There are a lot of statistics out there for all the social media platforms and really for any topic you could think of. This article will break down some Instagram statistics and what they mean.
Let’s start with a brief history of Instagram. The photo and video social media platform has exploded in its last decade of existence. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched the iOS app on October 6, 2010. Only two years later on April 9, 2012, Facebook, Inc. decided to buy Instagram for $1 billion. It is estimated to now be worth more than $100 billion. By adding features and accounts, the app continues to gain market shares and users.
Sprout Social and AdEspresso by Hootsuite have some great statistics about Instagram users and their usage patterns. We will break them down and tell you what they mean.
User Statistics
Over two-thirds of U.S Americans use a social media platform of choice and increasingly that choice is Instagram. The number of users is well over that of Twitter, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp.
Instagram has 800 million actively monthly users. This is a HUGE number and for them to be active monthly and even daily is great. These users fall predominantly in the 18-29 age range and are 38% women and 26% men.
Instagram’s users are also willingly seeking businesses out on their feed. 80% of Instagram users follow at least one business account, which leads to over half of them learning about a product/service via the app. They are not only following brands but searching for them too. 70% of users look up a brand on Instagram as a potential customer. These searches lead to engagement on the business’ profile and Generation X and Millennials both interact with Instagram stories to learn more about products.
Business Statistics
Around 71% of US businesses use Instagram for awareness and/or marketing. These businesses are smart for sure. The aesthetic and nature of the platform provides companies with the ability to utilize visual marketing tactics. A HubSpot article says that people only remember 10% of information that they hear, but when paired with a photo they retain 65% of the information. Sprout Social’s statistics include one backing this up as well. Instagram photos generate 36% more engagement than videos despite video usage being up on the app.
Although advertisements via Instagram cost more, they have been proven to reach more people and users interact more with them than ads on platforms such as Twitter.
Instagram business profiles allow businesses to access analytics data on their followers and contact information. They have additional access to post reactions and impression numbers to use with further marketing/advertising techniques. Such a large number of businesses have been drawn to these features and this platform that the number of business accounts has greatly surpassed the amount of personal accounts.
Hashtags are another way that companies can maximize their reach on Instagram. 7 out of 10 Instagram hashtags are branded. These link customers and their photos to companies – expanding the reach organically and rapidly. There is a magic number for the amount of hashtags you should include in a post — 11. This number is the point where you can reach maximum influence before it begins to decline.
Conclusion
Instagram is the current powerhouse of social media platforms.
It is a force to be reckoned with and has gained active users while other platforms have been slowly losing them. Hopefully these Instagram statistics and what they mean help you maximize reach for your business.
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