What started as a simple photo uploading platform has morphed into a full-fledged entertainment site. Forget photos today; www.instagram.com users primarily consume audio-visual content – from 15-second reels to 1-hour live streams. It is the spontaneity of the app and the ultimate entertainment experience that has an enormous pull on Instagram users and repeatedly seduces them to call it up several times a day.
The first few years after the takeover of Facebook, Instagram (IG) is more of a little sister to the giant Facebook. Instagram introduced videos in 2013, Stories in 2016, IGTV in 2018, and Reels in 2020. For years, Instagram has succeeded like no other platform in attracting the broad target group from 18 to 44 years of age, i.e., today’s Gen Y and Gen Z, who are increasingly turning their backs on www.facebook.com.
While IG is still mainly about snapshots from your own life – only the formats have changed. It is no longer just a photo platform but rather a video-sharing app. Even if users can now also use it on the desktop, most of them use it on the go.
Almost every third internet user is on this platform
Over 1 billion people worldwide used Instagram in 2020, half of whom used Instagram Stories every day (500 million people worldwide). These figures are even more interesting for companies: Instagrammers visit at least one company profile every day, and 1/3 of the most viewed stories come from companies.
89% of Instagrammers are not from the United States
What many do not know: 89% of Instagrammers come from outside the USA. Out of one billion Instagram users, only 110 million are in the United States. The country with the most IG users is Brazil (70 million), followed by India (69 million), Indonesia (59 million), and Russia (40 million).
In Europe, Sweden is the country with the most Instagrammers, with almost five in ten citizens using Instagram (48.5% see Figure 1.2), followed by countries such as Cyprus (45.9%), Turkey (44.7%), Norway (43.6%).
Millennials’ digital living room
Today, more than half of the global Instagram (IG) population is 34 years of age or under. Worldwide, IG particularly attracts men and women between the ages of 18 and 34. Women in this age group are also very often represented on Instagram, but the number of users also increases in the older semesters.
53 minutes daily on Instagram
Every day, users around the world spend an average of 53 minutes on social media platforms. That is 6 minutes less compared to Facebook (59 minutes).
63% of Instagrammers log into IG at least once a day, and 42% check the app several times a day. Only 16% sign up less than once a week. The users are simply addicted to the platform, and that is mainly due to the high engagement factor. There is an infinite number of things that users can do on Instagram. Starting with simple interaction options such as liking, commenting and sharing, writing via direct messages, watching videos, and, last but not least, recording, consuming, and interacting with Instagram stories or reels.
Instagram tempts you to buy
70% of online shoppers look at Instagram for new products. Every month 130 million Instagrammers tap on a shopping post to find out more about the advertised products. The modern consumer journey on IG works according to the principle of discovering – weighing – buying, and especially in the decision-making phase, user-generated content helps you, photos, and videos of other users of the specific use of the product. A quarter of users have purchased after seeing a story.
It’s not just about photos anymore
We have established that it is not about photos anymore, but what else can you do on IG? Well, the answers are infinite. From social activism to games and challenges, you can do anything on Instagram. For example, during the pandemic, a challenge like 24 motives 24 names took Instagram by storm. It was a fun way to spend time with your friends even when apart. In addition, IG has been used repeatedly as a platform to raise awareness about social issues that we face every day. So, it is not just an entertainment platform but a place where you can reach out to the world and make your voice heard.
Learn More:
Instagram Video: All You Need To Know
Using Instagram Checkout To Boost Your Brand Reach
10 Instagram Marketing Mistakes To Avoid At All Costs