Why web development industry should embrace Instagram

A community of more than 500 million people can’t be wrong - Instagram is one of the most popular tools for sharing photographs and videos. Just snap a photo, pick a flattering filter, write down some hashtags, and you can show everyone what you ate for dinner, that you put effort into your outfit of the day, and how adorable your pet is. You can even make a career out of it if you’re particularly good at displaying the good parts of your life to the world.

The biggest brands obviously noticed the potential and started using Instagram to display their products. Just take a look at Nike, which is followed on Instagram by 74,3 million users. On their account, fans can find great quality photos and videos that display products, commercials and create the community among buyers.

One thing is, therefore, certain - Nike obviously knows their audience and how to engage them. However, that’s simply a must for a majority of retail companies in the e-commerce world, but what about the IT? We have our websites and portfolios that show our clients what we can do. Should we ditch Instagram then? Well, as you probably suspect by the title of this article, I don’t think so ;)

Instagram, in my opinion, is a must for every company from the IT industry. Sure, you can display your products there, but in my opinion, its greatest value lies within showing what happens when the products are created. In short, it’s a great tool for Employer Branding.

IT is nothing without its people

There are few reasons behind this claim. First one is that employees can simply feel included in the life of their company. They're not yet another cog in the machine and are recognized and appreciated. Such approach doesn't have to cost a thing - just take a look at the photo Google’s Campus London posted on their Instagram. It combines informational purposes (what to do when some safety issue arise on campus) with appreciating their employee by adding a human touch to the description. Simple as that - job well done, Google!

Have you seen Hazel rocking the fresh new Campus Security gear like a boss? You can always find our security team at reception if any safety issues arise, or just for fashion tips and high fives 🙌🏽#fridayfeeling

Post udostępniony przez Campus London (@campuslondon) 28 Lip, 2017 o 2:06 PDT

In my experience including a majority of people working in the company only strengthens the attitude of comradeship and the connection with the brand. They are seen and are part of the team. Obviously, as the person posting the photo you’ll need someone’s permission to publish a photo, but let’s be honest - we are living in a selfie-obsessed world so you won’t hear NO often.

Here's a little advice from yours truly - in my experience, it’s always good to ask and (if possible) show the photo you’re going to post. It’s a small gesture, but it builds a trust. With the right attitude, you may end up with people telling you about situations that are “Instagram worthy”, which you could otherwise miss. Being nice pays off, Guys! ;)

Come work with us; we’re fun

It may be because of my line of work, but when I hear about some company, I instantly check out their Instagram. I want to take a peek at what people hide behind the products they create. If their profile is filled with cool, pitch-perfect photos, I feel that I can’t tell anything about them. If I see a mixture of photos portraying day-to-day activities, integration parties, and goofy situations in the office, then I instantly feel like those are people that I wanna meet.

Oh boy oh boy, it's finally here! Our arcade game is in the office and let's be clear- IT WILL impact our productivity today:)🕹 😍surprise #arcade #arcadegame #fun #funatwork #happyoffice #officelive #arcademachine #softwarhouse #webdev #webdevelopment #poznan #merixstudio

Post udostępniony przez MERIXSTUDIO (@merixstudio) 18 Maj, 2017 o 3:26 PDT

I’m also more than sure that I’m not the only one to feel that way. What’s more, I know for a fact that non-scripted, more honest Instagram account can have the power of influencing the decision of sending a CV to the company. It’s the simple case of feeling that you can work with them, not only because of the products they create but also because they simply seem fun to be around.

Are you creative? Prove it!

Once again, I may be biased because if my job, but I feel that if you want to be seen as a fun, young company with the Silicon Valley-esque vibe, then you simply should be on Instagram! Showing the less formal, more human image of the company can be seen as proof that you are creative, fun collaborator that's able to create something original. And I’m fully aware that it may sound a bit silly! However, don’t let only your products be interesting - you’re hiring interesting and innovative people for a reason, am I right?

We're not the only ones that really like our "greenhouse" conference room - turns out our clients like it to! And now a public poll - how many offices of yours are so clean that your clients can happily relax on the floor?🤔 #meeting #businesscasual #happyclient #workshop #newoffice #funoffice #grass #fakegrass #interiordesign #conferenceroom #funatwork #summervibe #chilloffice #webdev #webdeveloper #softwarehouse #poznan #merixstudio

Post udostępniony przez MERIXSTUDIO (@merixstudio) 20 Lip, 2017 o 6:00 PDT

Working on the web development can take some time and effort on both sides of the project, so meetings are more than necessary. You’ve obviously shown you clients via your portfolio that you’re an expert in what you do. Add a bit of personality and fun attitude, so they’ll be even more interested in meeting you! I’m obviously not talking about throwing raging parties in the middle of the office. However, showing that you can create a good vibe will do wonders. Just take a look at the picture shown above - this meeting with our client barely seems like work :)

So what you’re waiting for?

You don't need to spend a lot of money on Instagram - a bit of time and effort would be enough. Unless you're planning to conquer it and beat Nike in the number of followers and interactions, but that's a whole different story. Only recently I've discussed with my coworker whether Instagram is well suited for software houses- well, it may not be GitHub, but judging by the amount of positive feedback, it sure meets its goal.

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