Instagram, launched in 2010 and acquired by Facebook in 2012 has taken over the photo sharing niche with constant growth and popularity in recent years. Instagram is not just used by people for sharing the photos and memories, its being used by marketers to monetise their profiles and businesses to stay connected with their customers for the updates.

Some of the essential statistics of Instagram are induced in our list:

• 80% of Instagram users are outside of the US
• Most Instagram users are between 18-29 years old
• Six in Ten online adults have Instagram accounts
• Female internet users are more likely to use Instagram than men, at 38% vs. 26%
• 32% of teenagers consider Instagram to be the most important social network.
• 32% of Instagram users attended college.
• 26% of Instagram users make more than $75,000 per year

Usage Statistics and Trends from the Past

• After Instagram itself, Selena Gomez has the most followers with 124 million. Cristiano Ronaldo has 108 million and National Geographic has 80.2 million
• Beyonce holds the record for the most liked Instagram with her pregnancy announcement which garnered almost 11 million likes
• There are over 600 million Instagrammers
• Of that 600 million, 400 million are active every day
• There are 16,600,000 Google searches for “instagram” per month
• There are 165,000 searches per month for “kylie jenner instagram”
• 51% of Instagram users access the platform daily, and 35% say they look at the platform several times per day
• 95 million photos and videos are shared on Instagram per day
• Over 40 billion photos and videos have been shared on the Instagram platform since its conception

Instagram Business Statistics

• There are 15 million registered businesses using Instagram business profiles
• Instagram has 1 million monthly active advertisers—up from just 200,000 in March 2016
• 60% of the top brands on Instagram use the same filter for every post
• In March 2017, over 120 million Instagrammers visited a website, got directions, called, emailed, or direct messaged to learn about a business based on an Instagram ad
• Instagram is estimated to have brought in $1.53 billion in global mobile ad revenue in 2016, which is a 144 percent increase year-over-year and would amount to 8.4 percent of Facebook’s global mobile ad revenue according to International Business Times.

Instagram Content Statistics

• 100 million users use the “stories” feature daily
• Instagram posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6% more engagement than those without
• The best time to post on Instagram for the most engagement is at 5 p.m or 7 p.m on Wednesdays. In-general the ideal time for your post updates on Instagram is 2 a.m and 5 p.m
• Instagram influencers are charging up to $100,000 for a sponsored post
• Instagram videos get 2 times the engagement of photos that any other social media platform

Instagram Marketing Strategy
Showcase, Broadcast and Monetise

Based on the statistics and trends since its inception in 2010, any online marketing strategy for your Business or Brand Promotion without creating a road-map and strategy for Instagram is incomplete. For effective Brand Promotion and Online Marketing, using Instagram without Proper Hash Tags or Right Content is sheer waste of the time engaged into this platform.  Determining your objectives is the first key step towards effective Instagram strategy. As Instagram focus is towards visual sharing of photos and videos, one can share eye catching photos, innovative creatives, moments and products. Review your objectives and determine what aspects of your brand to showcase in your Instagram content. Products, services, team members and culture all offer rich potential for subject matter over time. Once you have a list of specific content themes, brainstorm possible subjects for your images and videos.

If your Instagram Followers and Community Members share posts featuring your product, service or brand, curating content from your fans allows you to foster audience engagement and create an incentive for your audience to share posts. Several brands primarily rely on Instagram user-generated content to fill their Instagram feeds these days.

Hash Tags and Geo-Location Tagging
Including Hash Tags, Location tagging, or geo-tagging is another way to increase engagement. It allows new users to discover your content through a specific tagged location. In fact, posts with a location receive 79% higher engagement than posts without. Use popular hashtags that have the best chance of getting searched for (e.g., #love, #tbt, etc.). Also use hashtags commonly thought to attract new followers. Some of the most commonly used are #followme, #follow4follow and #follow

Instagram Shares – What’s to be Shared for User Engagement ?

• Share videos and Visuals for increased Brand Awareness
• Demonstrate Company Culture
• Showcase your Team and Recruit new talent
• Increase Customer Engagement and Loyalty
• Showcase Products and Services
• Enhance and Complement Event Experiences and Moments
• Incentivize Consumer Engagement
• Share Company or Industry news
• Build a more Engaged Community
• Connect with Influencers
• Drive Sales through traffic

Try Social Sharing Across Networks
Instagram allows to connect your Instagram Profile to Accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr and Swarm. Its simple to post and push your Instagram posts to various other networks.

Optimize Your Bio & Link
With a 150 character limit, your Instagram bio should focus on what’s important about your brand. Your bio is also a good place to educate. Including a branded hashtag informs users how to share and find additional content related to your brand.

Follow Industry Accounts & Instagram Influencers
Depending on your content type, follow the influencers and bloggers of similar matching industry or nature.

Best Times to Post on Instagram by Day of the Week

• Sunday: 5:00 p.m.
• Monday: 7:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.
• Tuesday: 3:00 a.m. & 10:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 5:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
• Thursday: 7:00 a.m. & 11:00 p.m.
• Friday: 1:00 a.m. & 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 12:00 a.m. & 2:00 a.m.