Week 8B: Businesses with Visual Support

Not all businesses can utilize visual social media to promote their business.  Some that promote services such as house cleaning wouldn't be able to get as much information to customers compared to standard advertising.  There are some businesses that can take visual social media and just run with it.  Below are some instagram pages of businesses that have fully taken advantage of visual social media.

Company: Bodybuilding.com

Type: Online fitness store

https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingcom/

Followers: 2.9 million

Company: Seaworld San Diego

Type: Amusement Park

https://www.instagram.com/seaworldsandiego/

Followers: 98.2 thousand

Company: Apple

Type: Electronics

https://www.instagram.com/apple/

Followers: 19.3 million

Company: Taniokas

Type: Poke Shop

https://www.instagram.com/taniokas/

Followers: 12.6 thousand

Above are four random businesses that I found on Instagram from a small family owned business to a a large corporation.  Each of these four businesses have utilized their visual social media to improve customer attraction and to showcase their business in their own way.

Bodybuilding.com is an online fitness store that sells fitness supplements and provides a community for those who enjoy fitness and have goals.  Being in the business of fitness, it's a clear understanding that they took full advantage of Instagram by posting pictures of their products and sponsored athletes.  Anyone looking at the images will instantly want to be that super fit person and will think the supplements they're advertising in the other images can get them there.  The company posts multiple daily pictures and always utilize the #bodybuildingcom hashtag.  Clicking on the hashtag shows over 1 million posts from the community and not just the company.  I think they are doing well and have chosen the correct visual social media for their business.

Sea World is something that probably doesn't come to mind when you think of business and social media.  One of the best parts about going to Sea World is seeing the cute animals. Going to their instagram doesn't disappoint.  There are multiple posts daily with many of them being up close pictures of their cutest animals. It makes you want to visit the park to get up close and personal.  Not only do they capture the animals in the best light but they also take great pictures of the park highlighting the beautiful weather and scenery.  It's the perfect social media platform to attract tourists.  The hashtag #seaworldsandiego hosts over 100,000 posts from the visitors and staff which helps generate a higher customer base.

Apple is already the conglomerate of all electronics.  Some may think that they would have no need for using social media to get more of a following.  On the contrary, Apple has 19 million followers on their instagram alone which primarily consists of pictures from their newest iphone rather than pictures of their products.  With the new iphone boasting three cameras, it's no wonder that they want to show off the high resolution snap shots to entice customers to want to have the same ability.  Ironically, Apple only posts one picture a day but I guess that's all they need to promote their products.

Taniokas is a local staple in Hawaii selling primarily poke.  I actually didn't expect their following to be so high but for a local family owned business, they have nearly 13k followers.  Their instagram is made up of food pictures but with a hint of Aloha spirit.  I do not believe they take advantage of Instagram enough as flooding it with pictures of their food would generate a much larger flow of customers.  However, having personally been to this store multiple times, they are doing more than fine when they can sell out of all their fish (trays and trays) by 10am.  So as a small business, they may be the outlier that doesn't need to rely on social media, but for a food business, they could certainly benefit from utilizing them.