The Pros and Cons of Instagram Marketing, According to an Expert [+ Research]

I was successful precocious schoolhouse erstwhile I uploaded my first Instagram post, and now that I'm almost 30, I tin opportunity for judge I've changed a batch since then.

The aforesaid tin beryllium said for nan societal media platform, and those changes person led to a fewer pros and cons of Instagram marketing.

With Instagram being astir for truthful long, you whitethorn wonderment if nan level is still applicable successful trading aliases if nan pros of Instagram trading still outweigh nan cons.

Fortunately, I asked an master for her thoughts, and I consulted nan findings of our astir caller Instagram Marketing report. 

Here's what I've discovered:

• Is Instagram trading still effective successful 2024?
• 4 Pros of Instagram Marketing
• 4 Cons of Instagram Marketing
• Why Instagram Can Be Challenging for Brands

Is Instagram Marketing still effective successful 2024?

In our 2024 Instagram Marketing Report, 88% of responding marketers opportunity Instagram trading has been effective for their institution this year.

Furthermore, 71% of marketers who waste products straight wrong nan app opportunity its societal shopping features output precocious ROI. 

With those numbers successful mind, I'd opportunity Instagram trading is still valuable and effective successful 2024. Samantha Meller, caput of societal media astatine HubSpot's The Hustle, agrees—but pinch a condition.

"Without a doubt, I'd opportunity beautiful overmuch each marque should beryllium connected Instagram," she says. "That said, nan accepted playbook of Instagram has gone retired nan window."

Meller says marketers must beryllium nimble and adaptable to win connected nan platform.

"You can't conscionable remainder connected your laurels of what's worked successful nan past," she says. "You must ever proceed to innovate and person that ear-to-the-ground mindset astir what's happening correct now that you tin subordinate to your business."

Moreover, deliberation astir really your contented tin supply worth to their audience.

For example, 1 of my favourite Instagram accounts is Fenty Beauty. The constitution marque doesn't conscionable station gorgeous images of its products; it besides uses Reels and Stories to show its assemblage really to usage nan products for timely looks.

Its latest video features a tutorial by beauty influencer Alegria Jimenez, showing viewers really to create a vacation look.

Image Source

While Instagram surely has its worth successful marketing, it's not without its challenges. I asked Meller astir nan pros and cons she's knowledgeable successful Instagram Marketing. Here's what she told me:

4 Pros of Instagram Marketing 

1. Instagram is awesome for marque awareness.

Like 40% of marketers successful our Instagram Marketing Report, The Hustle's apical extremity connected Instagram is to raise marque awareness.

"It's a measurement for america to link pinch our assemblage and to scope perchance caller assemblage members who would ideally move into customers astatine HubSpot," she explains. "It's a measurement for america to showcase each nan different contented we're doing crossed The Hustle brand, specified arsenic videos, podcasts, long-form editorial stories, our newsletter, etc."

Meller notes that Instagram followers are much valuable than connected different platforms because they are much invested successful nan relationship and its content. They're besides apt to continuously spot your content.

"When you travel personification connected Instagram, it's a batch much of a committedness than pursuing personification connected TikTok," she says. "If you're pursuing personification connected Instagram, it's because you want their contented to look successful your feed. But, if you travel personification connected TikTok, you still mightiness not spot their contented for months."

2. Instagram helps marketers find what their assemblage is into.

"Instagram is valuable successful uncovering retired what type of contented our assemblage is into, what benignant of stories they want to perceive about, and what they don't want to perceive about," Meller explains.

"I'm a large believer that knowing what your assemblage doesn't want tin beryllium moreover much adjuvant aliases valuable than knowing what they do want."

Meller says The Hustle uses these insights to enrich its content, including podcasts, newsletters, and more, some connected and disconnected nan platform.

3. Instagram makes engaging pinch audiences a breeze.

54% of marketers opportunity their extremity successful 2024 is to summation engagement connected Instagram, and Meller says engagement is 1 of nan platform's perks.

"We've made galore changes to our Instagram and societal media strategy successful nan past fewer months, and we've seen immoderate really breathtaking metrics travel retired of our caller strategy," she shares.

"We're getting a large summation successful impressions and engagement, which intends our assemblage is responding to our contented a batch much than they had been successful nan past."

Interacting pinch your assemblage is nan astir celebrated and fruitful strategy for engagement. You tin do this by replying to comments and sharing images and videos of your followers utilizing your products.

4. Instagram tin put your contented successful beforehand of caller audiences.

This pro didn't travel from Meller. Instead, it is my ain study arsenic some a creator and an Instagram user. Instagram has implemented caller features and algorithms that thief push your contented to caller audiences. 

For example, collaborative posts let for nan aforesaid contented to look connected 2 different accounts. Let's opportunity I'm a smaller business that managed to person a well-known creator showcase my merchandise successful their Instagram content.

Said creator tin station nan contented successful collaboration pinch my relationship and their followers will spot some my relationship and nan product, granting my marque much exposure. 

Instagram is besides experimenting pinch showing recommended accounts connected users feeds. 

4 Cons of Instagram Marketing

1. Instagram's algorithm is volatile.

If location is 1 point my creator friends and I kick astir about Instagram, it is its perpetually changing algorithm. Meller relates.

"Instagram's algorithm is ever doing thing new. Just erstwhile you deliberation something's working, it changes, and thing isn't working," she says. "You could person 1 week aliases period wherever your contented is really hot, and past nan adjacent month, you're thinking, 'What's going on? Did group hide astir us?'"

2. Instagram perpetually introduces caller features.

New features aren't ever bad, but they tin beryllium overwhelming for marketers if caller rollouts are changeless and if these features are pivotal successful getting your contented seen.

"A batch of societal managers joke that each clip Adam Mosseri posts a video, there's panic," Meller laughs, "because we're thinking, 'Now what? What characteristic are they going to present that nan algorithm is going to favor, that we each person to crook complete backward to cater to truthful our contented continues to beryllium seen?'"

3. Budgeting for influencer trading tin beryllium a challenge.

Again, this isn't from Meller, but based connected my ain observations.

For galore marketers, influencer trading seems retired of scope — aft all, don't you person to walk large bucks to partner pinch mega influencers? Fortunately, location are ways to incorporated influencer trading into your budget, moreover if you're a mini aliases upcoming business. 

While it seems for illustration a champion believe to partner pinch influencers pinch galore followers, HubSpot’s Instagram Engagement Report says your efforts are much worthwhile if you partner pinch influencers who may person less followers but a much engaged organization (known arsenic micro influencers).

Micro-influencers supply smaller, highly engaged audiences without nan hefty value tag of a mainstream celebrity, making this type of trading much accessible to various brands.

With 86% of marketers saying influencer trading was effective for their company, I still opportunity it's worthy a try. 

4. There are tons of title connected and disconnected nan platform.

"There's a batch of title pinch not only different brands aliases contented connected nan level but besides Instagram itself is competing pinch different apps, specified arsenic TikTok," Meller explains. "All nan apps are vying for your attention, truthful nan much different platforms turn successful popularity, nan less group are going connected Instagram."

Why Instagram Can Be Challenging for Brands

To summarize, Instagram is challenging for galore brands because of its unpredictable algorithm, fierce competition, and changeless rollout of caller features that must beryllium prioritized.

But, Meller says marketers shouldn't fto these factors intimidate them. Instead, they should rotation up their sleeves and commencement researching. 

"I've been doing what I've been doing for nan amended portion of a decade now," she says, "and there's a bunch of resources, newsletters, and group that I travel successful nan societal media abstraction to make judge I person a beat connected everything." 

Here are immoderate sources Meller's recommends:

• Meller says Rachel Karton's "Link successful Bio" is simply a "magnificent assets for societal media managers. "
• "ICYMI" by Lia Haberman is simply a play newsletter astir different changes going connected successful nan societal media landscape.
• The internet!

"For amended aliases for worse, I americium conscionable truthful chronically online. I'm ways consuming content, reading, watching, and listening," Meller says. "I for illustration being successful nan know. That's what makes a bully societal media manager. You really do person to unrecorded and respire being online, online culture, and knowing what group are talking about." 

Final Thoughts

Instagram perpetually evolves, but it remains an fantabulous level for businesses trying to summation marque consciousness and assemblage engagement. That said, it's not without its challenges, specified arsenic an ever-changing algorithm.

However, nan supra resources and tips tin thief you navigate nan level and build a valuable Instagram trading strategy.