Acclaimed as the pioneer of discovery shopping, Instagram has emerged as one of the leading social media platforms for everyone.
In fact, with the innovative discovery shopping feature, Instagram is emerging as the new Amazon.
Undoubtedly then, be it businesses, marketers, bloggers, influencers, or consumers, Instagram is the place to be.
With over a billion users, however, the platform is also known for constant changes in its algorithm which makes it difficult for marketers to ace it.
Here are the top 10 stats related to Instagram that every marketer should know in 2021:
1. There are 500 million+ active accounts on Instagram daily
That’s a lot of people and truckloads of content shared.
With 500 million+ active accounts on Instagram daily, there are a plethora of marketing opportunities for businesses on the platform.
2. There are 1.074 billion active users on Instagram
With 1.074 billion users across the globe, Instagram boasts about this as its most significant milestone.
This is 73.5 million more than the number of users in 2020.
A major part of this growth is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to the fame of the photo-sharing app.
3. 81% of Instagram users use the platform to make their purchase decisions
As many as 81% of Instagram users use the platform to decide whether they want to buy a product or not.
In addition to that, 41% of Instagram users identify that content shared by brands on Instagram compels them to do product research and make their purchase decisions accordingly.
4. 84.4% of Instagram users prefer photos over video
Photos remain the most compelling form of content on Instagram.
A whopping 84.4% of Instagram users prefer watching photos and not videos on their feed.
Hence, while promoting a brand via Instagram calls for an intelligent combination of photos, videos, stories, Live and IGTV, photos must be most emphasized.
5. Instagram can generate 4X more engagement compared to Facebook
Instagram engagements for brands increased by 29% between 2017-2018, translating into the prospects of developing more than four times interactions compared to Facebook.
Marketers must spend considerable time and effort creating high-quality Insta posts to fetch high engagements.
6. The average Instagram engagement rate is 0.96% for a business account
With millions of business accounts on Instagram, the average engagement rate for the content shared by these businesses is 0.96%.
Amongst these, photo posts get the highest reach, followed by carousel posts and video posts, respectively.
7. An average post on Instagram contains 10.7 hashtags
Hashtags are the most accessible means to identify topics on Instagram.
An average Instagram post contains 10.7 hashtags.
However, the more, the merrier doesn’t quite fit the Instagram algorithm.
In fact, engagement levels tend to decrease for posts with more than six hashtags.
8. An average user spends 30 minutes per day on Instagram
The average amount of time spent on Instagram by an average user in 2020 sits at 30 minutes per day, which depicts a jump of 13.8% from 2019.
This translates into more marketing opportunities – the more time spent on Instagram, the more advertisements they see, and the more chances your brand will get noticed.
9. 130 million Instagram users tap on shopping posts every month
Instagram is accredited for being the pioneer in discovery shopping, given the innovative CheckOut feature.
130 million Instagram users tap on shopping posts every month, offering immense growth opportunities for businesses.
10. 90% of Instagram users follow at least one brand
Marketers have an excellent opportunity to utilize Instagram for reaching out to their target audience since 90% of Instagram users follow at least one brand.
With an Instagram Business Profile, brands can further enhance their visibility by sharing relevant business information to make it easier for potential customers to contact them.
Concluding Thoughts
Instagram is on the bandwagon of launching tons of features to help businesses market their products and sell directly from the app.
As you plan your Instagram marketing strategy, make sure to take a data-driven approach and exploit each of the important trends that are marking historical shifts in the digital habits of the consumers.
Author Bio:
Saba Mohsin
Saba is the lead Digital Content Writer at OneStream Live, with a keen eye on ground-breaking technologies. She has diverse experience of curating content for multiple leading high-tech firms.
