news last week that Facebook has bought the Instagram platform for $1bn may have come as a surprise to some people. 

Instagram is a free photo-sharing program, usually delivered via an app, which allows users to take photos on a mobile phone and then apply a digital filter to it. Users can then share the photo through their preferred social network.

Instagram has been criticised in the past for making all photos look uniformly ‘vintage’, but there is no denying that the tool can create striking looking images. Several retailers are already using Instagram to build their brand presence in a space that values interesting visual content. 

Last year Ted Baker ran a successful campaign using an app that allowed customers to send Instagram pictures to its Facebook page. Burberry has been using Instagram for several months, sharing aspirational photos with its Facebook and Twitter users. Sharing images with social media fans allows retailers to showcase product and build brand awareness.