Instagram post from Bloomingdale's
Out of all the verticals, luxury retail and car manufacturers are the most likely to have an Instagram account, according to data from Statista.
At least 60 percent of brands from high-end automakers and retailers are on the platform, compared to the overall 30 percent. For luxury brands, Instagram provides a space to connect with their most loyal, engaged fans through a visual narrative.
Embracing engagement
Sixty-seven percent of luxury retail brands are active on Instagram, compared to the 33 percent of general retailers. Similarly, luxury automakers beat the general auto statistic, with 60 percent and 21 percent respectively.
Infographic based on Statista's data from visual marketer Pixlee
Instagram’s engagement per follower ratio is 58 times that of Facebook, and 120 times Twitter’s.
In addition to typical posts, both automakers and retailers have found ways of using the platform creatively to reach a heavily invested audience.
BMW of North America let fans reserve one of 29 thirtieth anniversary BMW M5s to be sold in the United States exclusively through information revealed on Instagram.
Interested consumers were asked to follow the brand’s Instagram account through 1 p.m. EST on May 21 to access a gradually revealed reservation phone number. BMW’s attempt to stitch Instagram into the broader commerce tapestry speaks to a much larger and rapidly progressing trend (see story).
Department store chain Bloomingdale’s highlighted more than 500 gifts in a clickable Instagram guide.
Hashtag #Zoomingdales, which launched Dec. 11, worked around Instagram’s lack of post hyperlinks, allowing consumers to follow tags to separate profiles to view gift sets. Since Instagram has the most engaged community, the store likely saw results from giving consumers gift guides they can follow directly to ecommerce (see story).