4.5 Meta
Meta, previously Facebook, primarily owns and operates Instagram, Facebook, SnapChat and WhatsApp.
Instagram is a visual montage of events, beer gardens, food, water slides, etc. As a social media platform, Instagram is intuitive and user-friendly. Images and reels are at the heart of Instagram focusing every post.
According to a Sprout Social Demographics report, the majority of Instagram users are between the “largest age group of 18-24 (30.8%) with 25-34 close behind (30.4%)” (Zote, J. 2024)[1]. This makes Instagram a very attractive tool for businesses who are looking to connect with Millennials and Gen Z.
There are so many features available for businesses in today’s Instagram app: Stories, Reels, Live, IGTV (for longer videos), Guides and of course posts (ads or organic).
A lot of businesses use Instagram as a backbone for their social media strategy – posting in and out of TikTok, Facebook and Twitch. It is a great place for A/B testing and featuring collaborations with content creators. Often different companies have other businesses to work with and invite them to post on their account. Getting the first 10,000 followers is very hard and takes time. It does get easier with consistency and added-value content.
The development of Instagram is prioritized as a mobile app and now more recently as a mobile website. The UX (User Experience) for Instagram is enhanced for display on the smallest screens using responsive design.
From its inception in March of 2010, Instagram went from a small team of four employees to a full-fledged department. Instagram was purchased by Facebook, now Meta, for USD $1 Billion in 2012 with over 27 million users. Instagram has well over 1 billion active users[2].
There are some reasons why Instagram is one of the fastest growing social media applications. The app ensures you are locked in even if you click out to a linked website: The ability to keep users in the app while feeding them external content ensures that users stay online (in Instagram) longer.
In Instagram, users can post multiple photos and videos. Using filter effects and layout controls[3], users can easily control how a post will look. Brands, like Airbnb[4] and Madewell[5] are model businesses for using Instagram effectively to create a strong following of potential and current customers.
These businesses harness embedded links within their Instagram images to direct individuals to their product/service e-commerce websites creating conversions that eventually lead to sales. Using attractive imagery and innovative product tips and details, companies can create a frenzy of interest on Instagram.
Instagram Business Page
It is very easy to create a business Facebook and Instagram account. You can add call, text, message, email, and add custom pages right to your Instagram account, making it very easy for your customers to connect with you. The analytics in Instagram can also give you insights into the most effective actions, areas where you ar