Instagram often refers to itself as a community, and we're inclined to agree that the platform has created a unique space for users to build relationships with brands and followers alike. Establishing a deeper connection with our customer is at the heart of our Instagram strategy, and we do so by curating a mix of branded posts and user-generated content that dovetails seamlessly with our business goals and customers' interests.
Contests
One of the most exciting things we're able to do on Instagram is host contests that celebrate our followers' creativity and love for the brand. This summer, we encouraged users to share their most inspired Anthropologie moments with the hashtag #SummerinaSnap for the chance to win one of five $500 shopping sprees. The contest launched in May with an announcement post, partnerships with style influencers and #regrams, and ran through the end of July.
More recently, our second-annual #DearAnthro campaign successfully cut through the promotional noise of the bustling holiday season. Over roughly two weeks in December, we asked followers to share their Anthropologie wishes for a chance to win them. The campaign generated thousands of entrants and millions of potential impressions through reminders and #regrams. We gifted everything from dreamy bedding sets to a children's play tent, and were ultimately able to foster goodwill and holiday cheer among our followers.
Internal & External Partnerships
In 2015, we launched Instagram accounts for all 200+ Anthropologie stores, creating thriving micro-communities of brand fans across the country. The benefits from this effort have been two-fold: in addition to bringing a healthy dose of localized content to each of our communities, we've also increased engagement and celebrated our stores' creativity by cross-promoting #regrams on our main handle, @anthropologie.
We also chose to shine a spotlight on one of our most unique services by creating an Instagram account for our personal styling team. Launched in November, @anthro_ps now has over 10,000 followers who "heart" photos from real-life stylists Blair and Christina as they tout seasonal outfitting ideas and share behind-the-scenes glimpses of our Home Office.
Some of our most successful social media moments were developed in conjunction with third-party partners. This fall, we launched our #SimplePleasures campaign and encouraged followers to celebrate the small luxuries in life by sharing photos of their own special moments. We partnered with dozens of bloggers to capture everything from the quiet solitude of a burning bonfire to the first sugared bite of a flaky pastry, and received nearly 11,000 hashtag mentions in the month of September.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
We often feature #regrams from our 1.9 million followers, and encourage customers to share their photos with us via the #Anthropologie hashtag. This has helped us generate excitement and conversation among brand fans while consistently showcasing the creativity, beauty and optimism that is so central to our brand DNA. To date, there have been over 454,000 uses of the #Anthropologie hashtag on Instagram.
We measure our success in virality and engagement. In 2015, we experienced a +25% annual increase in engagement, as measured by likes and comments, in addition to +73% annual growth in followers. To us, this is demonstrative of a loyal audience charmed by the high quality of our messaging.
Better still, our Instagram presence has increased our bottom line. Through our partnership with Like2Buy, which has rendered our Instagram feed instantly shoppable, we've experienced +775% annual growth in demand this year.
In 2015, we were also honored to be awarded Best Use of Instagram in PR Daily's Digital PR and Social Media Awards, which recognizes industry leaders for their innovative use of digital media.
