Instagram is a photo and video sharing social network
where users can upload, edit, and organize content by hashtags and geographical tags.
(Exhibit 22.1).
Since its debut in October 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, and after
it was acquired by Meta Platforms in April 2012, Instagram has undergone numerous policy and
interface changes. It was originally distinguished by content restricted to a square frame,
1:1 aspect ratio of 640 pixels to match the display width of the iPhone at the time. The pixel
restriction was subsequently eased, messaging features were added, and so too the ability to
include multiple images or videos in a single post.
Instagram Stories was introduced in August 2016. Similar to Snapchat, with
Stories users can share photos and videos that disappear from their profile, feed and messages
after 24 hours, unless they add them to their profile as Story highlights.
Instagram Live where users can broadcast video to their followers in real time
was launched later in November 2016.
Instagram has grown considerably in popularity since its launch, especially
amongst the youth. As summarized by the below highlights for 2022, the network offers
tremendous opportunities for marketers:
- With 1.22 billion users and 2.9 billion total visits per month, Instagram
is the 7th most visited website in the world and the 4th most-used social network.
- 60% of Instagram users are 18- to 34-year-olds. While these young adults
make up the biggest share of Instagram’s audience, usage among older adults is growing at
a fast pace.
- Instagram’s audience self-identifies as 50.8% female and 49.2% male.
- Various sources suggest that engagement rate on Instagram is roughly 5 to
10 times higher than it is on Facebook, while engagement on Facebook is substantially higher
than it is on Twitter.
- Originally designed with iPhone in mind, the vast majority of users still
access Instagram via mobile devices.
