Lumping Southeast Asia into one region is both common and incredibly dangerous. With 11 diverse countries, each different to the next, there are a multitude of threats and opportunities that Instagram administrators need to navigate. It starts with understanding who your customers are, then moves onto tailoring an Instagram strategy towards them. Here are five best-practices to help you truly engage with your followers and create an optimal presence that will benefit your business.
1. Create a brand narrative
Every brand has a distinct style which transcends from their logo through to their communication touch points. In terms of Instagram, this predominantly means your photos. Decide on what message you are visually communicating then experiment with different filters to discover what works for both your brand and your followers. And remember, high quality photos are always a must.
Example:
All of the photos on dtac’s Instagram feed resonate with their light blue brand colour while communicating uplifting feelings of positivity. This photo style also connects with their hashtag of #feelgooodeveryday
2. Choose the appropriate language
While Southeast Asia consists of 11 countries, its inhabitants speak many more languages. This can become tedious as countries such as Malaysia contain a melting pot of languages including Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese and Tamil. Do your research and know what language your audience prefers to speak. This may require you to create individual Instagram accounts to cater for specific countries.
Example:
Zalora Indonesia takes a dual-language approach. They switch between posting in Bahasa Indonesian and English while comments are generally made in Bahasa.
3. Speak in a familiar tone of voice
Within the languages of the market that you are operating, there will also be a large amount of slang that is used. Your captions should be worded in a way that your audience will understand. Consequently, you need to develop a tone of voice that resonates with both your brand and the people you are trying to engage.
Example:
Even though Artisan Roast Coffee operates in Kuala Lumpur, the team opts for English copy with a light sense of humour that their coffee customers will appreciate.
4. Be Consistent
Building an audience on Instagram is by far an overnight success. On the contrary, it requires determination over an extended period of time. All of the Instagram accounts which have developed large organic followings are consistent in their activities. Consequently, it is imperative to plan your editorial calendar and continually post content that your followers will enjoy.
Example:
Twistchic is a graphic designer based in Malaysia with over 30,000 followers. To date, she has posted over a thousand high quality and visually engaging posts, which is more than most brands who are on Instagram at present.
5. Build Relationships
Posting photos is just the start of Instagram marketing though. An important but often neglected aspect is interacting with your community. At the most basic level this means responding to comments posted by your followers. However, to truly grow your following, you must partner with Instagrammers with bigger followings. Reach out to Instagrammers who share similar philosophies with your own and find a way to collaborate for mutual benefit.
Example:
Dah makan is a healthy gourmet lunchbox delivery service in Kuala Lumpur. While they post their own photos, many of their pictures are reposts from Instagrammers with sizeable followings in the thousands.
Developing an influential Instagram account in Southeast Asia
These five points provide the foundation of creating an influential Instagram account, however they are by no means definitive. Developing a successful Instagram account isn’t an end point. It’s an iterative process. It requires constantly trying new things then reviewing what worked and what didn’t. But if you’re willing to invest the time and effort, you will have a better chance at capitalising on the current and future opportunities that the platform offers.
Give your Opinions