Instagram recently released the feature "Ask Me Questions?" and surprisingly it became a hot debate on the Internet about the viewpoint of the correctness of their use. Some Instagram users reveal followers answer questions from users by filling in the available fields, and others reveal otherwise.
Not long ago, the Instagram through his official account finally clarifies the purpose of the new feature and how to do it. In this case, Instagram users will respond to these problems in their own way. It does not matter wrong or right. Some users even aim to influence the thinking of other users and it works.
As time goes by, the debate becomes viral. This phenomenon can be linked as a marketing strategy with a technique of popularizing their features to be introduced (viral marketing). According to Ferrel, Hartline and Lucas (2004: 106) viral marketing is an electronic form of word of mouth communication. Viral marketing can be interpreted as an electronic form of word of mouth communication.
Viral marketing provides its own benefits for Instagram: first, great potential reach. The Internet has the ability to reach large international audiences without having to invest money or make extra efforts.
Second, help to build up the Instagram brand. If it really concerns the target market in terms of creativity, Instagram makes a remarkable feature that the users themselves decide to talk widely, thereby creating a personal relationship with the Instagram brand.
Undoubtedly viral marketing is a powerful tool in terms of branding and awareness. Then, Instagram may have intentionally introduced a feature that raises the debate among users.
Instagram is one of the social media platforms with an ever-increasing number of users. We are Social and Hootsuite launch that internet users around the world approximately reaches 4 billion people and almost 50% of them are Instagram users. To maintain the number of users, some social media platforms will periodically update the features and packaging.