Leveraging Instagram

Due to wide usage and fast adaptation of social media, many businesses and brands have turned to the world of social media to market and advertise to their new and existing customers. While all businesses have implemented social media marketing departments and measures to their business model, SMEs are especially influenced by this shift. SMEs are known to have low budgets, and often SME owners wear many hats in the business taking over all departments, such as marketing, finances, and sales. Social media marketing has allowed SME owners to build up their business through low entry and high reach platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. However, with the fast-changing social media environment and overload of information, SME owners are often clueless when it comes to building up a useful social media presence. With a focus on Instagram, this paper studies the effects that visual images have on a new customers' perception of an SME. Additionally, this study analyzes the impact that a low v. high follower count has on customer perceptions. Using brand identity studies and following the hierarchy of effects model this experiment created three content categories customer-centric, employee-centric, and product-centric images. A control condition was used to compare brand identities against. The customer perceptions studied were image likability, brand attitude, and brand trust. Additionally, end behavior was tested with questions about purchase and visit intentions. In order to create a connection between visual images and end behaviors, correlation between the customer perceptions and end behaviors was tested. The experiment was conducted through an online study. The results showed that employee-centric images scored higher on brand attitude and brand trust than the control conditions, while customer-centric images showed no significant differences when compared to the control. Product-centric images also held significance over the control condition for brand attitude but not brand trust. Regarding image likability, product-centric images were more likeable than customer-centric images. There was a significant correlation between all three customer perception factors tested and end behavior. However, the results indicated that there was no influence from low vs. high follower counts on either customer perception or end behavior.