Instagram is a social media platform founded in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and was bought by Facebook in 2012. Instagram has around 1 billion active monthly users as of August 2021 making it a complete social media giant. The majority of Instagram’s users are aged between 25 and 34 with the 18-24 age category coming in a close second. It is a huge hit with younger people however is used by people of all walks of life. It is used not only by people but also businesses as it has invaluable marketing tools used by not only big companies but also small businesses and so-called social media influencers to make money and expand clientele. Instagram can be accessed using both web browsers and through the app version which is available on iOS, Android and Windows.
On Instagram, users follow one another. Following somebody on Instagram is the equivalent of subscribing to see their posts appear on your timeline. You can also follow hashtags meaning that you will see the content of that hashtag on your feed as well. For example, if someone followed Tony Hawk, they would be able to see whatever Tony Hawk posts on Instagram appear on their timeline, to further, if this person also had a keen interest in skateboarding, they could follow “#skateboarding” and see any posts that have the “#skateboarding” in the caption. All of the useful marketing tools are often utilised by small businesses and big businesses alike due to the easy nature of Instagram. It started off as just a photo-sharing app meaning that the interface of Instagram is heavily image-based and therefore easier to navigate than other platforms. Instagram offers free business accounts for those who are setting up the account for promotional purposes. The Instagram business accounts allow the users to gain access to insights into their audience and also allows access to the Instagram promotional services in which users can pay for their posts to appear on the timelines of those in their target demographic.
Not only can one post photos to their feed on Instagram, but you can also post via the IGTV feature which allows users to post videos of up to three minutes in length. You can also use the Reels feature where you are able to post videos up to one minute in length. As well as this, you can post via Stories. Stories are temporary image or video posts that only stay on your profile for 24 hours. You can add stickers, captions and music onto stories, and you can even highlight them so that they stay visible on your profile beyond the 24-hour period.
On Instagram, the search button allows users to gain access to an explore page. This page is basically a tab of suggested content based on the posts you interact with and the users you follow. In addition, there is also a shop tab that allows the user to see suggested items specially tailored to them thanks to algorithms used by Instagram. This allows both easy access to the user and an easy way for companies to promote products to target audiences.
Instagram has various ways of promoting business and products and allows for easily accessible promotional tools making it invaluable when marketing your company or products.
