Refinery29, the female-focused digital media company, has applied a similar approach to television scheduling to maximise the impact of its content on Instagram, the photo- and video-sharing platform owned by Facebook.

“We’ve started to innovate on the platform by – kind of weirdly – programming it like TV,” Lydia Pang, creative director at Refinery29, said. (For more, read WARC’s in-depth report: Refinery29 brings TV logic to Instagram.)

During an event held by Instagram in New York, Pang explained that Refinery29 has a thematic plan for the content it introduces on Instagram.

“We have regularly scheduled programming. So, on Mondays, we’ll talk about money,” said Pang, who joined Refinery29 in 2016.

Borrowing from the annals of linear television helps ensure that consumers have a good idea of what material will appear, and when it should reach their screens.

A case in point involves using Instagram to flag up #MoneyDiaries, a content series from Refinery29 that helps people understand various aspects of the financial world, like the economics of dating or how social norms shape prosperity.

This mix of predictable scheduling and fresh content is undoubtedly appealing for Refinery29’s target audience, just as it would be for a TV viewership.

Simultaneously, it can attract marketers like a broadcast network. One recent example saw Intuit, the financial-software company, partner with the #MoneyDiaries, and used Instagram as a communications medium to highlight this affiliation.

And this approach, for Pang, rests on providing useful information to Refinery29’s audience of 2.2 million Instagram users on a predictable cadence. “It makes sense; the mindset is already there; the audience is ready to receive that kind of information,” she asserted.

Given that Refinery29 has a long history of recommending the best products and being involved in branded content, Pang is confident its user base is more than comfortable with its commercial activities.

“I feel like our audience is very aware that we engage in branded content – and, if anything, they expect it. But they do hold us to high standards. They’ll call you out if they don’t feel like it is natural,” Pang said.

Sourced from WARC