With over 400 million users, and rapidly growing more and more every day, Instagram has quickly proven itself to be a social media power house. Its simplicity and convenience make it appealing not only to the every day user, but to marketers and brands alike. As 2016 approaches and we all start to think about next year’s marketing plans, here are four big reasons why Instagram NEEDS to be a part of your 2016 social media plan.
1. Instagram is the king of social engagement
One of the great things about Instagram is the fact that there aren’t any crazy algorithms that change daily, and you don’t need to fight to be at the top of a consumer’s feed. Instagram places pictures in the feed chronologically, so the chance of a fan seeing your picture is very high (assuming they scroll through their feed down to the last place they stopped). Not only that, but the use of hashtags makes it a lot easier for someone to find you, as long as your photos are enticing and engaging. Compared to the other top social media platforms, Instagram engagement blows the others out of the water by a mile, and you don’t need to pay to boost posts to do it.
2. Millennils and Gen-Z are already there
As a millennial, I’ll admit I’m still annoyed by the constant attempts to advertise to me, to figure me out, to determine my spending habits. I can’t even tell you what makes me WANT to buy something. I see it, I like it, I determine whether or not it’s in my budget, and I buy it, or I put it on my Christmas list. That’s it. However, I am thrilled that we are slowly moving on to Gen-Z, the “new millennial” if you will. And guess what? They are already on Instagram. Where did they come from? Facebook. As this new generation continues to grow and determine their own spending habits, brands can be with them where they already are – Instagram. 90% of Instagram users are under the age of 35, so if you are trying to reach that generation, Instagram is where you need to be.
3. Users are on Instagram all day, every day
In terms of usage frequency, Instagram is the second most popular social media platform, right behind Facebook. Even though Facebook still remains the king of the population, Instagram is well on its way to beat that in the near future. 59% of Instagram users visit the platform daily. 35% visit several times per day. This is a 10-point increase from last year, and will continue to increase in 2016 and beyond. Now is the time to join the party before you get lost in the mix!
4. It’s all about the visuals
It’s no secret now that social media is more visual than anything, and video is the new master. Millward Brown found that the average consumer between the ages of 16 and 45 watches 204 minutes of video per day. This is why Instagram is such an important platform. One can share photos and videos, and videos can only be 15 seconds – just enough to grab the attention of the viewer. Instagram gives you the opportunity to have a personality and to reach your audience on a completely different level – in a way that isn’t ‘pushy’ or ‘marketing-like’, but in a way that makes the consumer think you are friends, which is EXACTLY what they want. Visuals are an important way to capture the essence of that.
Bottom line, it’s estimated that 71% of brands will be on Instagram by 2017, and Instagram will be more popular than Twitter. My personal opinion is that Instagram will continue to be more effective in engaging with an audience than all other social media platforms combined. Instagram continues to be the fastest growing platform, and most engaging platform, for almost all my brands I work with, and I did not have to pay a dime to advertise on it. Make 2016 your year and include Instagram in your social media strategy.