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Initially launched in 2010, Instagram soon became a go-to social media platform for photos that have been edited with fun filters.
These days, Instagram is so much more. Users are now able to share Stories that expire after 24 hours, long-form video content to IGTV, plus short and snappy videos to Reels.
It’s now a staple for many marketers looking to generate brand awareness and connect with their target audience. So, to help you better use the platform in the year ahead, we’ve compiled a list of Instagram statistics to help you better understand its demographics and how brands use its features.
To kick things off, here are some fun Instagram statistics that show just how successful the app has become since its launch:
The Instagram app first became available for iPhone in October 2010. It wasn’t until April 2012 that the Android version of the app was released. Since then, Instagram has seen approximately 3.8 billion downloads. In 2022, it was the second most downloaded app worldwide, being beaten out by TikTok.
With 2 billion Instagram users worldwide, there’s tons of content to be consumed on the platform. In the United Kingdom specifically, there are 35 million Instagram users as of February 2023.
One of the more surprising Instagram statistics is the popularity of their desktop website. Although Instagram is known for being a mobile app and it’s where most users access the platform’s content, their website is the fifth most visited website.
Here’s a fun fact for you! The most liked photo on Instagram in 2021 comes from the @world_record_egg account. The photo in question has 55.1 million likes and was posted with a caption asking people for help making it the most liked photo on the platform. And it worked!
However, Lionel Messi took the first place in March 2023 after winning the FIFA World Cup Trophy for Argentina.
As a marketer, what should you know about how Instagram is used? Here are some Instagram usage statistics based on the platform’s growth and how often people spend scrolling the app:
In terms of active users worldwide, Instagram ranks as the fourth most popular social media app. It comes in just behind Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp.
One of the important Instagram statistics to track is growth because it shows how popular the platform is. Instagram has seen a 16% increase in monthly active users from 2019 to 2021.
Which app saw the most growth during that timeframe?
It was TikTok with a whopping 38% growth in monthly active users. Pinterest, Reddit, Facebook, and Snapchat saw more growth than Instagram. The two platforms with less growth were LinkedIn and Twitter.
Instagram has a lot to offer its users with the feed, Stories, Reels, and IGTV. With so much content to consume, people spend an average of 30 minutes per day on the platform. How does that stack up against your screen time?
To give you a better understanding of who is using Instagram, we’ve compiled some of the data around their demographics.
This information includes where most of Instagram’s users are located, as well as their top age groups and genders.
India is leading the pack with a majority of Instagram users residing in the country. 229.55 million Instagram users are in India, to be exact. Rounding out the top five are the following:
The United Kingdom comes in eighth place with 28.75 million Instagram users.
As of January 2023, the largest age group of males on Instagram were those between 18-24 years old. They made up 16.9% of the platform’s users. The largest age group of females were those ages 25-34, making up 16.4% of users. These Instagram statistics are based on its worldwide audience.
Those age groups are the most common in the United Kingdom as well. Those ages 25-34 make up 29% of Instagram’s share of users.
If you look at Instagram’s worldwide audience, you’ll also find that a majority of its users are male. 51.8% of users are male, while 48.2% are female.
If you look at just the United States, 56.5% of Instagram’s users are female, and only 43.5% are male. And in the United Kingdom, a quarter of the male population is on Instagram, and almost 30% of females are.
Launched in August 2016 and modelled after the success of Snapchat Stories, Instagram brought Stories to its users as a way to share photos and videos that expire after 24 hours.
It’s become a place for users to share snippets of their day, promote business offerings, and so much more. If you’re not using Stories, let these Instagram statistics change your mind.
Proving the value of Instagram Stories, this feature has 500 million daily active users. That number has steadily increased since its launch and shows no signs of slowing down. That’s reason enough for marketers to be sharing content there and using it as a way to connect with their audience.
When posting Stories, you obviously want to ensure people are watching from beginning to end. Luckily, brand Stories have a completion rate of 86%. The key is to make sure you’re sharing captivating content that will hold their interest throughout each Story post you share.
For brands questioning whether they should invest their time and energy into Stories, this particular statistic may help you make a decision. 58% of people say they’ve become more interested in a brand or a product after seeing it posted on Stories, making it an effective way to establish a relationship with your target audience.
Instagram Stories are just one way brands can direct people from Instagram to their website, especially since all users can add links to their Story posts. Data shows that 50% of people have visited a website to make a purchase after first seeing a product or service on Stories.
This feature is also one of the ways in which brands can run ads on the Instagram platform. In fact, approximately 4 million businesses use Stories ads monthly. Other options are to run ads in the main feed or via Reels.
When it comes to ads, quality is definitely key. However, that doesn’t mean you need a big budget to develop your ads. Instagram says Stories ads that have been shot on mobile outperform studio-shot ads 63% of the time, so opt to film on your phone instead.
Launched in over 50 countries in 2020, Instagram Reels is a direct competitor to TikTok. This feature has given users the ability to create short and snappy videos (up to one minute long) designed to educate and entertain. However, many may wonder if it’s worth creating Reels when TikTok continues to thrive.
When compared to regular video content, Instagram Reels have been shown to receive a 22% higher engagement rate. More engagement is one way to keep the Instagram algorithm happy!
This statistic comes as no surprise as Reels is very similar to TikTok in how it functions.
Plus, they feature the exact same types of content, many of which have been repurposed for both platforms. If you’re creating Reels and not posting them to TikTok, you may want to consider doing so. Just remove any Instagram watermarks first.
As a marketer, it can be tricky to determine which platform deserves your advertising dollars. This data is a clear reminder of why Instagram is a powerful choice for anyone looking to expand their reach:
While Facebook generates the largest amount of ad revenue, Instagram does a pretty impressive job as well. Their estimated ad revenue in the U.S. alone from 2019 was $9.49 billion. They generate £3.59 billion from ads run by UK-based accounts.
Making it a tempting platform for advertising, Instagram’s potential reach is 1.16 billion users. If your target audience is there, ads can be rather effective and yield powerful results when done well.
Instagram revealed that 50% of users became more interested in a brand after seeing their ads on the platform. All the more reason to run ads to generate brand awareness, right?
Influencer marketing has become a popular choice for brands wanting to expand their reach to new audiences. 79% of brands turn to this highly visual platform to work with influencers for feed posts and takeovers on Stories.
And finally, let’s dive into a few business-related Instagram statistics to see how the platform can be effective as part of your marketing strategy:
Instagram isn’t just a place to follow friends and family! 90% of users follow their favourite businesses for updates as well. In fact, there are over 200 million businesses on Instagram, meaning the ones you love the most are likely there for you to support by engaging with their content.
Deciding how often to post on any social media platform can be tricky. You want to post regularly to keep the algorithms happy, but is there such a thing as posting too often? According to Hootsuite, the average business account on Instagram posts once per day, which is a great goal to aim for.
Social media is meant to be social. In a survey, Instagram says two in three people feel the platform enables the average user to interact with brands. Through comments and direct messages, anyone can reach out to the businesses they love.
Knowing that 81% of people use the platform to learn more about different products and services should make it even more appealing for businesses. If people are out there searching for what you have to offer, it’s important to be there posting about your work.
Instagram truly is a powerful marketing tool with multiple ways to publish content that shows off your creativity.
These statistics are a clear reminder of why, as a marketer, you should commit to making Instagram a staple in your overall online content strategy. If your target audience is spending their time on the platform, you should be too.
