The developments in information and communication technologies everyday and the effects of globalization have led to many changes in most of the fields including marketing communications. Today, businesses are struggling to survive intensely, to be able to be heard in a global competitive environment, and to keep their market share to the forefront. In this sense, the businesses that have taken into consideration that the current developments have caused great changes in the consumers, also added social media which they use very intensely in order to reach the consumers in the period that the traditional methods have lost importance, to their marketing mix as an important brand communication medium. Social media makes it necessary to go out of tradition in marketing activities. In the social media economy, consumers are at the forefront, and the structures that carry on their activities in interaction with the consumer are gaining importance. Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube are among the most frequently used social networks in our country, but in recent times Instagram is another platform that has recently attracted the attention of companies. The study examined the comparison of traditional marketing and social media marketing.The study also examined the importance of using images and the usage of Instagram as a marketing tool.
Keywords: social media, social network, marketing, Instagram
IntroductionNowadays, in order to promote their products and services, the businesses have adopted the new marketing concept as well as the traditional marketing concept. In the age of internet and social media, they started to implement marketing strategies based on Internet and social media. With the rapid change in technology, the habits of social media users and, accordingly, the marketing methods of brands have changed at the same pace. Brands, in their social networks, concentrate on the posts that are visual based instead of writing based. Research and published reports show that digital marketers now attach value on social networks like Instagram, which are foreground with their visual content.Social media, which has become one of the primary Internet usage goals of individuals, has become an important channel for various businesses adopting a customer-focused approach. Social media, the most important channel for real-time marketing, is very effective in reaching the target group with special opportunities offered. Through social media, real-time relationships can be established in platforms frequently used by the brand's target mass, products, services and campaigns are promoted, and the direct communication is ensured. Brands initially started using Facebook to promote themselves through social media, and then they continued with Twitter. Instagram is one of the new forms of influencing the contemporary modern world culture through social media. Instagram is a social media tool that helps people express themselves and communicate using creative imagery. This application, which is for sharing photos and videos, reveal...