Instagram has experienced phenomenal growth over the last couple of years, thanks mainly to the nature of the platform itself. Unlike other platforms, it’s almost entirely based on images, which means that it offers a very different experience compared to other social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat.
The social network was originally started back in 2010 and managed to attract more than a million users in the first couple of months. It then continued to grow until 2013, when it was picked up by Facebook for more than $1 billion. Facebook’s share price fell, so the final selling price of Instagram was only $714 million, but the wisdom of Zuckerberg’s decision to buy soon became apparent. Over the next couple of years, the platform grew dramatically in ways that people really didn’t expect. Growth exploded during 2014 and 2015, reaching 80 million users, and then jumping to over 100 million.
According to recent reports from CNBC, the network now has more than 400 million users.
The success and growth of Instagram is important to internet marketers and business. It’s quickly becoming the go-to platform, proving to be even more beneficial than Facebook and Twitter for companies trying to get their messages out. Here are some of the reasons why Instagram will continue to grow and potentially dominate the social media space.
It’s Easy To Use
Facebook is a notoriously complicated platform. Yes, the social media giant has done all it can to make its interface as intuitive as possible, but there’s no denying that the platform is difficult to navigate. Instagram, on the other hand, is a heck of a lot more basic. There are essentially only two actions that you need to take to post a photo on Instagram. Once it’s shared, that’s it: job done.
The Beginner’s Guide to Instagram
Ideal For Short Attention Spans
Some businesses love to write long prose about all the features of their products. But for many of their customers, this is boring and puts them off the product. For a subset of customers, therefore, it’s a good idea to communicate in a shorter, punchier way – like through photos. Photos are the ultimate in bitesize advertising and offer a quick way for customers to get a sense of what it is that you do.
Appeal To All Ages And Demographics
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One of the great things about photographs and pictures is that they appeal to all age groups. This is why Instagram is fundamentally a universal platform and why Instagram shoutouts are such an effective tool for business. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, which are heavily slanted towards ideology, politics, and narcissism, Instagram isn’t. Instead, it’s about people sharing images of their favorite food or their favorite locations, something that is as likely to appeal to the older generation as it is the young. Marketers need to take note of the fact that Instagram is among the easiest platform to use.
The Celebs Love It
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Celebrities love Instagram, so it’s a perfect place for communities to form around role models.
For instance, Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, has a very active Instagram account where he shares daily updates on his life and what he is doing. He regularly posts motivational images, things that are funny and photos of him doing his job on-set and off.