#WeAccept - AirBnB's Instagram Presence
To use Instagram efficiently, it’s important to know who your audience is and understand how to better reach your intended demographic. The Insights tool in a business Instagram account is very helpful in being able to keep track of how your social media content is reaching users. Brands such as National Geographic, Nike, and Victoria’s Secret lead the way in follower count on Instagram because they are using the platform to their advantage, creating content their audience responds well to and makes their brand stand out.
In 2017, AirBnB especially stood out against competitors when they began their socio-political stances clear when the United States government closed its boarders to refugees. The We Accept campaign, kicked off with a commercial during the Super Bowl. The commercial focused on the idea of humanizing those who are different, encouraging unity and acceptance to make a more beautiful world.
Immediately after, AirBnB took to their social media pages. Their Instagram account featured the portrait photos included in the commercial with “firsthand testimonial about the role of acceptance in their lives.” This is contrasts with the brand's usual photos of beautiful scenery and inviting homes. This choice truly brings the viewer to view others as people, as Instagram often does. Users of this platform primarily use it to share their lives with others. This Instagram campaign uses this idea to encourage conversation on an often debated issue. It invited those who stood firm in the same belief as AirBnB, to proclaim their acceptance of others regardless of social, economic, or political backgrounds..
In addition to promoting their brand, they began a call-to-action on social media and invited consumers to participate in their goal of providing homes to 100,000 people in need over the next five years. The AirBnB website mentions that the #WeAccept became the number one advertiser hashtag during the Super Bowl and over 15,000 people have voluntarily opened their homes to someone in need.
Kelly, P. (2017, March 17). 10 Most Followed Brands on Instagram. Retrieved from http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/instagram-marketing/10-followed-brands-instagram/
We Accept. Retrieved from https://marketing.atairbnb.com/casestudies/we-accept