There is no question that brands should be creating or continuing a strategy for Instagram. The once niche photo sharing app has become a ubiquitous and powerful tool for brands and marketers alike.
Instagram’s Growing User Base
Instagram recently revealed that it has surpassed 300 million monthly active users. Even more staggering is that on average 70 million photos are shared every day though the photo sharing service. To date, more than 30 billion photos have been shared. That’s billion with a B. The old cliche about a picture being worth a thousand words may need to be rewritten. It is definitely safe to say that a picture is worth far more than 140 characters.
UPDATE:
Adweek recently reported that Instagram will hit 100 million US users by 2018 with Millennials and teens continuing to drive growth on the platform.
Dominating Engagement Rates
According to Forrester Research, “Marketers seeking social engagement should turn to Instagram’s low-clutter, brand-friendly environment. Top brands Instagram posts generate a per-follower engagement rate 58 times higher than their Facebook posts — and 120 times higher than their Twitter posts.”
Top brands Instagram posts generate a per-follower engagement rate 58 times higher than their Facebook posts.
The engagement gap between Instagram and Twitter is shrinking. Twitter seems to be making up some ground since placing an increased emphasis on native image sharing and a more visual user experience.
At the end of last year Socialbakers published a blog article which compared the platform’s social engagement rates to those of Twitter. Their research showed that the best performing brands generate nearly 50× more engagement with organic content on Instagram than on Twitter.
‘Grammers Love Their Brands
Instagram gives brands an outlet for creative storytelling and engagement through photography and short 15 second videos (see our article about the 15 second length here). Brands have been able to explore new forms of messaging on the channel. The site boasts tight communities of people who form around similar areas of interest — favorite brands and causes have greatly benefited.
Brands that use Instagram wisely can experience a sharp increase in quality consumer interactions. Over saturation doesn’t seem to be an issue yet. SimplyMeasured published a report which shared that 73% of brands post at least one photo or video per week. Even as brands seek to find the frequency sweet spot, engagement rates continue to climb.
Main photo credit: Death To Stock
