Fact 1: Twice as Big as the Population of Europe
Today, Instagram boasts over 1 billion active users. To put that number into context, it's over twice the size of the entire population of Europe! Instagram's immense popularity only seems to be growing - in 2020 alone, the platform attracted over 100 million new users.
Fact 2: The Power of Sixteen
On average, an Instagram user follows 16 brands on the platform. This proves the important role Instagram plays in modern marketing, allowing businesses to directly engage their target audience in a visually appealing and sociable way.
Fact 3: The Iconic Instagram Logo
The original Instagram logo, which featured a vintage brown and cream camera, was inspired by the Polaroid Land Camera 1000. The logo changed in 2016 to the vibrant gradient it is today to better represent the diverse and creative content shared on the platform.
Fact 4: Instagram Outperforming Facebook
Despite being owned by Facebook, Instagram has considerably higher engagement rates, boasting an average engagement rate of 1.6% per post, in contrast to Facebook's 0.09%. So, brands looking for audience interaction should look no further.
Fact 5: Fastest Growing App Ever
Instagram reached 1 million users in just two months. In comparison, it took Twitter two years to reach this marker. This fast-paced growth earns Instagram the title of the fastest growing app ever.
Fact 6: Instagram Lux Effect
Contrary to popular belief, the most-used filter on Instagram is not a filter at all. It's actually the "Lux" effect - a feature that helps uniquely balance the exposure and provides much-needed vibrancy to your photos.
Fact 7: Impressive User Engagement
On average, people spend 53 minutes a day on Instagram. And 95 millions posts and 4.2 billion likes happen daily. This level of user engagement makes Instagram invaluable for brands aiming to increase consumer reach and interaction.
Fact 8: Brands' Best Friend
Out of Instagram's top 1000 brands, 90% have an Instagram account. This highlights the importance of the platform for brand visibility, marketing, and customer engagement.
Fact 9: Influencer Central
Instagram is the preferred platform for influencers, with 93% stating they use Instagram the most for their influencer marketing campaigns. Due to the high engagement rates and large follower counts of influencers, brands get amplified reach and potential boost in sales.
Fact 10: Video Posts are on Rise
While photos may still dominate Instagram posts, video content is growing at an unstoppable rate. The amount of video content created daily has increased by 80% year on year according to Instagram's internal data from 2017.
Fact 11: The Hashtag Effect
Instagram posts with at least one hashtag get 12.6% more engagement than those without. Hashtags help keep content discoverable and allow users to engage in specific conversations.
Fact 12: Starbucks, the Star of Instagram
Out of top 1000 brands, Starbucks tends to make the most appearances on Instagram, showing that even consumable goods can become heroes of this platform through impactful storytelling visuals.
Fact 13: Engagement Over Weekend
Contrary to what you might think, posts published on Saturday and Sunday actually get more engagement than those published during the week.
Fact 14: Top Destination: New York City
The most geo-tagged city on Instagram among the top 1000 brands is none other than New York City. An iconic city undoubtedly lends itself to shareable photo opportunities.
Fact 15: Making Bank
Instagram is expected to earn over $14 billion in revenue in 2021. Much of this revenue comes from advertising by top brands.
Fact 16: Eggstraordinary Instagram Record
The most liked post on Instagram is a photo of an egg. The Instagram account @world_record_egg posted the photo to break the previous record held by Kylie Jenner. Today, the egg has over 55 million likes.
Fact 17: Space Photographs
Instagram is not only for Earthlings. NASA has been delighting its followers using the platform to share photos from the International Space Station, making space more accessible and engaging.
Fact 18: Behind the Instagram Name
Instagram's name is a fusion of "instant camera" and "telegram". It was intended to suggest a focus on capturing and sharing moments instantly.
Fact 19: Covering Global Issues
Instagram is not just about beautiful pictures and brands promoting their products. It's also a platform for discussing global issues. According to Instagram, climate change has been one of the most discussed topics on the platform.
Fact 20: Share a Story
Over 500 million Instagram accounts use Stories daily, showing the rising popularity of this feature among users. Brands should see this as an opportunity to provide high quality, engaging content on the fly.