Instagram: Is it today's 'need to have' platform

One exciting thing about a new year is that there is a whole new marvelous year of statistics and analytics to dive into. Today we're taking a look at what happened with Instagram in 2015, and what it means for your business today. 

Need to Have?

Instagram used to be a 'nice to have' social media platform, but the following statistics show it has developed into a need to have for your businesses performance. Instagram racks up 400 million monthly active users, 80 million posts each day, and 3.5 billion daily likes. So regardless of your product or business category there is an audience for you on Instagram.  (In Australia, there are over 5 million monthly active users)

Majority rules

Of the top 100 brands in the world, 90% are active on Instagram! That is a massive statistics that nicely proves the popularity of the platform. 

Growth of Engagement

The growing Instagram measurement tools have proven that hashtags and location tags are two key elements of increasing engagement. Therefore, ensure you are using these elements in every post you make. 

Brand Yourself

Creating a hashtag for your brand will go a long way. Of the top used hashtags in 2015, 70% were brand related. With #BMW and #MercedesBenz used the most. Use your brands hashtag in every post you make. 

Fast Scroll

It has been revealed that relatable and engaging photographs deliver more results than videos on Instagram. While a video or two here and there is nice, Instagram is a mobile phone based application where users are scrolling at a fast and judgmental pace, therefore you are more likely to grab their attention with a compelling image rather than betting on them to wait for the video to play.

Emoji Love

Emoji's are loved and used by everyone in the online world, from brands to their users. The heart emoji was the most used emoji of 2015. Find ways to make your posts and captions creative and fun. 

(Here are some great tips, from the social media examiner team - if you are getting started in this arena)