Instagram has gained a huge footing from various social media marketers thanks to its knack for connecting people. According to Forrester Research, Instagram is superior to every other social network when it comes to user engagement. Of the seven social networks reviewed, six had an engagement rate less than 0.1 %. Instagram was the only network with a user engagement rate of 4.21%.

Nate Elliot, an expert marketing analyst, said that Instagram has 120 times more engagement per follower than Twitter and 58 times better user engagement than Facebook. One of the most common way to increase reach on post is to use Instagram hashtags. Top brands are making the best out of this opportunity by coming up with imaginative and creative ways to popularize themselves.

Here is a list of some top brands that will serve to help marketers gain inspiration for How to Rock on Instagram:

Lesson Learned from Zappos: Go Beyond Your Product

The most excellent thing about Zappos is that their Instagram feed is just so out of left field. No doubt that there are several images of handbags and footwear scattered here and there, but their feed is packed with some cute little gems.

The lesson here is that businesses should not just limit the Instagram feed to photos of products. If there is any occasion coming up like Christmas, New Years, Easter, etc. you can put a relevant inspirational, attractive and funny image on the feed that will attract more followers and bring a smile on their faces.

Lesson Learned from Asus: Capture That Follower

A common mistake that even large brands often commit is treating Instagram marketing as a standalone campaign. The end goal of any of your marketing campaigns should be to either to build brand awareness, capture leads or make a sale. While growing your Instagram following helps you build awareness or even make a sale once in a while, it is worth remembering that relying entirely on a third-party platform may not be a sustainable strategy. It takes one algorithmic tweak from Instagram for you to lose all your followers.

Translating your Instagram following into a mailing or retargeting list must thus be top priority. The bio section of your Instagram profile comes in very handy here. It is ideal to have a custom landing page built primarily for your Instagram users. This way, when a follower clicks on the bio link and lands on your website, they may be channeled into your mailing list or remarketing group.

Lesson Learned from Adidas: Selfie, Meet Personalized Shoe

Adidas was the third most popular account on Instagram as of May, 2014 with close to 2 million followers. First place being was Nike (4 million followers) and second place was Starbucks (2.5 million followers). Adidas is allowing every sports fan to pull their favorite photos from Instagram and have them personalized as per their requirements directly on their ZX Flux shoes. This announcement generated a great level of user engagement on the Instagram post as well as on the video shared on Instagram persuading users to share their experience with personalized shoes.

The lesson that every marketer needs to learn is that customers love to boast their creations and if posts can include personalized products … there’s little better than that. You can check the Popular Instagram hashtag.

Lesson Learned from Pabst Blue Ribbon: Take Your Brand Places

Pasbst Blue Ribbon (PBR) embraces its Instagram feed with grace and humor rather than its hipster image. PBR’s Instagram feed doesn’t contain any photos of beer pong or group members, but rather it has wonderful and elegant pictures that people would like to share without caring about the fact that they like cheap beer. The lesson that every marketer should learn is that you can brand your product in historic landmarks, or any other beautiful scenic places, and there you go with thousands of comments and likes piled up on the feed.