At the mere age of a third grader, Instagram has risen to prominence as one of the most used platforms in the history of ever. More than a billion people use the space. Yes, Instagram users > 1,000,000,000.
It also boasts the highest level of user engagement — meaning users are regularly interacting with content more than Facebook, Twitter, or any other platform.
And who could blame Insta users?
For the majority of people, a bold, striking image will initiate our wanting to learn more and clicking on the description. Whereas a bold, gigantic paragraph post on Facebook is often pain we’d rather spare ourselves.
Of course, this is significant because companies looking to market don’t simply launch their advertisements into the void of the internet and hope someone finds their message in a bottle. Brands need to know that their efforts in targeting their consumers are effective. S
Some interesting new stats show us that while celebrities and influencers receive far more engagement than any other sources, brands are receiving a median 192 million weekly interactions.
This number demolishes the median 45 million interactions on Facebook. If we do some math-ing here, the numbers boil down to one “like” for every 27 views of a post.
All this being said, how do you maximize your user engagement?
If you are a company looking to market on Instagram, there are a few boxes to make sure you check. Fashion and beauty are leading the charge for highest user engagement, which makes perfect sense. Both industries center around visual representation — which therefore naturally lend themselves to stunning photos, videos, boomerangs, etc.
You don’t have to be a beauty brand to win – developing a strong brand aesthetic is key (and remembering that bold images trump a wall of words).
Additional tips include using hashtags regularly to keep content relevant in Instagram’s algorithms, igniting user discourse (maybe throw in a little controversy?), and of course, collaborate with relevant influencers. You know that, but don’t forget to take into account that widening the number of people involved in advertisements will mean that users who share no connection to your brand may see your content simply due to the relationship with someone they follow.
If these are the strategies you are already employing, great! Keep up the good work. If you are following separate practices and finding gaps in your user engagement, consider reforming strategies to reflect the brands who are finding regular success.
As always, trends will continue to change. A number of newer platforms are jockeying for a place among the social media giants. Until then, get in the mix.
Jennifer Yano holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in teaching. A high school Spanish teacher and coach by day and a naturally reclusive Hobbit by night, she enjoys writing about business, education, and kitten paws.
