Picture sharing platform, Instagram, is the perfect tool for hip and fashionable brands – think colourful images, catchy captions, emojis and hashtags to market their products and in some cases even make sales.
A number of local brands, from startups to celeb influencers, are killing it on the platform with pages that inspire brand loyalty and awareness and in doing so are growing their brands in ways that were previously out of reach for such brands.
A highly visual platform, Instagram is the perfect tool for equally visual products and services such as beauty products, jewellery, fashion and travel.
Here are 9 Envy-inducing Instagram brands that made us look twice this year.
NativeChild – Beauty Products Brand
This natural beauty products brand markets its products using beautiful pictures with a natural theme and tone as well as posts pictures of their customers who are essentially their brand advocates and “brand ambassadors”.
Skates and Candy – Children’s Clothing And Accessories Brand
The brand’s Instagram page aims to epitomise fun and adorable charm with their brightly coloured outfits. The brand also leverages brand advocates by posting pictures of their customers and using “ordinary people” to model the clothes.
Dear Rae – Jewellery Designer
Dear Rae’s Instagram is another firm favourite for its simplicity that reflects the brand’s jewellery which is made up of natural lines and simplistic forms. This, in turn, reflects their young, hip and fashion-forward target market’s tastes and likes.
ERA by DJ Zinhle – Fashion Accessories
DJ Zinhle is another one of the country’s most respected celebrity entrepreneurs and like her personal brand, DJ Zinhle’s accessories range, Era by DJ Zinhle reflects the same elegance that her brand is known for. The company’s Instagram page features posts by customers as well as promotions that are aimed at promoting brand loyalty and advocacy.
Ina Paarman’s Kitchen – South African Food Brand
Rich colours and homely food are the mainstays of Ina Paarman’s Kitchen’s Instagram. These portray the brand’s heritage and authentic South African food which is the core of one of the country’s most recognisable brand names.
Bonang Matheba – Celebrity Influencer
Describing herself as “she who reigns supreme” on her Instagram profile, Bonang Matheba is one of the top influencers in the country with over 1.8 million followers on Instagram. Her page reflects her glamorous image with pictures of high-end photo shoots, events and magazine covers which re-enforce her status and brand.
SuzelleDIY – YouTube Channel Creator and Influencer
Julia Anastasopoulos’s Suzelle character has become one of the country’s most recognizable influencers. She has translated her YouTube success to her Instagram by featuring her off-beat videos as well as including interviews with famous South Africans such as Maps Maponyane and Evita Bezuidenhout.
SWIITCHBEAUTY – Make-Up Brand
Founded by teenpreneur, Rabia Ghoor who is being hailed as ‘South Africa’s own Kylie Jenner’, SWIITCHBEAUTY’s Instagram aims to entice her target audience with its youthful look and up-to-the-minute trends. The images on the page are largely of the brand’s young customers as well as magazine-styled product shots.
TravellingCheapskates – Low-Cost Travel Startup
TravellingCheapskates have managed to create an Instagram page that feels personal while showcasing mainly South African destinations. Their appeal is in making their target market feel part of their travel experiences.
